D.C. Council Approves Bill Capping Prices on Resale Tickets

Resale tickets for live events such as concerts in D.C. can’t be priced more than 10% above original value.

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In the lead-up to Tuesday’s vote, left-leaning advocacy group New Democracy sponsored ads that urged constituents to oppose the bill due to potential threats to a “free and transparent marketplace” that could empower Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

The D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an act aimed at reining in the increasingly expensive and unruly resale ticket market around concerts and other live entertainment events in the District.

The Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment (RESALE) Amendment Act caps the price of resold tickets at 10% more than their original value. Tickets to sporting events are not subject to the law.

The act also bans speculative ticketing, when resellers list tickets they don’t actually have, and surveillance pricing, when costs are determined by a user’s personal information. The latter amendment does not apply to senior or student discounts. The bill also requires anyone selling 50 or more tickets a year to get a license. If it receives the mayor’s approval and passes a congressional review, the law is expected to go into effect in January.