North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H598 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 1
4		-	HOUSE BILL 598
	3	+	H D
	4	+	HOUSE BILL DRH40355-NH-165
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Live Event Ticketing Protections & Reforms. (Public)
8		-	Sponsors: Representatives Willis, Johnson, McNeely, and Schietzelt (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10		-	Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11		-	April 1, 2025
12		-	H598 -v-1
	9	+	Sponsors: Representative Willis.
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRH40355 -NH-165
13	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	14		AN ACT TO CREATE CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR SECONDARY TICKET 2
15	15		PURCHASERS AND TO PROHIBIT SECONDARY TICKET SELLERS FROM USING 3
16	16		THE NAME OF A VENUE OR EVENT IN THEIR WEB SITE ADDRESS. 4
17	17		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
18	18		SECTION 1.(a) Chapter 75 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 6
19	19		Article to read: 7
20	20		"Article 9. 8
21	21		"Live Event Ticket Sales and Resales." 9
22	22		SECTION 1.(b) Subsections (a) and (c) of G.S. 75-44 are recodified as subsections 10
23	23		(a) and (b), respectively, of G.S. 75-151, to be titled "Definitions; enforcement," to be located in 11
24	24		Article 9 of Chapter 75 of the General Statutes, as established by subsection (a) of this section. 12
25	25		SECTION 1.(c) Subsection (b) of G.S. 75-44 is recodified as G.S. 75-152, to be 13
26	26		titled "Ticket price transparency," to be located in Article 9 of Chapter 75 of the General Statutes, 14
27	27		as established by subsection (a) of this section. 15
28	28		SECTION 1.(d) Article 9 of Chapter 75 of the General Statutes, as established by 16
29	29		subsection (a) of this section, reads as rewritten: 17
30	30		"Article 9. 18
31	31		"Live Event Ticket Sales and Resales. 19
32	32		"§ 75-151. Definitions; enforcement. 20
33	33		(a) As used in this section Article, the following definitions apply: 21
34	34		(1) Entertainment event. – A sporting game or contest, concert, or other 22
35	35		entertainment performance with a live presentation element in this State for 23
36	36		which attendance is available to the public through the purchase of ticket. 24
37	37		(2) Mandatory fee. – Any fee or surcharge that a consumer must pay in order to 25
38	38		purchase a ticket to an entertainment event. 26
39	39		(3) Resale. – The second or subsequent sale of a ticket through a website or other 27
40	40		electronic means. 28
41	41		(4) Reseller. – A person engaged in the resale of tickets. 29
42	42		(5) Secondary ticket exchange. – An electronic marketplace that enables persons 30
43	43		to sell, purchase, and resell tickets. 31
44	44		(6) Ticket issuer. – The person that is the first seller of tickets for an entertainment 32
45	45		event, including a musician or musical group, an operator of a venue, sponsor 33
46	46		or a promoter of an entertainment event, a sports team participating in an 34
47		-	entertainment event, a sports league whose teams are participating in an 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 House Bill 598-First Edition
49		-	entertainment event, a theater company, a marketplace or service operated for 1
50		-	consumers to make an initial purchase of tickets, or an agent of any of the 2
51		-	persons listed in this subdivision. 3
52		-	(7) Ticketing session. – The period of time beginning when the price of a ticket 4
53		-	to an entertainment event is first displayed to a person through a website or 5
54		-	application and ending when the person has not purchased the ticket within 6
55		-	the time period prescribed by the secondary ticket exchange, ticket issuer, or 7
56		-	reseller. 8
57		-	(b) A violation of this section Article is an unfair trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is 9
58		-	subject to all of the investigative, enforcement, and penalty provisions of an unfair trade practice 10
59		-	under this Article.Chapter. 11
60		-	"§ 75-152. Ticket price transparency. 12
61		-	A secondary ticket exchange, ticket issuer, or reseller shall meet the following requirements 13
62		-	when listing a ticket for sale or resale: 14
63		-	(1) At any time the price of the ticket is displayed to the purchaser, the listing 15
64		-	shall clearly and conspicuously disclose the total price of the ticket, including 16
65		-	all mandatory fees and the maximum order processing fee, if any. 17
66		-	(2) The total price of the ticket initially displayed at the beginning of a ticketing 18
67		-	session shall not be increased during that ticketing session, except by the 19
68		-	addition of the charges permitted under subdivision (4) of this subsection. 20
69		-	(3) The listing shall clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer the 21
70		-	existence and actual dollar amount of each mandatory fee, if any, prior to the 22
71		-	completion of the transaction. The descriptor used to identify each mandatory 23
72		-	fee shall not be deceptive or misleading. 24
