AB 1291: Ticket sellers: proof of purchase.
This bill requires ticket sellers to immediately deliver a proof of purchase to consumers when selling tickets to entertainment events. A venue operator must honor this proof of purchase in lieu of the ticket if certain conditions are met. A civil penalty of up to $2,500 will be imposed for violating these requirements.
| Feb. 02, 2026 | From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Jan. 31, 2026 | Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution. |
| May. 23, 2025 | In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. |
| May. 14, 2025 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| May. 01, 2025 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (May 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Amended IN Assembly April 23, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly April 07, 2025 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Lee |
February 21, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Existing law provides comprehensive regulation of ticket sellers and makes violations of those provisions a misdemeanor. Existing law defines a “ticket seller” as a person who, for compensation, commission, or otherwise, sells admission tickets to a sporting, musical, theater, or any other entertainment event. Existing law, among other things, prohibits specified ticket selling practices and imposes certain recordkeeping and disclosure requirements.
Existing law requires a seller to provide a full refund under specified circumstances and requires that the refund be provided within 30 days of the request.
This bill would, in addition, require a ticket seller to fully refund the ticket price of an event to the purchaser within 30 days of the event if the ticket received by the purchaser is counterfeit, does not allow the purchaser to enter the ticketed event, fails to conform to the description made by the ticket seller, or was not delivered to the purchaser before the event, except as specified.
Existing law exempts any ticket sales by a primary contractor, or any seller of tickets for the primary contractor under a written contract with the primary contractor, from the regulatory provisions. Existing law defines a “primary contractor” as the person or organization who is responsible for the event for which the tickets are being sold.
This bill would, notwithstanding this exemption, make it unlawful for a primary contractor, or a seller of tickets under contract with a primary contractor, to fail to electronically deliver a ticket to a consumer within 24 hours after the consumer purchases the electronic ticket. If a consumer purchases a ticket less than 24 hours before an event, the bill would require the primary contractor or contracted seller to deliver a consumer the electronic ticket as soon as reasonably possible after the purchase.
This bill would require a primary contractor or contracted seller to clearly and conspicuously disclose on a website, at a box office, and any other method of distribution being utilized for the original sale of tickets to an event, specified information including the total number of days reserved for an event at a venue, the total number of tickets available for sale during any public sale or pre-sale, and the price of those tickets, as specified.
By expanding the scope of existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 21.2 (commencing with Section 22513) is added to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:CHAPTER 21.2. Fair Ticketing Practices Act
22513.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:22513.1.
(a) Immediately upon selling a ticket to an entertainment event, a ticket seller shall deliver a proof of purchase to the consumer.22513.2.
A person who violates this chapter shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation, which may be assessed and recovered in an action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General, a district attorney, a county counsel, a city attorney, or a city prosecutor. In addition, the court shall award a prevailing public prosecutor reasonable costs and attorney’s fees. For purposes of this section, each ticket sold without a proof of purchase or each proof of purchase not honored by a venue operator in violation of this section shall constitute a separate violation. The remedies provided by this section are in addition to the remedies or penalties available under all other laws of this state.(a)Notwithstanding Section 22503.5, for a ticket delivered electronically, it is unlawful for a primary contractor or the seller of tickets for the primary contractor under a written contract with the primary contractor to fail to deliver the electronic ticket to a consumer within 24 hours after the consumer purchases the electronic ticket.
(b)Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a consumer purchases a ticket less than 24 hours before an event, the primary contractor or contracted seller, as applicable, shall deliver a consumer the electronic ticket as soon as reasonably possible after the purchase.
(a)Notwithstanding Section 22503.5, a primary contractor or the seller of tickets for the primary contractor under a written contract with the primary contractor shall clearly and conspicuously disclose on a website, at a box office, and any other method of distribution being utilized for the original sale of tickets to an event:
(1)The total number of days reserved for an event at a venue;
(2)The total number of tickets available for sale during any public sale or pre-sale; and
(3)The price of those tickets, including the number and total cost of the tickets offered for sale at a set price and the number of tickets with prices that will fluctuate to reflect demand.
(b)The total number of tickets and related price disclosures shall be updated by the primary contractor or the seller of tickets for the primary contractor under a written contract with the primary contractor when additional tickets are subsequently released for sale.
(c)This section shall not apply to a primary contract or the seller of tickets for the primary contractor under a written contract with the primary contractor who is selling tickets for an event held at a venue that is not owned, in whole or in part, operated, or exclusively ticketed by a publicly traded company or a corporate entity that operates multiple venues across state lines and has a capacity of 2,500 people or less.
The ticket price of an event shall be fully refunded to the purchaser by the ticket seller within 30 days of the event if any of the following circumstances, as follows, applies:
(a)The ticket received by the purchaser is counterfeit.
(b)The ticket received by the purchaser does not allow the purchaser to enter the ticketed event, unless due to an act or omission of the purchaser.
(c)The ticket fails to conform to the description made by the ticket seller.
(d)The ticket was not delivered to the purchaser before the event, unless the failure of delivery was due to an act or omission of the purchaser.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.