U.S. Ticket Resale Laws by State
Ticket resale is legal and widely practiced across the United States, but the rules are set almost entirely at the state level, and they cover both online resale and in-person / on-premises resale (street sales, sales near a venue, sales on venue property). A growing minority of states now impose price caps (commonly 110% of the original all-in price), and several more regulate speculative ("spec") tickets — listings for tickets the seller does not yet hold.
Two federal rules apply everywhere:
- BOTS Act — 15 U.S.C. § 45c — prohibits using software to bypass ticket-purchasing limits or security measures; enforced by the FTC and state AGs.
- FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees ("Junk Fees Rule") — 16 C.F.R. Part 464 — in force since May 12, 2025; requires the total price (including all mandatory fees) to be shown up front for live-event tickets nationwide.
A federal TICKET Act (H.R. 1402 / S. 281, 119th Congress) — all-in pricing, refund guarantees, and a speculative-ticket ban — has passed the House and cleared Senate committee but is not yet law.
How ticket resale is regulated in the U.S.
Regulation happens at the state level — and sometimes at the city or venue level — so the same resale transaction can be lawful in one state and a misdemeanor across the border. Most states still allow resale at market prices, but the direction has shifted: since 2024, states have been adding price caps and speculative-ticket rules, not repealing them.
Common regulatory approaches:
Approach | What it means | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
Reseller licensing/registration | Professional resellers, brokers, or resale marketplaces must register with a state agency and often maintain a physical office | GA, IL, MA, NJ, NY, PA, WA |
Disclosure/transparency | The total "all-in" price, the specific section/seat, and the refund policy must be shown before purchase | CA, MD, MN, NV, NY, TN — plus the nationwide FTC Junk Fees Rule |
Price caps | Resale limited to a set percentage or dollar amount over the original price | VT & OK (110%), DC (10%), ME (10% service fee), FL / PA / RI / SC (older dollar or percentage caps). Several 2000s-era caps were repealed, but the trend has reversed. |
Proximity / on-premises restrictions | Resale banned on venue property or within a set distance of the venue (ranging from 200 ft to 2,700 ft), frequently only on the event day | AZ, CT, DE, GA, NY; NE and TX via local ordinance |
Speculative-ticket bans | Selling or listing a ticket the reseller does not yet hold (or have written authorization to obtain) is prohibited | MD, MI, OR, VT, OK; pending in CA, DC, MA |
Transferability & anti-discrimination | Ticket issuers may not block lawful resale on the buyer's platform of choice, or deny entry to someone who used a resale marketplace | CO, IL, NY, UT, VA |
Refund guarantees | Resellers and marketplaces must refund cancelled, counterfeit, non-conforming, or undelivered tickets | CT, CO, FL, IL, LA, MD, ME, NC, NV, WA, and others |
Bot bans | Using software to bypass purchase limits or security measures is illegal | Federal BOTS Act (15 U.S.C. § 45c) plus most state laws |
Does this vary by state?
Yes — significantly, and sometimes even by city or venue. While most states allow resale at market prices, others impose rules on price, disclosure, licensing, resale location, or resale method. Participants and resale partners are responsible for complying with the applicable regulations in every jurisdiction where they buy or resell. The table below sets out each jurisdiction's current rules for both online and in-person resale.
