Draft — pending founder/counsel review. General information, not legal advice. This page summarizes a Texas statute in plain language and is still being reviewed. Confirm the current requirements directly with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) before you act.
Texas residential solar retailers must register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), effective September 1, 2026. This is a short, plain-language overview of what the law says.
What SB 1036 is
Texas Senate Bill 1036 is a state law addressing the residential solar retail industry. It took effect September 1, 2025 — except the registration requirements (Occupations Code Secs. 1806.101 and 1806.102) and the enforcement provisions in Subchapter E, which take effect September 1, 2026. The contract, disclosure, and cancellation obligations have been in force since September 1, 2025.
The plain requirement
SB 1036 requires residential solar retailers to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
- Who: residential solar retailers and solar salespersons operating in Texas.
- What: register with TDLR.
- When: registration is required beginning September 1, 2026. The rest of the Act — including the required contract provisions and the buyer's right to cancel — has been in effect since September 1, 2025.
- Authority: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Already in effect since September 1, 2025
Registration is not the first obligation, and it is not the only one. Per TDLR, residential solar retailers must already include the required contract provisions (Sec. 1806.155) and the right-to-cancel provisions (Sec. 1806.156) in covered agreements. Sec. 1806.156 gives the buyer or lessee five business days after signing to cancel without penalty. If your contract template has not been updated, it is out of compliance now — not in September 2026. See Texas's New Solar Consumer Protection Rules (SB 1036).
Where to register and read the rule
TDLR is the authority for this registration. Start at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: tdlr.texas.gov.
To check the dates yourself:
- Enrolled SB 1036 (89R, 2025), SECTION 5 — the effective dates: capitol.texas.gov
- TDLR, Residential Solar Retailers — what takes effect when: tdlr.texas.gov/residential-solar-retailers/effect.htm
This section will be expanded with the specific TDLR program page, application form, and renewal details once they are confirmed with TDLR.
Not legal advice
This overview is general information, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not legal advice. Verify the current requirements with TDLR — and, if needed, your own counsel — before relying on it.