D.C. Council Approves Nation’s Strictest Ticket Resale Law
The District of Columbia has unanimously passed the RESALE Act, a landmark legislative package designed to dismantle predatory ticketing practices. By imposing a 10% price cap on secondary market sales and banning speculative listings, the city aims to curb aggressive profiteering that has long plagued local concertgoers and independent venues.
Championed by Councilmember Charles Allen, the legislation targets the "wild west" of online ticket scalping. Beyond capping markups, the law mandates full price transparency and prohibits surveillance pricing, which uses personal consumer data to manipulate costs. Commercial resellers moving 50 or more tickets annually must now register with the District, providing a new layer of oversight for an industry previously defined by opaque practices.
Local venue operators, including I.M.P. owner Seth Hurwitz, argue that current resale models have effectively held tickets hostage, forcing fans out of the market. By preventing resellers from acquiring massive inventories to flip at inflated rates, the city expects to keep millions of dollars within the local economy. The law, which received support from the National Independent Venue Association and the Fix the Tix Coalition, is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
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