Ticket Resellers Sue to Block Washington, D.C.'s 10% Resale Cap

Washington, D.C.'s new limit on ticket resale prices is headed for a federal courtroom before it takes effect. The resale platforms SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, TickPick and Gametime, together with the Ticket Policy Forum, have sued to block the law, which they call unconstitutional. Billboard reported the filings on November 10, 2026.

The law is the RESALE Act, which stands for the Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment Act. It caps how far above face value a resold ticket can be priced. Face value is the price printed on the ticket when it is first sold. Under the act, a resale price can be no more than 10% above that figure. The law is scheduled to become enforceable in 2027.

Resellers would also have to show a ticket's original face-value cost next to the resale price. That way, a buyer can see the markup before paying.

The plaintiffs want an immediate injunction, which is a court order that pauses a law while a case is decided. On November 9, the D.C. Attorney General's Office filed a brief opposing that request. A hearing on the injunction motion is set for November 19 in D.C. federal court.

Ticket Policy Forum said on November 10 that the court should bar enforcement of the act to prevent what it called significant and lasting damage.

D.C. is not the only place weighing limits on resale prices. Billboard reports that Maine and Vermont have passed ticket resale price caps. Similar bills are under consideration in Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee. A proposed cap failed in the California legislature in summer 2026.

For anyone holding or hunting for tickets, the next date to watch is November 19. That is when the judge will hear arguments on whether to pause the D.C. law before it starts.