Incandescent light bulbs are not illegal to own or use in the United States, but selling most of them is. A federal rule that took full effect in 2023 bars manufacturers, importers, and retailers from selling general-purpose bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt, a bar no traditional incandescent or halogen can clear.1National Association of Manufacturers. Incandescent-Bulb Rules to Be Fully Enforced You can keep using whatever bulbs are already in your fixtures, and a short list of specialty incandescents is still sold legally.
What the Sales Ban Actually Prohibits
The federal rule targets three activities: manufacturing, importing, and selling general service lamps that fall below 45 lumens per watt. A standard old-style incandescent produces roughly 12 to 15 lumens per watt. Halogen bulbs, which are technically incandescents, top out around 20. The only common technologies that clear the 45 lumens per watt line are LEDs and CFLs.
Nothing in the rule reaches into your house. No one will fine you for screwing in a bulb from a box you bought years ago, and there is no enforcement aimed at consumers. The penalties apply to companies in the supply chain, and the Department of Energy can assess civil penalties of $542 per violation, which stacks quickly on a large shipment.1National Association of Manufacturers. Incandescent-Bulb Rules to Be Fully Enforced
The sales prohibition officially took effect on July 25, 2022. DOE used a progressive enforcement approach at first and moved to full enforcement in mid-2023.2Federal Register. Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Lamps
Which Bulbs Are Covered
The rule applies to “general service lamps,” the regulatory term for bulbs used in typical household and commercial lighting. That includes the familiar pear-shaped (A-type) bulb everyone pictures, and a 2022 change pulled in several bulb types that used to be exempt.3Federal Register. Energy Conservation Program: Definitions for General Service Lamps The expanded definition now includes:
- Decorative bulbs (candle, bullet, globe, and flame shapes at 40 watts or less) used in chandeliers, sconces, and ornamental fixtures
- Three-way bulbs with low-medium-high settings
- Rough service bulbs sold for garages and workshops
- Shatter-resistant bulbs used in food service
- Vibration service bulbs for ceiling fans
- Standard reflector lamps, including common spotlights and floodlights
This is where a lot of online guidance is out of date. These categories were exempt before 2022 and are frequently still listed as exempt in older articles. They are not. If you shop for a chandelier bulb or a three-way lamp today, you will find LED versions on the shelf.
Incandescent Bulbs You Can Still Buy
A narrower set of specialty incandescents falls outside the general service lamp definition and remains legal to sell:4Federal Register. Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Lamps
- Appliance lamps for ovens, refrigerators, and microwaves
- Plant grow lights with spectra tuned for plant growth
- Colored lamps with colored glass or coatings (not tinted white)
- Bug lamps with yellow coatings that reduce insect attraction
- Infrared heat lamps used in food service and bathrooms
- Traffic signal lamps and sign service lamps
- Marine and mine service lamps
- Very small decorative globes (S or G shapes about 1.5 inches in diameter or less)
- Small reflector lamps under 2 inches in diameter without standard screw bases
The common thread is a specialized purpose where an LED replacement either doesn’t exist or where the bulb has to handle extreme heat, like an oven rated for 500°F.
Using and Replacing What You Already Own
Bulbs already in your fixtures or your closet are fine to use until they burn out. There is no requirement to replace them and no inspection scheme behind the rule. Once they die, LED replacements are the practical option.
A standard LED replacement for a 60-watt incandescent draws about 10 watts and produces the same light output. A household switching entirely to LEDs saves roughly $75 to $200 a year on electricity, and LEDs typically last 15,000 to 25,000 hours against about 1,000 hours for a traditional incandescent.
Early LEDs had a reputation for harsh, bluish light. That has largely been solved. Bulbs labeled 2700K (warm white) closely match the old incandescent tone. Dimmable LEDs are widely available, but check compatibility with your existing dimmer, since not every combination works smoothly.
Throwing Out Old Bulbs
Traditional incandescent bulbs contain no mercury or other hazardous materials and can go in regular household trash. Wrap a burned-out bulb in its packaging or newspaper so broken glass stays out of the bin.
CFLs are different. They contain small amounts of mercury, and the EPA recommends recycling them. California, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington prohibit putting mercury-containing bulbs in landfills.5U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Recycling and Disposal of CFLs and Other Bulbs that Contain Mercury Most hardware stores keep free CFL recycling bins near the entrance. LEDs contain no mercury, though some programs still accept them to recover the electronics.
What Could Change
The 45 lumens per watt floor is not the ceiling. In April 2024, DOE finalized a second round of standards that will require general service lamps to exceed roughly 120 lumens per watt, depending on lamp type, starting July 25, 2028.6Department of Energy. DOE Finalizes Efficiency Standards for Lightbulbs to Save Americans Billions on Household Energy Bills Industry sources cited in congressional materials say the higher bar could disqualify many LED bulbs sold today, not just incandescents.7U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Chairman Lee Introduces Bill to End Biden Era Lightbulb Ban The 2028 rule reaches only newly manufactured or imported bulbs, so anything already made or sitting on a shelf is unaffected.
The rules also face political challenges. In May 2025, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee introduced the Liberating Incandescent Technology (LIT) Act, which would repeal both the 45 lumens per watt rules and the 2028 standards.7U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Chairman Lee Introduces Bill to End Biden Era Lightbulb Ban As of mid-2025, that bill has not become law, and the sales prohibition remains in effect. The 45 lumens per watt backstop is written into the federal statute itself, not just a DOE regulation, so unwinding it cleanly would require congressional action rather than executive action alone.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 US Code 6295 – Energy Conservation Standards