Title 5
Businesses and Professions

Chapter 93
Residential Solar Energy Disclosure and Homeowners Bill of Rights Act [Effective March 1, 2025.]

§ 5-93-4. Solar retailer registration. [Effective March 1, 2025.]

(a) All solar retailers selling, leasing, and/or soliciting residential solar energy systems for purchase or lease shall register with the department and shall renew such registration annually.

(b) The registration application and any renewal application shall include the following:

(1) The name and address of the applicant and, if the applicant is an entity, the name and address of at least one natural person who is in responsible charge of the operations on behalf of the applicant;

(2) Evidence of:

(i) A current permit to make sales at retail from the Rhode Island division of taxation or confirmation of sales tax exemption, if applicable;

(ii) Financial responsibility that is acceptable to the department; and

(iii) Appointment of an agent located within the state who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of the applicant;

(3) A list of all representatives soliciting, leasing, and/or selling solar energy systems on behalf of a solar retailer, whether for sale or lease;

(4) Any other information that the department shall require.

(c) The fees for initial registration, renewal, and late renewal shall be determined by the department and established by regulation.

(d) Each owner, member, director, and principal officer of the applicant, and any individual acting as manager or a sales representative of the applicant shall obtain and provide a national criminal records check from the bureau of criminal identification of the department of attorney general, department of public safety division of the state police, or local police department that shall include fingerprints submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The director will determine by regulation those items of information appearing on a criminal records check that will constitute disqualifying information and, subject to § 28-5.1-14, render the applicant ineligible for registration under this chapter. Each applicant shall be responsible for the cost of obtaining the criminal records check.

(e) All application requirements must be maintained and kept current for the duration of the registration.