California has led the way on energy efficiency for years. It was the first state to add restrictions to some incandescent and halogen light bulbs. Plus, the state has additional restrictions to LEDs outlined in Title 20. Here are the steps that got us to this point. President George W. Bush signed EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act), an effort to reduce lighting that's energy inefficient. The first tier of EISA restrictions phased out 60-watt incandescent bulbs nationwide. California adopted the next tier of EISA restrictions, requiring A-shape GSLs (general service lamps) to achieve a minimum efficacy of 45 lumens per watt. The Department on Energy (DOE) rolled back restrictions on GSLs. 15 state attorneys general sued the DOE – including California, New York City, and Washington, DC. Large environmental groups sued as well. California Energy Commission (CEC) voted to move forward with further restriction of the sale of general service lamps. This falls under Title 20. The Department of Energy officially reverses standardsfor general service lamps and preempts ALL states from enforcing standards. January 1, 2020 New restrictions on general service lamps began in California. Two lighting associations dismissed their lawsuit over California's light bulb ban, so the state moved forward with restrictions. Here is a statement from the CEC. California's governor signed a new bill into law, beginning the phase out of CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps. General service lamps (GSLs) that do not meet a minimum efficacy of 45 lumens per watt (LPW) are no longer for sale in California. Beginning in 2024, most CFL products will no longer be for sale either. The state will take another step and eliminate the sale of linear fluorescent lamps starting in 2025. The bottom line is that lighting products are required to meet certain energy efficiency standards or they cannot be sold in California. California began phasing out A-line GSLs in January 2018 (this is the shape you typically think of putting in a table lamp). Since, the state has taken additional strategic measures to limit products available for purchase to only the most energy-efficient. Here's how the newest restrictions practically apply to you: apart from a few exceptions, you will only be able to buy LEDs in California starting in 2025. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes you need that heat-resistant incandescent light bulb, like in ovens. But in general, the state has carefully planned its course of action to protect the state from rolling blackouts caused by energy shortages. The federal government adopted regulations on GSLs that mirror California's, so most GSLs will no longer be for sale in the United States. Now that the federal government has applied these restrictions, you can read more about the overall regulations here. In the future, only LEDs will be sold in California (with some exceptions). HIDs can also be sold in the state. The state has passed legislation that eliminates or will soon eliminate the sale of most incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent products. It's important to note not all LEDs are Title 20 compliant, which means some LEDs cannot be sold in California. We explain the other restrictions for lighting products in this blog post. You should check to make sure a product can be sold in California before you buy. To simplify the process, we created a filter for our online store. We'll continue to work on keeping this filter updated with the latest regulations. California expects major energy changes because of the light bulb restrictions. To help give you a little perspective, let's compare the wattage between an incandescent light bulb and an LED light bulb. A standard A-line incandescent bulb uses 50 watts. That's the measure of power the light bulb consumes. An LED A-line bulb with equivalent light output uses around 9 watts — a 41-watt savings for each bulb. The California Energy Commission predicts these standards alone will save 4,000 - 13,600 gigawatts. What does that mean in dollar amounts? A predicted savings between $736 million and $2.4 billion. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Which light bulbs are banned in California?
Which light bulbs can be sold in California?
Benefits of the changes
FAQs
What lightbulbs are illegal in California? ›
Which light bulbs are banned in California? General service lamps (GSLs) that do not meet a minimum efficacy of 45 lumens per watt (LPW) are no longer for sale in California. Beginning in 2024, most CFL products will no longer be for sale either.
Why are some light bulbs not allowed in California? ›Halogen bulbs and compact fluorescent lights (CFL) will also be banned because of their mercury content. While the ban will be in effect soon, customers can still buy what is left of incandescent lights that are still being sold in stores.
Can you still buy incandescent light bulbs in California? ›On January 1, 2020, the state of California banned the sales of any light bulb that does not meet the efficiency standard of 45 lumens per watt. Incandescent and halogen bulbs produce 15 to 20 lumens per watt. Appliance bulbs are exempt from the rule.
