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The Council of the District of Columbia<\/strong> has unanimously passed the RESALE Act<\/strong>, capping the resale price of live entertainment tickets at 10%<\/strong> above their original face value.<\/p>\n The Council gave the bill final approval in a vote on Tuesday (July 14)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment (RESALE<\/strong>) Act also bans speculative ticket sales, making it illegal to advertise or sell tickets that a reseller does not actually possess.<\/p>\n It requires full price transparency, forces anyone advertising 50<\/strong> or more tickets a year for resale to register with the District<\/strong>, and prohibits surveillance pricing, in which sellers use a consumer\u2019s personal data to personalize prices.<\/p>\n The bill was championed by Councilmember Charles Allen<\/strong>, who introduced it in April 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It cleared a first Council vote on June 30<\/strong>, when Allen<\/strong> and Councilmember Christina Henderson<\/strong> won a unanimous amendment to restore the 10%<\/strong> cap after it had been removed in committee.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, the DC Council<\/strong> stood with DC\u2019s most beloved and iconic music venues, with our storied theaters, and with every music and live theater fan who\u2019s tired of getting ripped off and priced out,\u201d said Allen<\/strong>, the author of the RESALE Act.<\/p>\n \u201cTicket resellers have used technology and unrestrained profits to turn our live entertainment scene into the wild west \u2013 just last week it was revealed StubHub<\/strong> has been running a major ticket scalping operation while they\u2019ve argued they\u2019re just a platform for fans to sell extra tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles Allen<\/strong>, District of Columbia Council<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cTicket resellers have used technology and unrestrained profits to turn our live entertainment scene into the wild west \u2013 just last week it was revealed StubHub<\/strong> has been running a major ticket scalping operation while they\u2019ve argued they\u2019re just a platform for fans to sell extra tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are sick of big tech wringing more and more money out of them. DC<\/strong> is a leader here and I expect many other jurisdictions to step in once they see we can save our residents money and keep more dollars in our local economy instead of propping up big tech.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen<\/strong>\u2018s comment referred to a CBC News<\/em> investigation, published on July 10<\/strong>, which reported that StubHub<\/strong> CEO Eric Baker<\/strong> is a part-owner of a fund that has resold tickets on the platform he runs.<\/p>\n StubHub and Baker were hit with a proposed class action<\/a> over those ties on Monday (July 13)<\/strong>. StubHub says the relationships are disclosed in its public SEC<\/strong> filings.<\/p>\n The National Independent Venue Association<\/strong> (NIVA) and the Fix the Tix<\/strong> coalition, which campaigned for the reforms, applauded the vote.<\/p>\n \u201cWashington, DC has raised the bar for ticketing reform nationwide by establishing the strongest consumer protection framework in the country that should be replicated in every state,\u201d said Stephen Parker<\/strong>, Executive Director of NIVA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the resale price cap to stronger safeguards against deceptive ticketing practices, the RESALE Act<\/strong> puts fans first and strengthens the District\u2019s independent stages.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen Parker<\/strong>, NIVA<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cFrom the resale price cap to stronger safeguards against deceptive ticketing practices, the RESALE Act<\/strong> puts fans first and strengthens the District\u2019s independent stages\u2026 We hope states across the country will look to Washington, DC<\/strong>\u00a0as the blueprint for the next generation of resale ticketing reform.\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey Fix Schaefer<\/strong>, Director of Communications for I.M.P.<\/strong>, which operates the 9:30 Club<\/strong> and The Anthem<\/a><\/strong>, said: \u201cWe\u2019ve been fighting hard for legislation that will put an end to predatory scalpers from all over the country taking advantage of people in DC.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been fighting hard for legislation that will put an end to predatory scalpers from all over the country taking advantage of people in DC.\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey Fix Schaefer<\/strong>, I.M.P.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThis will stop opportunistic profiteers from making more than the artists, and it will enable more fans to see more shows, and then cross the street to enjoy a meal in the neighborhood restaurants, since they still have enough money in their pockets. The RESALE Act<\/strong> will keep millions of dollars in DC.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul R. Tetreault<\/strong>, Director of Ford\u2019s Theatre<\/strong>, said: \u201cBig concerts may get the headlines, but DC\u2019s theaters have been getting hit hard by resellers preying on theatergoers, especially on blockbuster shows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBig concerts may get the headlines, but DC\u2019s theaters have been getting hit hard by resellers preying on theatergoers, especially on blockbuster shows.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul R. Tetreault<\/strong>, Ford\u2019s Theatre<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Catherine Ferrando<\/strong>, VP and Co-Owner of Black Cat<\/strong>, added: \u201cBlack Cat has always been proud of our city and its music scene, and is excited to see DC become one of the first places in the nation where bands can set concert prices with confidence and fans will be free from price gouging.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBlack Cat has always been proud of our city and its music scene, and is excited to see DC become one of the first places in the nation where bands can set concert prices with confidence and fans will be free from price gouging.\u201d<\/p>\n Catherine Ferrando<\/strong>, Black Cat<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Support for the RESALE Act<\/strong> extended beyond the venue coalition.<\/p>\n Live Nation<\/a><\/strong>, the concert promoter that owns Ticketmaster<\/a><\/strong>, has previously told NBC<\/em> affiliate News4<\/em> that it supports \u201cbanning speculative ticketing and efforts to cap resale prices.\u201d<\/p>\n Not everyone welcomed the RESALE Act<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Ticket Policy Forum<\/strong>, a trade group representing resale platforms including StubHub<\/strong> and SeatGeek<\/strong>, has argued that a resale price cap will push ticket sales onto unregulated channels and increase fraud.<\/p>\n The group contends that the primary market controlled by Ticketmaster<\/strong> is the real cause of high prices.<\/p>\n The District<\/strong> joins a growing number of US jurisdictions moving to rein in the secondary market.<\/p>\n In May, Vermont<\/strong> capped resale prices at 110% of face value<\/a> in a law backed by singer-songwriter Noah Kahan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Similar bills are under debate in California and New York<\/a>, where lawmakers have proposed resale markup limits of 10%<\/strong> and zero, respectively.<\/p>\n\n
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