Fluorescent light ban by state: which tubes you can still buy, and until when
Ten states have passed laws that ban the sale of fluorescent lamps, and eight of those bans already cover the 4 ft T8 and T12 tubes in commercial ceilings. Installed lamps can stay until they burn out, but replacements get harder to find. This guide lists every state ban with its dates, the exemptions most guides miss and what to plan for.
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Is there a fluorescent light ban in the US?
Yes, at state level. Ten states have passed laws that ban selling or distributing fluorescent lamps. In eight of them the ban on 4 ft T8 and T12 tubes is already in force; Illinois follows on January 1, 2027 and Washington on January 1, 2029. There is no federal ban on T8 or T5 tubes. The state bans stop the sale of new lamps; lamps already installed can stay until they burn out.
When linear fluorescent tubes leave store shelves
Sale bans for linear tubes take effect on January 1 of each year shown. Oregon's exemptions for school districts, education service districts and facilities over 1 million square feet end January 2, 2030. Washington stores may sell stock already on hand until July 1, 2029.
Which states ban fluorescent lights? All dates by state
Ten states ban the sale of new fluorescent lamps: Vermont, California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Maine, Illinois and Washington. Each state sets its own dates for screw-base compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), pin-base CFLs and linear tubes. All of these laws ban the sale of new lamps, not their use.
| State | Law | Screw-base CFLs | Pin-base CFLs | Linear tubes (T5, T8, T12) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | Act 120 (2022) for tubes; state rule under 10 V.S.A. §7152 for screw-base CFLs | Feb 17, 2023 | Not covered | Jan 1, 2024 (4 ft only) | |
| California | AB 2208 (2022) | Jan 1, 2024 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | No sell-through period |
| Oregon | HB 2531 (2023), amended 2025 and 2026 | Jan 1, 2024 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | School districts, education service districts and facilities over 1 million sq ft exempt until Jan 2, 2030 |
| Rhode Island | 2023 law, §23-24.9-6.1 | Jan 1, 2024 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | Warning first, then civil penalties |
| Colorado | HB23-1161 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | Also bans manufacture; inventory held in Colorado on the effective date is exempt |
| Hawaii | HB 192, Act 225 (2023) | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 | |
| Minnesota | 2024 law, Minn. Stat. §116.92 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 | Also covers mercury vapor lamps |
| Maine | LD 1814 (2023) | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 | |
| Illinois | Public Act 103-0799 (2024) | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | Jan 1, 2027 | Lamps with no LED alternative may be sold until Jan 1, 2028 |
| Washington | E2SHB 1185 (2024) | Jan 1, 2029 | Jan 1, 2029 | Jan 1, 2029 | In-state stock may be sold until July 1, 2029 |
Not a ban: several states, including New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and Nevada, restrict only certain specialty tubes (high color rendering, cold temperature, impact resistant) that miss federal efficiency levels. Nevada's bill was vetoed in 2023, and bills in Maryland and Massachusetts did not pass. A New York bill passed the Senate in May 2026 but is not law.
Oregon fluorescent ban: what is banned and who is exempt
Since January 1, 2025, no one may sell, offer to sell or distribute new linear fluorescent tubes or pin-base CFLs in or into Oregon. Screw-base CFLs ended a year earlier. By its wording the law also covers sellers outside Oregon who ship into the state.
| Who | Exemption | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Public school districts | Lamps bought for buildings used to educate students (HB 2307, 2025; widened by HB 4066 and HB 4060, 2026) | Jan 2, 2030 |
| Education service districts | Same exemption since March 31, 2026 | Jan 2, 2030 |
| Owners or operators of large facilities | Lamps bought by an owner or operator whose Oregon facilities total more than 1 million square feet; parent and subsidiary space counts (HB 4060, 2026) | Jan 2, 2030 |
| Specialty uses | Imaging, UV, medical, pharmaceutical, spectroscopy and research lamps | No end date |
- Private schools are not covered by the school exemption. We found no guidance on charter schools.
- Lamps already installed or already in your storeroom may be used.
- Violations can bring civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day per violation (ORS 459.995).
- Spent lamps can be handled as universal waste: closed, labeled containers, stored up to one year, never crushed.
What Oregon utilities pay for the switch: Oregon lighting rebates. For districts: LED lighting for Oregon schools.
Washington fluorescent ban: January 1, 2029
From January 1, 2029, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers may not knowingly sell compact fluorescent lamps or linear fluorescent lamps in Washington. That covers every CFL base and every linear tube: T5, T8, T10 and T12, straight, U-bend and circular.
- Stores and distributors in Washington may sell stock they already hold until July 1, 2029.
