CAL.Regulation
California bans speculative ticket sales and makes sellers liable for double the price of undelivered tickets
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1349 on September 27, 2026, recasting the Business and Professions Code's ticket-seller chapter. The law bans speculative ticket sales, requires resale marketplaces to take reasonable measures to prevent them, and makes sellers who fail to supply a ticket liable for twice its price plus the buyer's nonrefundable expenses. It extends refund duties for canceled or rescheduled events to all seller types and restricts bot purchases. Newsom's signing message asked lawmakers to revisit the resale-marketplace carve-out.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor, CalMatters
Key points
- The ban targets "ghost tickets": sales of tickets the advertiser does not yet own, plus software that manipulates venue purchasing restrictions.CalMatters
- Ticket resale marketplaces must implement reasonable measures to prevent speculative ticket sales; violations can bring misdemeanor charges.California Legislative InformationCalMatters
- Existing refund duties for canceled, postponed, or rescheduled events now cover original sellers, presenters, resellers, and resale marketplaces; bot-sale rules are updated.California Legislative Information
- It defines consumer, ticket seller, ticket reseller, ticket resale marketplace, venue operator, rights holder, and season ticket holder.California Legislative Information
- Newsom's signing statement urged the author to work with stakeholders to refine the resale-marketplace carve-out.CalMatters
- Amends B&PC 22502.3, adds 22505.6, repeals 22503.5, and reenacts 22502.1, 22503, 22505.5; effective January 1, 2027; chapter pending.California Legislative Information
Sources3 articles across 3 outlets
California Legislative Information
CalMatters
Office of the Governor
Filed under
RegulationCal.AB 1349 — Consumer protection: ticket sellersComplianceContractsFor practitionersFor governance