State-by-State
State / Territory | Summary of ticket resale law (online and on-premises) | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | No price cap. Original price must be printed on the ticket; a reseller offering tickets above face value must pay a $100 license tax. Internet and other electronic resales are exempt from the license requirement. Municipalities may add local rules. | Ala. Code §§ 8-19E-1 to 8-19E-2 |
Alaska | No statewide ticket-resale statute. Resale is legal; local ordinances may restrict street sales near venues. | — (no statute) |
Arizona | Petty offense to resell a ticket above face value + taxes while within 200 feet of a venue entrance or a contiguous parking area. No cap outside that zone. Separately, changing the price printed on a ticket without the original vendor's written permission is prohibited. | A.R.S. § 13-3718 |
Arkansas | Resale above face value (plus reasonable handling/credit-card charges) is prohibited for tickets to school or college athletic events, charity events, and music/entertainment events. Violation carries a $25–$500 fine per sale. | Ark. Code § 5-63-201 |
California | No statewide price cap. Ticket sellers and resellers are regulated under the Ticket Sellers chapter — recordkeeping, seat-location and total-price disclosure, no misrepresentation of the ability to deliver, and a full refund within 30 days for cancelled events. Bot use is separately prohibited. Pending: AB 1349 (speculative-ticket ban; passed the Legislature Aug. 31–Sept. 1, 2026, awaiting the Governor). AB 1720 (10% resale cap) failed in August 2026. | Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 22500–22509 |
Colorado | No price cap. A venue may not deny entry solely because a ticket was resold outside an approved channel, and may not impose anti-resale conditions on season/subscription packages. Resellers must guarantee a full refund for non-conforming, counterfeit, or non-admitting tickets. A 2025 amendment adds deceptive-practice liability for bots, URL/trademark spoofing, hidden fees, and raising the price after selection (civil penalties up to $20,000). | Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-1-718 & 6-1-720 |
Connecticut | No price cap. Resellers must guarantee a full refund (including fees) for cancelled, non-admitting, or non-conforming tickets and provide contact information. On the day of an event, resale within 1,500 feet of a venue is prohibited unless authorized in writing, sold at/below face value, or made from a permanent office within the zone. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53-289a to 53-289c |
Delaware | Resale is generally legal, except it is a crime to resell above the original price on the day before or the day of an event at the Bob Carpenter Center (University of Delaware) or a NASCAR race at Dover, or anywhere on a state or federal highway in the state. Class B misdemeanor (first offense). | 11 Del. C. § 918 |
District of Columbia | Long-standing (rarely enforced) law caps resale at $2 over face value plus a service charge, on the street or online — D.C. Code § 22-3312.01. New: the RESALE Act (Act A26-0410, signed by Mayor Bowser Aug. 10, 2026; in 30-day congressional review; most provisions effective ~Jan. 1, 2027) caps most live-entertainment resale at 10% above the total original price, bans speculative tickets, requires all-in pricing, requires registration for anyone advertising 50+ tickets/year, and bans surveillance pricing. | D.C. Code § 22-3312.01; D.C. Act A26-0410 |
Florida | A reseller may charge only $1 over the admission price + taxes — unless it is (a) a Florida-licensed travel agency, or (b) an online marketplace operator that discloses it is not the issuer/original seller and does not control pricing, in which case resale at any price is allowed if a full refund is guaranteed for cancellations, counterfeits, or non-admission. Resale on venue property without the owner's consent is prohibited. Bot use is separately barred. | Fla. Stat. §§ 817.36, 817.361 |
Georgia | Above-face-value resale is limited to brokers registered with the Secretary of State. It is a misdemeanor to resell (or offer to resell) within 1,500 feet of a venue seating 15,000 or fewer, or within 2,700 feet of a venue seating more than 15,000. Brokers must disclose their license number in advertising and guarantee refunds; an original purchaser may resell their own ticket. | O.C.G.A. §§ 43-4B-25, 43-4B-28, 43-4B-29 |
Hawaii | No statewide anti-scalping statute (an older law was repealed). A state ticket-resale task force has been convened. Pending: SB 1160 (2025) would prohibit resale above the original face value. | — (no statute; SB 1160 pending) |
Idaho | No statewide ticket-resale statute. Resale is legal; cities may restrict street sales near venues. | — (no statute) |