- There is no school exemption. Special-purpose lamps are exempt.
- Penalties: up to $1,000 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for repeat violations.
- Mercury-containing lamps may not go into waste bound for landfills, incinerators or waste-to-energy plants. Businesses can use the universal waste rule, and the LightRecycle program accepts up to 15 linear lamps per day at drop-off sites.
Washington utilities still pay for many LED upgrades. See Washington lighting rebates and PSE business lighting incentives.
Federal rules: no ban on tubes, but new CFLs end in 2028
There is no federal ban on T8 or T5 tubes as of November 2026. Federal rules set minimum efficiency for newly made or imported lamps; sale bans come only from states. In February 2023 DOE decided that its fluorescent tube standards did not need to be amended.
For screw-base bulbs, the 45 lumens per watt rule enforced in 2023 removed incandescent and halogen bulbs but not CFLs. A DOE rule from April 2024 raises the bar for bulbs made on or after July 25, 2028 to a level LEDs can reach and CFLs cannot.
Are T12 fluorescent tubes banned?
Federal efficiency rules that took effect on July 14, 2012 eliminated most standard 4 ft T12 lamps, and magnetic T12 ballasts were phased out before that. These rules cover new lamps made or imported, not T12 tubes already installed. Every state ban above also covers T12 tubes along with T8 and T5.
Choosing a replacement? Our guide compares Type A, Type B and Type C LED tubes, including T12 conversions.
What a business should do now
Lamps you own can be used up, but each failed tube now has to be replaced with something. Planning the switch on your terms beats replacing fixtures one emergency at a time.
Count what you have
Lamp types, ballast types and fixture counts per area. This decides which LED option fits and what it costs.
Check what your utility pays
Programs differ: some pay for LED tubes, some only for fixtures and retrofit kits, and most require DLC listing.
Choose tube, kit or new fixture
Match the option to the fixture's age and condition, then plan the work for your next budget cycle.
Questions about the fluorescent light ban
Can I still buy fluorescent tubes?
It depends on the state. Sales of linear tubes have ended in Vermont (4 ft), California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine and Minnesota. Illinois follows on January 1, 2027 and Washington on January 1, 2029. In other states tubes are still sold, because there is no federal ban on T8 or T5 tubes.
Which states ban fluorescent lights?
Ten states ban the sale of new fluorescent lamps: Vermont, California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Maine, Illinois and Washington. Each state sets its own dates for screw-base CFLs, pin-base CFLs and linear tubes, from February 17, 2023 in Vermont to January 1, 2029 in Washington. The laws ban the sale of new lamps, not the use of lamps already installed.
Do I have to remove fluorescent tubes that are already installed?
No. The state laws ban the sale of new lamps, not their use. Installed lamps and lamps you already own can be used until they burn out.
Are T12 fluorescent tubes banned?
Federal efficiency rules that took effect on July 14, 2012 eliminated most standard 4 ft T12 lamps, and magnetic T12 ballasts were phased out before that. These rules cover new lamps made or imported, not T12 tubes already installed. Every state ban also covers T12 tubes along with T8 and T5.
Can Oregon schools still buy fluorescent tubes?
Yes. Public school districts and education service districts may buy them for buildings used to educate students until January 2, 2030. Private schools are not covered by this exemption.
Is there a federal ban on fluorescent lights?
No federal ban on fluorescent tubes. For screw-base CFLs, a DOE rule sets an efficiency level that CFLs cannot meet for bulbs made on or after July 25, 2028.
When does Washington's fluorescent ban start?
January 1, 2029, for all CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes. Stores in Washington may sell stock they already hold until July 1, 2029.
How do I dispose of old fluorescent tubes?
Businesses can manage spent lamps as universal waste: closed and labeled containers, stored for up to one year and never crushed. In Washington, mercury-containing lamps may not go into waste bound for landfills or incinerators.
Plan your switch before the tubes run out
Tell us where your building is and who your utility is. We count what you have, check what your utility pays and show you the options, at no cost and with no obligation.
Sources: Oregon HB 2531; Oregon HB 2307; Oregon HB 4066; Oregon HB 4060; Oregon DEQ, universal waste; RCW 70A.230.020; Washington Department of Ecology; Ecology, lights and lamps; California HSC §109021; Vermont Act 120; Rhode Island §23-24.9-6.1; Colorado HB23-1161; Hawaii HRS §196-102; Maine 38 MRSA §1672; Minnesota §116.92; Illinois Public Act 103-0799; Nevada AB 144 veto; DOE general service lamp rule (2024); DOE fluorescent lamp determination (2023); Lighting Controls Association, T12. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws checked November 2026.