Do you need a permit for a solar panel system?

State laws on solar permitting

7 states in our records have a statute on this. Each entry quotes the statute; the state page has the rest.

Arizona A.R.S. § 9-468; § 11-323

• A municipality shall not require a stamp from a professional engineer for a solar photovoltaic system unless an engineering stamp is deemed necessary.¹
• A fee or charge shall not exceed the actual cost of issuing a permit, and a written, itemized list of the individual costs associated with the permit fee shall be provided at the request of the permittee.¹
• Any building or permit fee or charge assessed by a county for a building permit for solar construction must be attributable to and defray or cover the expense of the service for which the fee or charge is assessed.²

California Cal. Gov. Code § 65850.5

• Statewide concern, applies to local rules. The implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of solar energy systems is not a municipal affair, as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution, but is instead a matter of statewide concern.³
• Every local agency must have expedited rooftop solar process. On or before September 30, 2015, every city, county, or city and county, in consultation with the local fire department or district and the utility director, if the city, county, or city and county operates a utility, shall adopt an ordinance, consistent with the goals and intent of subdivision (a), that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems.³
• One inspection. For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner and may include a consolidated inspection, except that a separate fire safety inspection may be performed in a city, county, or city and county that does not have an agreement with a local fire authority to conduct a fire safety inspection on behalf of the fire authority.³
• A solar energy system that is no larger than 10 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or 30 kilowatts thermal.³

Colorado C.R.S. §§ 30-28-113(1)(b)(II), 31-15-602(4)(b); 3 CCR 710-1 Rule 1.9.A.2

• County cap: lesser of actual cost or $500 residential, $1,000 nonresidential. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the aggregate of all charges or other related or associated fees a county shall impose or assess to install an active solar energy system or geothermal energy system shall not exceed the lesser of the county's actual costs in issuing the permit or five hundred dollars for a residential application or one thousand dollars for a nonresidential application if the device or system produces fewer than two megawatts of direct current electricity or an equivalent-sized thermal energy system, or that exceed the county's actual costs in issuing the permit if the device or system produces at least two megawatts of direct current electricity or an equivalent-sized thermal energy system.⁴
• Effective December 31, 2029. This subsection (1)(b)(II) is repealed, effective December 31, 2029.⁴
• Municipal cap: lesser of actual cost or $500 residential, $1,000 nonresidential. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the aggregate of all charges or other related or associated fees a municipality shall impose or assess to install an active solar [...] electric or solar thermal device or system or a geothermal energy system shall not exceed the lesser of the municipality's actual costs in issuing the permit or five hundred dollars for a residential application or one thousand dollars for a nonresidential application if the device or system produces fewer than two megawatts of direct current electricity or an equivalent-sized thermal energy system, or that exceed the municipality's actual costs in issuing the permit if the device or system produces at least two megawatts of direct current electricity or an equivalent- sized thermal energy system.⁵
• Effective December 31, 2029. This subsection (4)(b) is repealed, effective December 31, 2029.⁵

Maryland Md. Code, Local Government § 1-1320, as amended by Chapter 353 of 2026 (HB 1532)

• Counties and municipalities must implement solar permitting software by August 1, 2027. Subject to subsection (d) of this section and except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, on or before August 1, 2027, each county and municipality shall implement solar permitting software for features supporting the application submission, tracking, and approval of residential building permits for…⁷
• State energy agency page says August 1, 2027. The adoption of SolarAPP+ (or another automated permitting tool) satisfies the requirement in Maryland law to adopt software to automate the permit and plan review process for residential solar and energy storage systems by August 1, 2027.⁸
• HB 1104 of 2026 would have moved the date to 2027; its page last shows a March hearing. In the House - Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.⁹
• Chapter 353 of 2026 changed the deadline from August 1, 2025 to August 1, 2027. Subject to subsection (d) of this section and except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, on or before August 1, [2025] 2027, each county and municipality shall implement solar permitting software for features supporting the [tracking] APPLICATION SUBMISSION, TRACKING, and approval of residential building permits for…¹⁰

Minnesota Minn. R. 1300.0120; DLI solar PV fact sheet (Revised February 2022)

• Building permit where a municipality enforces the code. A building permit is required for all solar PV installations where the State Building Code is enforced by a municipality.¹¹
• Electrical permit also required. Electrical permits are also required for solar PV systems.¹¹
• Roof penetration for solar counts as residential roofing skill. …penetration of roof coverings for purposes of attaching a solar photovoltaic system.¹²
• Solar support system assembly is an installation skill. …assembly of the support system for a solar photovoltaic system.¹²

Missouri RSMo §§ 442.012, 442.404

• Covenants cannot bar rooftop solar. No deed restrictions, covenants, or similar binding agreements running with the land shall limit or prohibit, or have the effect of limiting or prohibiting, the installation of solar panels or solar collectors on the rooftop of any property or structure.¹³
• HOAs may adopt limited placement rules. A homeowners' association may adopt reasonable rules, subject to any applicable statutes or ordinances, regarding the placement of solar panels or solar collectors to the extent that those rules do not prevent the installation of the device, impair the functioning of the device, restrict the use of the device, or adversely affect the cost or efficiency of the device.¹³
• Solar use is a property right. The right to utilize solar energy is a property right but eminent domain may not be used to obtain such property right.¹³

New Mexico NMSA 1978, § 60-13-10.2; 14.5.2.8(F) NMAC

• Uniform solar permit procedure by rule. As provided in the Solar Collector Standards Act [71-6-4 to 71-6-10 NMSA 1978], the division and commission shall promulgate rules to establish a uniform procedure for the issuance of permits for the construction and installation of solar collectors and to identify the trade bureau having jurisdiction over the construction and installation of solar collectors.¹⁴
• Electrical permit issued to a licensed electrical contractor. Submittal documents shall be prepared and submitted to the appropriate electrical AHJ for review and approval pursuant to Subsection K of 14.5.2.10 NMAC. The submittal documents shall consist of, at a minimum, the following documentation and upon approval an electrical permit shall be issued to a New Mexico electrical contractor properly licensed for the specific solar PV installation…¹⁵
• PV on your own house. Yes. Electrical plan review, permit, and inspection are required.¹⁶

What cities charge for a solar panel system permit

Fee lines as each city’s schedule states them, never added up into a total; how permit fees work explains valuation formulas and minimums.

Before you start

Find your city’s solar panel system rule with the permit checker. What to check before you buy materials (city limits, limits in the rule, zoning and HOA rules) and the order of the steps are in how to get a building permit; what an exemption does not cover is in work exempt from a permit.