Illinois | No price cap. Ticket resellers and brokers must register (Secretary of State) and guarantee refunds for cancellation, non-admission, or non-conforming tickets; bot use is prohibited and venues may not impose certain anti-resale restrictions. Pending: SB 3623 would replace the Act with a "Ticket Sale and Resale Act of 2026." | 815 ILCS 414/1.5 et seq. |
Indiana | No general statewide ticket-resale statute (the former ticket-broker licensing law was repealed in 2007). Resale of tickets to professional boxing/combat-sports events above face value is barred, and venues may restrict resale on their own property. Pending: a ticket-transferability bill. | — (no general statute) |
Iowa | No statewide scalping statute. Resale is legal; some localities (near university venues) restrict street sales. | — (no statute) |
Kansas | No statewide regulation of ticket resale — no price cap, no licensing. | — (no statute) |
Kentucky | Reselling a ticket above the price charged at the box office or printed on the ticket is a violation (a low-level offense, not a misdemeanor) unless authorized by the issuer or by law. | KRS § 518.070 |
Louisiana | The price must be printed on the ticket, and resale above that price is generally prohibited — except internet resale at any price is allowed if the operator guarantees a full refund for cancellation, denied admission, or non-delivery. | La. Rev. Stat. § 4:1 et seq. |
Maine | Marketplaces may not charge more than 10% of the total original ticket price (incl. taxes and fees) as a service charge for providing a resale marketplace. Refunds required (cancellation, counterfeit/non-conforming, non-delivery, material misrepresentation); speculative tickets and bots banned; total-price disclosure required; AG-enforced as an unfair trade practice. Note: the sponsors intended a 10% cap on the total resale price; the Maine AG has publicly read the statute as capping only the marketplace's service fee — the question is unresolved. Effective Sept. 24, 2025. | 8 M.R.S. § 1301 (LD 913 / PL 2025, c. 354) |
Maryland | No price cap, but the sale of speculative tickets is banned (resale/listing of tickets the reseller does not yet possess), all-in itemized pricing is required, non-general-admission listings must show zone/seat, and secondary platforms are liable for refunds on counterfeit/cancelled/non-conforming tickets. Penalties $10,000 (first) / $25,000 (subsequent). Effective July 1, 2024. | Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-310.1 (SB 539, 2024) |
Massachusetts | Among the strictest baselines: reselling requires a license (Division of Occupational Licensure), and a licensed reseller may not charge more than $2 over the printed price, plus bona fide service charges. Refund guarantees apply. Pending: the "Great Divide Act" (Gov. Healey / Sen. Fernandes, filed July 2026) would add a 110% resale cap, a 10% cap on platform service fees, and a speculative-ticket ban. | M.G.L. c. 140 §§ 185A–185F |
Michigan | No price cap. The 1931 anti-scalping ban was repealed in 2020. A reseller must have actual possession or control of a ticket before offering it; bot software is prohibited; venues may restrict resale on their property. | 2020 Mich. Pub. Acts 174–175 (repealing MCL 750.465) |
Minnesota | No price cap. Resellers and online marketplaces must disclose operator status and refund policy, show all-in pricing in dollars, deliver proof of purchase within 24 hours, and may not sell more than one copy of the same ticket. Effective Aug. 1, 2024. Pending: HF 4250 (2026). | Minn. Stat. § 325F.676 |
Mississippi | No general statute, except it is a misdemeanor to resell a ticket to any Mississippi college or university athletic contest above face value, or to sell such tickets anywhere other than as designated by the issuer. A private individual may resell their own ticket at up to face value. | Miss. Code § 97-23-97 |
Missouri | Resale is legal statewide at any price. State law bars local governments from prohibiting resale or regulating resale prices/fees (fraud and consumer-protection exceptions aside). The former sporting-event scalping statute (§ 578.395) was repealed in 2007. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 67.306 |
Montana | No statewide ticket-resale statute. | — (no statute) |
Nebraska | No statewide ticket-resale statute. The only restriction is a City of Omaha ordinance barring above-face resale near certain venues. | — (no statute; Omaha Mun. Code) |
Nevada | No price cap and no statewide broker license. Before completing a resale, the total price (incl. all fees) must be disclosed; if an event is cancelled, the buyer must receive a full refund; trademark/URL-spoofing by resellers and secondary exchanges is prohibited. Enforced as a deceptive trade practice. | NRS 598.397–598.3984 |
New Hampshire | No statewide ticket-resale statute. Resale-cap bills failed in 2023 and 2024. Local ordinances may apply. | — (no statute) |
