California's Concert Ticket Resale Price Cap Bill Dies in Committee
A California bill that would have capped concert ticket resale prices at no more than 10% above face value has failed to advance from the State Appropriations Committee, ending its legislative path this session. Assembly Bill 1720, known as the California Fans First Act, did not pass after opposition from the ticket resale market, as reported by Rolling Stone and Music Week on 14 August 2026 (Rolling Stone; Music Week).
State assemblymember Matt Haney introduced AB 1720 in February. The bill proposed adding Section 22502.5 to the California Civil Code, which would have barred resellers from charging more than 10% above a ticket's original purchase price, including all fees, and would have required resale marketplaces to display that original price on their listings (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
The cap was designed to close a common loophole: sellers tacking on separate processing, delivery, or service charges to get around a price ceiling. Under the bill, those add-ons would have counted toward the 10% limit, and resellers trying to sidestep it through extra fees would have been in violation (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
Penalties were steep. A first violation would have carried civil fines of up to $1,000 per ticket sold, rising to $2,500 per ticket for subsequent violations. A knowing and willful pattern of violations could have cost resellers up to $5,000 per ticket. The Attorney General, city attorneys, and county counsel would have been empowered to bring enforcement actions, seeking injunctions, restitution, or disgorgement of proceeds (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
The bill's reach was narrower than it first appeared. It was amended to apply only to independent venues with a seating capacity of 3,000 or fewer, plus nonprofit venues hosting agricultural fairs, exhibitions, or multiday community events. Larger arenas and stadiums were exempt, and all athletic contests — professional, collegiate, and amateur — were excluded (Rolling Stone; leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
Opposition was well-funded. StubHub, one of the largest ticket resale platforms, spent $3.4 million lobbying in California to fight AB 1720 and other bills, according to Rolling Stone (Rolling Stone). The Hollywood Reporter had reported the bill's failure a day earlier, on 13 August (The Hollywood Reporter).
The bill drew an unusual split: venues supported it, while some consumer advocates criticised it. Supporters argued it would still allow fans who could no longer attend a show to resell their tickets — just without marking them up to hundreds of dollars above face value (ABC7).
California's failure stands in contrast to moves elsewhere. Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed a similar resale cap in May, limiting resale prices to 10% above face value, with singer Noah Kahan among its supporters. Vermont became the second US state to enact such legislation, after Maine (Rolling Stone).
For fans in California, the practical effect is that resale prices for concert tickets at smaller venues remain uncapped. A ticket listed at $50 can still be resold for whatever the market will bear, fees included — and the platforms facilitating those sales spent millions to keep it that way.
