SB 6175
In CommitteeSenate
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 creates new rules for ticket resellers and secondary ticket marketplaces in Washington to increase transparency, prevent fraud, and protect consumers and artists. It limits resale prices, requires licensing and bonding, and bans practices like selling tickets before they go on sale or misrepresenting affiliation with event organizers.
- Prohibits resellers from listing or selling tickets before the initial public on-sale and bans resellers from accessing fan club presale tickets.
- Caps resale prices at 110% of the original ticket’s all-in price (including fees), with a maximum 10% service fee for resellers (exempt for professional sports teams).
- Requires clear, prominent disclosures on resale websites: that the site is a reseller, not affiliated with the original seller, and includes the original ticket price.
- Requires commercial resellers to obtain a license from the Department of Licensing; sets bond requirements ($25,000–$100,000) to protect consumers and ticket issuers.
- Prohibits speculative ticket sales (selling tickets not in reseller’s possession), fake or altered tickets, and resale to multiple buyers of the same ticket.
Who is affected
- Commercial ticket resellers and secondary ticket marketplaces — Must obtain a license from the Department of Licensing and comply with new rules on pricing, disclosures, and bond requirements if they resell 10 or more tickets per year.
- Event organizers, venues, and artists — May be affected if they rely on resellers to sell tickets; must ensure resellers comply with new rules, and could face liability if resellers violate terms (e.g., by fraudulently obtaining refunds).
- Ticket buyers (consumers) — Will benefit from clearer pricing, stronger protections against fraud, and safeguards against speculative or misleading ticket sales; may be protected from being charged more than 110% of the original ticket price.
- Casual sellers and small charitable organizations — Are exempt from licensing and many restrictions if they sell fewer than 10 tickets per year or operate as part of a raffle/auction for charitable purposes.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (5)
The combination of price caps, mandatory disclosures, and bonding requirements significantly reduces predatory resale practices that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income fans—especially for concerts and sports—where secondary market markups often exceed 200% and fraud is common.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 10(1)-(2), Sec. 11(2), Sec. 15Allows the Department of Licensing to set reduced or tiered fees for nonprofits and small organizations helps ensure equitable access to licensing and avoids overburdening small cultural institutions that rely on ticket sales for operations.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 14Bars resellers from fraudulently obtaining refunds from primary sellers after reselling tickets—common in “ticket return” scams—protects consumers from being denied entry when the original seller cancels a ticket after the reseller fraudulently reclaimed it.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 16(3), Sec. 19Exempts casual sellers and charitable organizations from licensing and pricing rules preserves the ability of small community groups, schools, and churches to raise funds through ticket raffles and auctions without regulatory overhead.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3), Sec. 9(2), Sec. 10(4)(b)Creates a publicly accessible reporting portal and annual enforcement report increases transparency and accountability, helping consumers report bad actors and enabling oversight of market behavior over time.
consumer protectionLean peopleRef: Sec. 17
Potential Concerns (5)
Caps resale prices at 110% of original all-in price and limits reseller service fees to 10% protects consumers from excessive markups, especially for high-demand events where scalpers historically charged 200–500% premiums; this directly reduces overcharges for everyday ticket buyers.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 10(1)-(2)Mandates clear, prominent disclosures that a site is a reseller and not affiliated with the original seller helps prevent consumer deception and allows buyers to make informed decisions—especially important for vulnerable or less tech-savvy populations.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 11(2)Requires commercial resellers to post a $25,000–$100,000 surety bond to cover consumer claims (e.g., non-delivery, travel costs) provides a real safety net for everyday buyers who lose money due to fraud or failure to deliver, though claim processing may be slow or complex.
consumer protectionPeopleRef: Sec. 15(1)-(4)Grants consumers a private right of action for price cap violations or speculative ticket purchases—up to 3× ticket price or $500—empowers individuals to seek redress, though the requirement to prove actual monetary loss or denial of entry may limit use by casual buyers.
consumer protectionLean peopleRef: Sec. 16(3)Exempts small nonprofits, charitable organizations, and casual sellers (under 10 tickets/year) from licensing and pricing rules allows community groups, schools, and individuals to continue fundraising or reselling without costly compliance burdens, supporting grassroots cultural activity.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(3), Sec. 9(2), Sec. 10(4)(b)
Who Is Most Affected
Commercial resellers and marketplaces must obtain licenses, comply with pricing caps, bonding, and disclosures; while this increases compliance costs, it also legitimizes the market and may reduce fraud-driven competition, benefiting reputable operators over unlicensed scalpers.
Event organizers and venues benefit from stronger control over ticket distribution, reduced fraud, and protection against refund abuse by resellers; however, they may face increased administrative coordination and potential revenue loss if resellers exit the market entirely.
Ticket buyers—especially low- and middle-income fans—gain clear pricing, fraud protections, and recourse for violations, directly reducing overcharges and scams in the secondary market.
Casual sellers and small charitable organizations benefit from broad exemptions, preserving their ability to fundraise without licensing or pricing restrictions.
The state government gains new licensing authority and civil penalty revenue, but must also fund enforcement and claim processing—net fiscal impact is likely modestly positive due to fee-based funding.