New Jersey | No price cap (statutory caps repealed 2008). Ticket brokers must register (Division of Consumer Affairs) and maintain a permanent office; total price and all fees must be disclosed; speculative sales must be disclosed at the outset with an approximate delivery date. Resale is restricted in certain areas near a venue on the event day. Internet resellers must guarantee refunds. | N.J. Stat. §§ 56:8-26 to 56:8-38 |
New Mexico | It is a misdemeanor to resell a ticket to any college athletic event above the box-office or printed price (fine up to $500 and/or up to one year). No general statute for other event types. | N.M. Stat. § 30-46-1 |
New York | Comprehensive regulation. Resellers must be licensed (Dept. of State); bots are banned; all-in price and specific-seat disclosure and refund guarantees are required; speculative listings are prohibited; platforms owe disclosures. Buffer zone: no resale within 1,500 feet of a venue seating over 5,000, or within 500 feet of a smaller venue (licensee-office exception). No price cap. Article 25's provisions run on a renewal cycle, currently extended through ~June 30, 2027. Pending: a face-value resale-cap bill (Sen. Skoufis). | N.Y. Arts & Cultural Affairs Law art. 25 (§§ 25.03–25.35) |
North Carolina | Online resale above face value is allowed only if: the venue has not filed a notice prohibiting resale; the website carries a ticket guarantee shown before purchase; and the reseller holds a sales-tax certificate of registration and remits sales tax. | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-344, 14-344.1 |
North Dakota | No statewide ticket-resale statute. | — (no statute) |
Ohio | No statewide anti-scalping law (the former statute was repealed). Township trustees (O.R.C. § 505.95) and municipalities may license or restrict resale near venues. | O.R.C. § 505.95 (local authority) |
Oklahoma | Speculative tickets and duplicate-copy resale are banned; tickets may not be resold before the initial public sale; secondary sales are capped at 110% of the original price; full refunds are required for cancelled, counterfeit, or undelivered tickets. Sporting events are excluded. (Oklahoma City separately caps street resale at $0.50 over face.) | 15 O.S. §§ 774, 774.1 (Okla. Fraud & Ticketing Accountability Act) |
Oregon | No price cap. HB 3167 (2025) bans deceptive marketing and misleading domains/logos and requires a reseller to possess the ticket. HB 4024 (2026, effective June 5, 2026) bans speculative ticketing (offering tickets the reseller neither holds nor has written authorization to obtain). | Or. HB 3167 (2025); Or. HB 4024 (2026) |
Pennsylvania | The resale premium may not exceed the greater of 25% of the ticket price or $5, plus lawful taxes — with an internet-resale exception and a carve-out for brokers licensed by a city of the first class (Philadelphia). Refund guarantees required for cancellation, invalid tickets, or non-delivery. | 4 P.S. §§ 201–212 |
Rhode Island | The service charge on a resale may not exceed the greater of $3.00 or 10% of the printed price; the venue owner may authorize a higher charge in writing. Violation is a misdemeanor. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-22-26 |
South Carolina | Resale is limited to no more than $1 over the original price unless it occurs at a "permitted physical location" — property not owned by the venue, or public property, or venue-owned property where the owner has authorized resale in writing. Colleges may designate "open-market" tickets. Misdemeanor ($100 / 30 days). Pending: H 3449. | S.C. Code §§ 16-17-710, 39-5-36 |
South Dakota | No statewide ticket-resale statute. | — (no statute) |
Tennessee | No price cap and no statewide on-premises scalping ban. Third-party resellers, brokers, issuers and resale websites must disclose the total cost before a ticket is selected and may not raise the price after selection (an unfair/deceptive act). Bots are separately prohibited. Local ordinances restrict street resale near major Nashville venues. (§ 39-17-1105 separately criminalizes interfering with a ticket seller's operations.) | Tenn. Code § 47-50-121 |
Texas | No statewide anti-scalping statute. The only statewide rule is a ban on ticket bots (Bus. & Com. Code ch. 327). Cities (e.g., Houston, Arlington) restrict resale on public property or near venues. | Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 327 |
Utah | No price cap. Under the Ticket Transferability Act, each ticket must generally be transferable; up to 10% of an event's tickets may be issued as "restricted" (non-transferable) with clear written notice; and a venue may not deny admission or otherwise discriminate against someone because they resold or bought a resold ticket. Reproducing/counterfeiting a ticket is a separate crime. | Utah Code §§ 13-56-101 et seq.; § 76-10-104.1 |