Why can't you buy halogen bulbs in California? ›Why are halogen/incandescent light bulbs being banned? Since halogen/incandescent light bulbs are less energy efficient than several other bulb types, The Department of Energy has recently set new standards for light bulb manufacturers.
Are LED bulbs legal in California? ›Therefore, LED and HID lights are legal with a few stipulations: They are an OEM feature on a vehicle. In other words, they came standard with a vehicle and are not aftermarket parts. If they are an aftermarket upgrade, they must be white (between 5000k-6000k) and not too high or low to the ground.
Are LED lights legal in California? ›Are aftermarket LED headlights legal in California? Aftermarket headlights – those that you purchase separately for your vehicle – are legal in California. LED headlights are also legal as long as they are white, have amber turn signals, and are within the 2,513-lumen limit.
Are regular light bulbs illegal? ›Starting August 1, 2023, the sale of incandescent and halogen bulbs will be banned. Due to a push toward energy efficiency, bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt will be illegal to sell. This includes bulbs such as: Traditional A19 bulbs.
Why are LED bulbs not road legal? ›The reason that LED upgrade bulbs can't be E marked is simply because no legislation exists for the use of LED technology in a headlight unit built for halogens. Headlight units are manufactured around a specific technology. Let's say that the bulbs for your dipped beam are H7.
Why are LED lights not illegal? ›LED headlights are not only legal, most new cars have them now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has done the research and determined it is impossible to produce HID conversion kits that meet federal regulations. Federal guidelines set standards for how bright headlights can be.
Can you just replace incandescent bulbs with LED? ›Can we replace incandescent bulbs with LED? Of course! With the advances in technology in the LED area, it can let you get a highly efficient lighting experience.
Are regular light bulbs being discontinued? ›
In 2023, legislation will go into effect in the United States that will prohibit light bulbs with an energy efficiency of under 45 lumens per watt, which rules out most incandescent and halogen options commonly used today. This ban will mean it will no longer be legal to manufacture, import, or sell such bulbs.
How long will incandescent bulbs be available? ›Department of Energy announces new efficiency standards to end production and sale of high-energy incandescent bulbs. 2023: Ban on common incandescent bulbs takes effect in August.
Can you replace a halogen bulb with an LED? ›Changing a halogen bulb is very easy. In order to save on your energy costs, you can replace a halogen bulb directly with an LED bulb. In addition, LED lights last on average around 25 times longer than a halogen bulb. There are various LED lamps that are suitable for replacing halogen lighting.
What is the difference between incandescent and halogen light bulbs? ›So, while a halogen light bulb is still technically an incandescent light bulb, the main difference is the capsule within the bulb and the resulting whiter color temperature and light spectrum. This capsule allows the filament to work more efficiently and burn brighter, translating to a whiter color temperature.
Why are incandescent bulbs better? ›Low or No EMF
Incandescent and halogen (the enhanced, brighter version of incandescent) light bulbs produce very little EMF and are considered EMF-safe. As far as light bulbs go, incandescent will have the essentially zero (or at least very low) EMF emissions.
In 2023, legislation will go into effect in the United States that will prohibit light bulbs with an energy efficiency of under 45 lumens per watt, which rules out most incandescent and halogen options commonly used today. This ban will mean it will no longer be legal to manufacture, import, or sell such bulbs.
What bulbs have been banned? ›Starting August 1, 2023, the sale of incandescent and halogen bulbs will be banned. Due to a push toward energy efficiency, bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt will be illegal to sell.
Are LED replacement bulbs illegal? ›Yes, LED headlights are legal. LED lighting is now standard in new cars, but LED headlights cannot be brighter than 3,000 lumens.
Are LED bulbs illegal? ›Most cars, bought today, will have the option of LED headlights. When fitted by the manufacturer, they're perfectly legal, and—while they may appear brighter than halogen bulbs—are within legal limits for dazzle.