☀️ Rooftop Solar PV
A rooftop photovoltaic system generating electricity for the home, including mounting and inverter.
Permit requirements for Rooftop Solar PV differ by state and city. The table below summarizes the rule in each covered state — open a state for full detail, fees, and official sources.
| State | Permit? | Authority | Typical fee | Timeline | Go / No-Go | Key notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Permit required | city | Electrical permit fee set by the city; state law requires streamlined review for agencies above 50,000 population. | Streamlined (often 1–3 days via SolarAPP+ where adopted); 2–4 weeks otherwise. | Generally allowed | Rooftop PV requires an electrical permit. California requires local agencies above 50,000 population to provide streamlined solar permitting. Exempt: N/A |
| Texas | Permit required | city | Electrical permit fee set by the city. Verify with the city building department. | Often streamlined (1–3 days via SolarAPP+ where adopted); 2–4 weeks otherwise. | Generally allowed | Rooftop PV requires an electrical permit; many Texas cities use SolarAPP+ for streamlined review. Exempt: N/A |
| Florida | Permit required | city | Electrical permit fee set by the city. Verify with the city building department. | 2–4 weeks. | Generally allowed | Rooftop PV requires an electrical permit; products in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade, Broward) require Florida Product Approval / NOA. Exempt: N/A |
| New York | Permit required | city | Electrical permit fee set by the city. Verify with the city building department. | 2–4 weeks (NYC files through DOB NOW). | Generally allowed | Rooftop PV requires an electrical permit; NYC files through DOB NOW. Exempt: N/A |
| Pennsylvania | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set by municipality. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit, often reviewed under an expedited/solar process by the municipal building department. |
| Illinois | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set by municipality. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit. Chicago’s Express Permit covers small-scale residential solar PV; other municipalities issue a solar/electrical permit. |
| Ohio | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee; Columbus minimum permit fee $125. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit. Columbus lists rooftop solar panel permits. |
| Georgia | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee; Atlanta minimum $150 plus $25 fee. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit, filed via a standard/trade permit through the local Office of Buildings. |
| North Carolina | Permit required | city | Electrical/mechanical permit per the city fee schedule; verify locally. | Often 1–3 weeks; some jurisdictions expedite residential PV. | Generally allowed | Residential rooftop solar PV requires an electrical (and often structural/mechanical) permit. Submit panel layout, inverter, and structural info; utility interconnection also required. Exempt: Any grid-tied rooftop PV system requires a permit. |
| Michigan | Permit required | city | Electrical (and structural) permit per city schedule; verify locally. | Often 1–3 weeks; some jurisdictions expedite residential PV. | Generally allowed | Residential rooftop solar PV requires an electrical (and often structural/mechanical) permit plus utility interconnection approval. Exempt: Any grid-tied rooftop PV system requires a permit. |
| New Jersey | Permit required | city | Electrical (and building) permit per UCC schedule; verify locally. | Electrical plan review typically 2–3 weeks; structural engineering often needed. | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar requires building and electrical UCC permits plus utility interconnection approval. Newark notes solar needs building + electrical permits and utility sign-off. Exempt: Any grid-tied rooftop PV system requires a permit. |
| Virginia | Permit required | city | Electrical (and building) permit per VUSBC schedule; verify locally. | Often 1–3 weeks; some jurisdictions expedite residential PV. | Generally allowed | Residential rooftop solar PV requires a building/electrical permit plus utility interconnection approval. Exempt: Any grid-tied rooftop PV system requires a permit (solar energy equipment is permit-required under VUSBC). |
| Washington | Permit required | city | Building + electrical permits; Seattle combined fees typically a few hundred dollars. | Seattle Solar Express: same-day for standard residential PV <30 kW (RCW 64.40 / HB 1117). | Generally allowed | Washington HB 1117 requires expedited solar permitting; HOA solar restrictions are limited by RCW 64.38.055. Exempt: No size exemption; systems >30 kW use the standard path. |
| Arizona | Permit required | city | Building + electrical permits; fee set by city. | Tucson: residential PV <15 kW is expedited over-the-counter, often same-day. | Generally allowed | Provide proof of racking structural design for tile or flat-roof installations. Exempt: No size exemption; large/ground-mounted systems need structural review. |
| Massachusetts | Permit required | city | Building + electrical permits; fee set by city. | Varies; many municipalities offer streamlined residential PV review. | Generally allowed | Net-metering and state incentives apply; confirm structural capacity with the building department. Exempt: No size exemption for permanent rooftop PV. |
| Tennessee | Permit required | city | Building + electrical permits; fee set by city. | Varies; streamlined review common for standard residential PV. | Generally allowed | Net-metering and state incentives apply. Exempt: No size exemption for permanent rooftop PV. |
| Indiana | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set by the local department. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit, reviewed by the local building department. |
| Missouri | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set locally by the municipality. | Varies by municipality — often expedited for residential PV. | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and (if the structure is modified) building permit, reviewed under the locally adopted code. |
| Maryland | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set by the city. | — | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and structural permit, reviewed locally. |
| Wisconsin | Permit required | city | Electrical/structural permit fee set by the municipality. | Varies by municipality — often expedited for residential PV. | Generally allowed | Rooftop solar PV requires an electrical and (if the structure is modified) building permit under the UDC. Some municipalities (e.g., Milwaukee) exempt residential solar PV that does not modify the structure — verify locally. |