Vermont | Resale is capped at 110% of the total original price (face value plus taxes and fees; shipping excluded) for events at qualifying independent venues — seating ≤3,000; nonprofit fairgrounds hosting agricultural fairs/community events; or venues primarily for collegiate/amateur sports. Speculative tickets and deceptive URLs are banned; enforced as an unfair/deceptive act (up to $10,000/violation). The Act self-repeals on July 1, 2028 unless renewed. Effective July 1, 2026. | 9 V.S.A. § 2479f (Act 109 / H.512, 2026) |
Virginia | No price cap and no broker registration. Ticket issuers may not use delivery methods that substantially block lawful resale on the platform of the buyer's choice, and may not deny admission because a ticket was resold or bought on the resale market. Deceptive use of a rights-holder's trademark/URL is prohibited. AG-enforced ($1,000–$5,000/violation). | Va. Code §§ 59.1-466.5 to 59.1-466.8 (Ticket Resale Rights Act) |
Washington | No price cap (the "WAVE Act" 110% cap failed in 2026). Resale marketplaces and commercial resellers must be licensed by the Dept. of Licensing (individuals reselling fewer than 10 tickets/year are exempt); all-in pricing and transferability disclosures are required; and tickets may not be listed for resale before the public on-sale. Online resellers must guarantee refunds for cancelled/invalid tickets. | RCW ch. 19.345 (2024); RCW ch. 19.240 |
West Virginia | No statewide ticket-resale statute (the former scalping law, § 61-6-15, was repealed in 1996). Local ordinances may apply. | — (no statute) |
Wisconsin | No comprehensive ticket-resale statute; the general deceptive-practices law (Wis. Stat. § 100.18) applies, and venues may restrict resale on their grounds. Pending: AB 569 / SB 580 (2025) would add disclosure, refund and transferability rules. | — (no dedicated statute; § 100.18 applies) |
Wyoming | No statewide ticket-resale statute. | — (no statute) |
Puerto Rico | Ticket resale is not currently regulated by a dedicated statute; DACO (consumer affairs) does not regulate it. An older regulation addresses resale at sports events, and multiple bills to regulate or cap resale have been introduced without passing. The BOTS Act and Puerto Rico's general consumer-protection law apply. | — (no current statute; bills pending) |
Recent and pending legislation to watch
Jurisdiction | Measure | Status (Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|---|
District of Columbia | RESALE Act — 10% cap, spec ban, all-in pricing, reseller registration | Signed Aug. 10, 2026 (Act A26-0410); in congressional review; effective ~Jan. 1, 2027 |
Vermont | Act 109 — 110% cap at independent venues; spec ban | In force July 1, 2026; self-repeals July 1, 2028 |
Maine | LD 913 — 10% marketplace-fee cap; spec/bot bans; refunds | In force Sept. 24, 2025 (AG/sponsor dispute over scope of the cap) |
Oregon | HB 4024 — speculative-ticket ban | In force June 5, 2026 |
Oklahoma | Fraud & Ticketing Accountability Act — 110% cap (non-sports); spec ban | In force (2023, amended 2025) |
Washington | Ticket Sellers Act (HB 1648) — licensing, all-in pricing, no pre-onsale resale | In force Jan. 1, 2025 |
Washington | WAVE Act (SB 6175) — 110% cap | Failed (2026 session) |
Maryland | SB 539 — speculative-ticket ban, all-in pricing, platform refund liability | In force July 1, 2024 |
Minnesota | § 325F.676 — disclosure, all-in pricing, no duplicate resale | In force Aug. 1, 2024 |
Utah | Ticket Transferability Act, Part 2 — transferability + resale non-discrimination | In force (2024) |
California | AB 1349 — speculative-ticket ban, bot/refund/marketplace rules | Passed Legislature Aug. 31–Sept. 1, 2026; awaiting the Governor (decision due end of Sept. 2026) |
California | AB 1720 — 10% resale cap | Failed Aug. 13, 2026 |
Massachusetts | Great Divide Act — 110% cap, 10% fee cap, spec ban | Pending (filed July 2026) |
New York | Skoufis bill — face-value resale cap for concerts | Pending (2025 version failed) |
New York | Arts & Cultural Affairs Law art. 25 | Extended through ~June 30, 2027; renewal needed |
Hawaii | SB 1160 — ban on above-face resale | Pending |
South Carolina | H 3449 — ticket resale | Pending |
Wisconsin | AB 569 / SB 580 — disclosure, refunds, transferability | Pending |
Illinois | SB 3623 — "Ticket Sale and Resale Act of 2026" | Pending |
Puerto Rico | Multiple resale-regulation bills | Pending |
Federal | TICKET Act (H.R. 1402 / S. 281) — all-in pricing, refunds, spec ban | Pending (House-passed; Senate committee-reported) |
Federal | FTC Junk Fees Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 464) — all-in pricing for live-event tickets | In force May 12, 2025 |
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Ticket resale laws change frequently and are subject to differing interpretations. Participants and broker partners are responsible for verifying the current regulations in any relevant jurisdiction before buying or reselling.
Updated on: 04/09/2026