Fluorescent Light Bans by State: What Homeowners Can Still Buy in 2026

Ten states now restrict most fluorescent bulb sales. If your garage still has tubes, here are the dates.

States are phasing out fluorescent lamps — the stated reason is mercury content, since fluorescents contain it and most end up unrecycled in landfills. LED replacements use none, turn on instantly, and last roughly twice as long. Here’s where things stand:

Already restricted — screw-base CFLs: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island (2023-2025 start dates), and Illinois as of January 1, 2026.

New as of January 1, 2026: pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes (the 4-foot shop and garage tubes) can no longer be sold in Hawaii, Maine, and Minnesota. Illinois follows on January 1, 2027. Washington completes its full phase-out January 1, 2029. Several more states — Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, plus DC — restrict high-CRI fluorescent tubes.

The part most people miss: these are sale bans, not use bans. You can keep using what’s already installed. The pinch comes at burnout — after the ban date, retailers can’t sell you a replacement, and some lamp types are already thinning from shelves as production shifts to LED.

The 10-minute plan: count the fluorescent fixtures you actually use (garage, basement, laundry, shop). For each, note the tube length and base type. Next time one dies, replace it with an LED tube or retrofit kit — no mercury, no more stockpiling a lamp your state is phasing out.