Fluorescent light bans by state (2026).
Ten states limit the sale of new fluorescent lamps, starting with Vermont in 2024 and ending with Washington in 2029. This guide lists what each state covers, the dates, and the source we read for each row.
Every row below limits the sale of new lamps. Read each statute for what it says about lamps already installed. Lamps you take out of service are a separate question, and federal universal waste rules cover them.
When each state's sales ban takes hold.
Dates step forward each January. Several states ban screw-base CFLs first and linear tubes a year later, so a building can face two dates in one state.
- 2024
Vermont, California, Oregon, Rhode Island
Vermont ends four-foot linear tube sales. California, Oregon and Rhode Island end screw-base and bayonet-base CFL sales.
- 2025
Colorado and three more
Colorado bans linear lamps and CFLs. California, Oregon and Rhode Island add pin-base CFLs and linear tubes. Hawaii and Minnesota end screw-base CFL sales.
- 2026
Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Illinois
Hawaii and Minnesota add pin-base CFLs and linear tubes. Maine bans CFLs and linear lamps. Illinois ends screw-base CFL sales.
- 2027
Illinois tubes
Illinois ends sales of pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps on January 1. It is the next date on this list.
- 2029
Washington
Washington bans retail sale of mercury-containing CFLs and linear lamps from January 1. Existing stock can be sold until July 1, 2029.
Sources are named per state in the table below. Dates are the effective dates in those sources as read on October 3, 2026. Not legal advice.
Every state with a verified sales ban.
Each state name links to our page for that state, with its lamp disposal rules and the cities we cover. Illinois links to its own guide, because the Illinois city pages are not live yet.
| State | Lamps covered | Dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2024 and Jan 1, 2025 | California HCAI handout on AB 2208 |
| Colorado | Linear fluorescent lamps and CFLs, including manufacture and distribution | Jan 1, 2025 | Colorado General Assembly, HB23-1161 |
| Hawaii | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026 | Hawaii Legislature, HB1566 HD1 (2026), restating Act 225 of 2023 |
| Illinois | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2026 and Jan 1, 2027 | 415 ILCS 5/21.8, Public Act 103-0799 |
| Maine | CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps, with exceptions for specialized uses | Jan 1, 2026 | Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, Section 1672 |
| Minnesota | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs and mercury vapor lamps, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026 | Minnesota Senate summary of S.F. 3345 (2024) |
| Oregon | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2024 and Jan 1, 2025 | Oregon Legislature, HB 2531 (2023), enrolled |
| Rhode Island | Screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs, then pin-base CFLs and linear tubes | Jan 1, 2024 and Jan 1, 2025 | Rhode Island General Laws, Section 23-24.9-6.1 |
| Vermont | Four-foot general purpose linear tubes and GU-24 CFLs, after screw-base CFLs were restricted in 2023 | Feb 17, 2023 and Jan 1, 2024 | Vermont DEC, Mercury-Containing Light Bulbs Must Be Recycled |
| Washington | Retail sale of mercury-containing CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps | Jan 1, 2029 | Washington House Bill Report on HB 1185 (2024) |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Sources named in the last column were fetched on October 3, 2026. California dates come from a state agency handout, not the statute text. Minnesota is read from a Senate bill summary. Federal rules shown. States can be stricter. Not legal advice.
Six details that change what a date means.
A date in the table is where the law starts, not the whole story. These details come from the same sources and affect how a building plans its replacement lamps.
The Maine statute lists exceptions for specialized applications. We did not detail them here, so check the statute before assuming a specialty lamp is covered.
Vermont's 2024 ban names four-foot general purpose linear tubes. Screw-base CFLs were restricted from February 17, 2023, and GU-24 CFLs from January 1, 2024.
Washington's ban is on retail sale from January 1, 2029. Existing stock may still be sold until July 1, 2029.
Colorado's law bars manufacture and distribution as well as sale and offers for sale of linear fluorescent lamps and CFLs.
Illinois lists eight exemptions, including high UV-content lamps and research uses. One runs only to January 1, 2028, where no LED alternative exists.
California dates come from a state agency handout, and Minnesota from a Senate summary. Confirm both against the enacted text before you cite them.
The Illinois detail is covered in full on our Illinois fluorescent ban page, including the timeline and exemption table.
A short plan for buildings in ban states.
A sales ban requires none of this on its own. The steps below are a practical order of work for a facilities team. They plan lamp removals before replacement stock thins out. For the federal handling steps, see the compliance guide.
- List the states where you hold lamps
- Count linear tubes and CFLs by base type
- Match each count to that state's dates
- Note any lamp a state exempts
- Plan LED conversions before the next deadline
- Label and date containers when lamps come out
- Keep spent lamps whole and sealed
- Keep a recycling record for every job
Federal rules shown. States can be stricter. Not legal advice.
What buildings ask about state bans.
Short answers, each tied to the sources named in the table above.
Which states have banned fluorescent bulbs?
Ten states have a sales ban we verified: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Dates run from 2024 for Vermont's tube ban to 2029 for Washington. The table above gives each state's covered lamps and source.
Can I keep using fluorescent lamps already installed?
The rows in this guide describe limits on selling new lamps. For Illinois, the Act covers sale "as a new manufactured product", so installed lamps fall outside it. For any other state, read the statute for its own wording before you decide.
Which state banned fluorescent tubes first?
Of the states we verified, Vermont ended sales of four-foot general purpose linear tubes on January 1, 2024. California, Oregon and Rhode Island added pin-base CFLs and linear tubes on January 1, 2025. They had banned screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs a year earlier.
What is the next state ban date?
As of October 2026, the next date in our data is January 1, 2027. Illinois ends sales of pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps then. Washington's retail ban follows on January 1, 2029, with existing stock sellable until July 1, 2029.
What happens to the lamps I remove during a retrofit?
They are still waste. Federal universal waste rules require closed containers that prevent breakage, a label, and no more than one year in storage. States can be stricter, so check your state's agency page. Our lamp recycling page explains how we collect them.
My state is not listed. Does that mean it has no ban?
No. A state missing from the table means we did not verify a sales ban there, not that none exists. We only list a ban when we have read its source. Your state's page under locations shows the lamp rules we did verify.
Do the bans cover all CFLs?
It depends on the state. Several ban screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs first and pin-base CFLs a year later. Vermont's tube ban names four-foot linear tubes, and Colorado covers CFLs and linear lamps together. Check the lamp types in the table for your state.
How do you check these dates?
Each row comes from a statute, bill report or agency page fetched on October 3, 2026. The table names it. Two rows rest on summaries: California on an agency handout and Minnesota on a Senate bill summary. Confirm those against the enacted text.
Planning lamp removals across states?
Send rough counts of lamps, ballasts and batteries by site. We reply with a written quote for scheduled pickup or a mail-back box.