Seven states now require UL listing. Almost nothing has it.

7 states   3 already in force   Checked 2 August 2026

What “UL listed” actually means

A Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory is a lab that OSHA has recognised to test finished products against published safety standards. The category is defined at 29 C.F.R. § 1910.7 — which is the exact citation Virginia's statute uses.

UL is one NRTL. It is not the only one. CSA is an NRTL. Intertek is an NRTL, and its mark reads ETL. So “it doesn't say UL” does not mean “it isn't listed”.

And here is the part that trips almost everyone up: UL is both a laboratory and a set of standards. A different lab can certify a product to a UL standard. The clearest example on this page is the APsystems EZ1, whose own page says “CSA Certified to UL3700 standards”. That is a real NRTL listing to a real UL standard, and CSA did the work.

What does not count

• CE — a European self-declaration. The manufacturer declares conformity with EU directives. No independent laboratory is required. It is not fraud; it is the wrong certificate for the wrong continent.
• TÜV Rheinland — a serious testing body, and a European one. We found it on Anker's balcony products. It does not answer a US statute that asks for an NRTL.
• FCC — radio interference. Nothing to do with electrical safety.
• “Built with UL components” — parts inside may be listed while the finished product is not. The statutes are about the device.

UL 3700 and UL 1741 are not the same standard

They get used interchangeably in product copy. They are not.

• UL 1741 covers the inverter and the equipment that connects it to the grid. Connecticut names it.
• UL 3700 covers the whole plug-in solar system. Maine names it.

A product listed to one is not automatically acceptable under a law that names the other. If your state names a number, that number is the one to look for.

Which states require it, and from when

3 of 7 are in force today. The rest are dated. A requirement that starts in 2027 is not a problem you have this morning.

The wording, verbatim

• Utah — Utah Code 54-15-102(13)(e)
  “is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory” in force 7 May 2025
• Maryland — Md. Public Utilities §7-321(A)(4)
  “CERTIFIED BY UNDERWRITERS LABORATORY OR AN EQUIVALENT NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TESTING LABORATORY” in force 12 May 2026
• Maine — 35-A MRSA §3475(1)(A)
  “Listed or certified in accordance with UL 3700, the Outline of Investigation for Interactive Plug-in Photovoltaic Equipment and Systems ... or ... a standard comparable to UL 3700 from a nationally recognized testing laboratory” in force 15 July 2026
• Colorado — Colo. Rev. Stat. 40-2-140
  “labelled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory” in force 12 August 2026
• Connecticut — Connecticut Public Act 26-127, Sec. 9(a)(7)
  “is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, and meets the requirements set forth in Underwriters Laboratories Standard Number 1741, as amended from time to time” in force 1 October 2026
• New Hampshire — RSA 362-A:10, I
  “Plug-in solar generation systems shall be certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to meet nationally recognized safety standards applicable to distributed energy resources and plug-in solar generation systems” in force 1 January 2027
• Virginia — Va. Code §56-596.8(A)(v)
  “is certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, as described in 29 C.F.R. § 1910.7, or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory” in force 1 January 2027

What the products actually declare

Every entry below is what the product's own listing or manufacturer page states, read on 2 August 2026. No affiliate links in this section.

Prices are US figures checked 2 August 2026; they move constantly, so treat them as a snapshot. Ratings and review counts read the same day.

The one case where silence is not silence

Usually, a listing that does not mention certification proves nothing — plenty of sellers simply do not advertise it. Y&H is the exception, and it is worth spelling out.

The same seller advertises UL1741 on its larger hybrid inverters. On these two grid-tie microinverters it writes, in the product description:

“The inverter is not UL1741 certified. Available in most areas. Not available in a few areas where UL listing is required.”

So this is not us inferring absence from silence. The seller knows exactly what the certification is, states it where it applies, and states its absence where it does not. They even name the consequence: there are places where the product is not available because listing is required.

And one product is legal in exactly one state

The EcoFlow STREAM Ultra is the most complete plug-in system sold in the US by a mainstream brand. Twice in the footnotes of its own US product page, EcoFlow writes:

“Due to restrictions under the H.B. 340 Solar Power Amendments, this product is only available for sale and plug-and-play installation in Utah.”

One state. Not because the product is unsafe, but because Utah was first to write a law it could be sold under, and the manufacturer will not sell into the states that have not.

Noted as we found it: EcoFlow's own blog says the STREAM products are available in Utah and Maryland, while the product page says Utah. We record both and do not resolve the difference. (Product page and blog, both read 2 August 2026.)

That is the whole story of this page in one product. The market has not caught up with the legislation — and the thing that has caught up is hard to buy.

How to check for yourself

1. Look for a standard number, not a logo. “UL 3700” or “UL 1741” is a claim. A yellow badge in a product photo is not.
2. Look for the lab. UL, CSA, Intertek/ETL are NRTLs. CE and TÜV are not, for this purpose.
3. Ask the manufacturer for the listing and the file number. A listed product has one and companies that have it are usually happy to send it.
4. Remember what absence means. No mention is not proof of no listing. It is a reason to ask, not a verdict.

If your kit does not have it

Do not panic and do not unplug anything in a hurry. In order:

• Check your state's date above. Four of the seven requirements start later; two not until 2027.
• Ask the manufacturer for the listing. You may get a straight answer either way.
• Ask your utility what it requires of you, which is a separate question from what a shop may sell.

These statutes mostly govern what may be sold or connected, not what a householder may own. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice — it is a record of what the statutes and the listings say, with the date we read them.

Questions people ask

What does “UL listed” actually mean?

It means a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory has tested a finished product against a published safety standard and listed it. NRTL is a category defined at 29 C.F.R. § 1910.7 — the citation Virginia's statute uses. UL is one NRTL. CSA and Intertek (whose mark is ETL) are others. So a product can be listed by CSA to a UL standard and be entirely correct.

Is a CE mark good enough?

No, and not because it is fake. CE is a European self-declaration: the manufacturer declares conformity with EU directives. No independent laboratory has to test anything, and it carries no weight under a US statute that asks for an NRTL listing. Same for TÜV Rheinland — a serious body, on the wrong continent for this purpose.

Is UL 3700 the same as UL 1741?

No. UL 1741 covers inverters and the equipment that connects them to the grid. UL 3700 covers the plug-in solar system as a whole. Maine's statute names UL 3700 specifically; Connecticut's names UL 1741. They are not interchangeable and a product listed to one is not automatically compliant with a law that names the other.

If the listing does not mention a certification, does the product not have one?

It does not prove that. A seller may simply not advertise it. That is why this page reports what each listing states rather than what each product is. The one case where absence is more than silence is Y&H: the same seller advertises UL1741 on its larger hybrid inverters and states on these two that they do not have it.

Am I breaking the law if I already installed one?

Almost certainly not, and this page is not saying you are. These statutes mostly bind what may be sold or connected, and several of them are not in force yet. Check the commencement date for your state above, then ask your utility. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice.

What do I do if my kit does not have it?

Ask the manufacturer directly for the listing and the standard number. Ask your utility what it requires. And check the date: if your state's requirement starts in 2027, you have time to plan rather than a problem today.

The legal half of this page is generated from our open dataset, so the quotes, citations and dates here and on the state pages cannot drift apart. Field documentation is on the developers page.

Related: the 50-state tracker · what we recommend, and what each one declares