HB 1613
In CommitteeHouse
Ticket sales
Concerning ticket sales.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill establishes new licensing and transparency rules for ticket sellers, resellers, and online ticket marketplaces in Washington State. It requires clear pricing disclosures, bans deceptive website practices and automated ticket-buying tools, and strengthens consumer rights around refunds, transfers, and cancellations.
- Requires ticket sellers, resellers, and resale marketplaces to get a state license and disclose key information—including the base price and total (‘all-in’) price—before purchase.
- Prohibits use or sale of software designed to bypass security measures (like purchase limits) on ticket seller websites, and bans resale of tickets obtained through such software.
- Mandates clear disclosures about refund policies, ticket transferability, and ownership ties between ticket sellers and resellers.
- Bars ticket resale platforms from using domain names that falsely imply affiliation with an event, venue, or performer unless acting on their behalf.
- Requires that tickets be transferable unless consumers opt out at time of purchase, and prohibits venues from denying entry based solely on resale.
- Prohibits ‘speculative’ ticket sales—selling tickets not yet in the reseller’s possession—unless specific delivery and seat information is disclosed upfront.
Who is affected
- Ticket sellers, resellers, and ticket resale marketplaces — Must obtain a license from the Department of Licensing and follow new rules about pricing, disclosures, and ticket resale practices.
- Consumers purchasing admission tickets — Will see clearer pricing information before buying tickets, and will have new rights to cancel, refund, and transfer tickets.
- Online ticket platforms and websites — Must ensure their websites don’t use misleading domain names and must disclose ownership ties to ticket sellers.
- Automated ticket buyers (‘bots’) and operators of such tools — May no longer use bots or software to bypass ticket purchase limits or resell tickets bought through such means.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Requires clear all-in pricing disclosures before purchase, reducing hidden fees and enabling informed decision-making—especially beneficial for low-income consumers and families on tight budgets who are most sensitive to unexpected price increases.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 8(1)-(2)Bars venues from denying entry based solely on resale, protecting consumers who rely on secondary markets (e.g., students, seniors, low-income fans) to access tickets they otherwise couldn’t obtain at face value.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 10(2)Creates licensing and transparency for ticket resale marketplaces, reducing deceptive practices like fake affiliate sites and “ghost” ticket listings—benefiting everyday consumers who lack resources to investigate seller legitimacy.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 1(15)-(17) + Sec. 5Bars resale of tickets obtained via bots and mandates refunds for failed speculative sales, protecting consumers from being scammed by automated high-volume buyers and unfulfilled resale promises.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2) + Sec. 12(3)Requires disclosure of ownership ties, license status, and complaint channels—empowering consumers to verify seller legitimacy and report abuses, especially helpful for vulnerable populations with limited access to legal recourse.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 9(1)(c), (e), (f)
Potential Concerns (5)
Mandates a new state license and annual fee for ticket sellers, resellers, and marketplaces, which may disproportionately burden small-scale resellers (e.g., individuals reselling a few tickets) and micro-businesses that lack the resources to navigate licensing bureaucracy, even though exemptions exist for individual personal resales.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 5(1)(a)Requires prominent display of all-in price *before* subtotal disclosures, which may increase technical complexity and compliance costs for small online platforms and third-party sellers, potentially reducing their ability to compete with larger platforms that can absorb such costs.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 8(2)(a)-(b)Prohibits speculative ticket sales unless the reseller has a written contract with the rights holder—effectively excluding independent resellers without direct contracts (e.g., scalpers, small resellers) while benefiting large, vertically integrated resellers with existing contracts.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 12(1)(a)(ii)Requires ticket sellers to offer both transferable and non-transferable options at initial sale, which may increase operational complexity and costs for venues and ticketing platforms, potentially passed on to consumers in the form of higher fees or reduced service quality.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 10(1)Exempts K-12 schools, higher education, and nonprofits from core licensing and disclosure requirements, which may create competitive distortions—e.g., a nonprofit zoo selling tickets may avoid transparency obligations that apply to a for-profit concert venue—reducing consumer protection parity across the market.
Local GovernmentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(1)(a)-(g)
Who Is Most Affected
Low- and middle-income consumers benefit significantly from all-in pricing, resale protections, and bot prevention—reducing price surprise and increasing access to tickets otherwise priced out of reach by scalpers and bots.
Large ticketing platforms (e.g., Ticketmaster, StubHub) are well-positioned to absorb licensing and compliance costs and may gain competitive advantage over smaller resellers; they benefit structurally from rules that standardize disclosures and restrict bot-driven competition.
Small independent resellers (e.g., individuals reselling a few tickets, local fan clubs) face new licensing burdens and may be excluded from speculative resale—hurting informal, low-barrier ticket流通 that often supports fans with limited means.
Venues and event promoters benefit from standardized resale rules and reduced scalping, but may face new operational costs for implementing transferable ticket options and ownership disclosures.
State government gains new licensing authority and fee revenue, but must invest in enforcement and administration—net fiscal impact depends on whether license fees cover costs, which is likely given the fee-funded structure.