73		-	(4) The following charges are not mandatory fees and may be added to the ticket 25
74		-	price and shall be disclosed to the purchaser prior to purchase of the ticket: 26
75		-	a. Actual charges required to deliver a non-electronic ticket to the 27
76		-	address specified by the purchaser by the delivery method designated 28
77		-	by the purchaser. 29
78		-	b. Taxes or fees imposed on the transaction by any government. 30
79		-	c. A reasonable fee for processing the order. 31
80		-	"§ 75-153. Restrictions for ticket issuers. 32
81		-	(a) A ticket issuer shall not restrict or hinder the ability of a purchaser that has purchased 33
82		-	a ticket from a ticket issuer from doing any of the following: 34
83		-	(1) Reselling a ticket independently of the primary ticket seller or any secondary 35
84		-	ticket exchange owned or affiliated with the ticket issuer. 36
85		-	(2) Reselling a ticket on the secondary ticket exchange of the purchaser's 37
86		-	choosing. 38
87		-	(b) A ticket issuer may not require a minimum or maximum price for the resale of a ticket 39
88		-	purchased from the issuer. 40
89		-	(c) A ticket issuer may not sanction, discriminate against, or deny a purchaser admission 41
90		-	to an event, deny rights to bundled series tickets or the renewal thereof, or otherwise discriminate 42
91		-	against a secondary ticket exchange seller or purchaser on the basis that the ticket was resold, 43
92		-	gifted, or purchased as a resold ticket. 44
93		-	(d) A ticket issuer shall deliver an electronic ticket to a purchaser within 72 hours of 45
94		-	confirming the purchase order, unless the event occurs within 72 hours of the purchase, in which 46
95		-	case a ticket issuer shall deliver the ticket as soon as reasonably possible following purchase 47
96		-	order confirmation. 48
97		-	(e) Nothing in this section prohibits an operator of a live entertainment venue from doing 49
98		-	any of the following: 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	House Bill 598-First Edition Page 3
100		-	(1) Maintaining and enforcing policies regarding conduct or behavior at or in 1
101		-	connection with the operator's live entertainment venue. 2
102		-	(2) Establishing limits on the quantity of tickets that may be purchased. 3
103		-	(3) Selling or gifting nontransferable tickets to an event for either of the following 4
104		-	reasons: 5
105		-	a. The event is a private event. 6
106		-	b. The ticket is offered at a discounted price to only a select group of 7
107		-	people, including students, veterans, or members of an organization. 8
108		-	Nontransferable tickets issued under this sub-subdivision shall be 9
109		-	clearly marked as nontransferable and shall not be offered 10
110		-	promotionally to the general public. 11
111		-	"§ 75-154. Secondary ticket exchange website addresses. 12
112		-	A secondary ticket exchange shall not use a website address that contains the name of or a 13
113		-	name substantially similar to the name of the event, a performer at the event, or the venue to 14
114		-	which the ticket is for." 15
115		-	SECTION 2. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 16
	47	+	entertainment event, a sports league whose teams are participating in an 35
	48	+	entertainment event, a theater company, a marketplace or service operated for 36
	49	+	H.B. 598
	50	+	Mar 31, 2025
	51	+	HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRH40355-NH-165
	53	+	consumers to make an initial purchase of tickets, or an agent of any of the 1
	54	+	persons listed in this subdivision. 2
	55	+	(7) Ticketing session. – The period of time beginning when the price of a ticket 3
	56	+	to an entertainment event is first displayed to a person through a website or 4
	57	+	application and ending when the person has not purchased the ticket within 5
	58	+	the time period prescribed by the secondary ticket exchange, ticket issuer, or 6
	59	+	reseller. 7
	60	+	(b) A violation of this section Article is an unfair trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is 8
	61	+	subject to all of the investigative, enforcement, and penalty provisions of an unfair trade practice 9
	62	+	under this Article.Chapter. 10
	63	+	"§ 75-152. Ticket price transparency. 11
	64	+	A secondary ticket exchange, ticket issuer, or reseller shall meet the following requirements 12
	65	+	when listing a ticket for sale or resale: 13
	66	+	(1) At any time the price of the ticket is displayed to the purchaser, the listing 14
	67	+	shall clearly and conspicuously disclose the total price of the ticket, including 15
	68	+	all mandatory fees and the maximum order processing fee, if any. 16
	69	+	(2) The total price of the ticket initially displayed at the beginning of a ticketing 17
	70	+	session shall not be increased during that ticketing session, except by the 18
	71	+	addition of the charges permitted under subdivision (4) of this subsection. 19
	72	+	(3) The listing shall clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer the 20
	73	+	existence and actual dollar amount of each mandatory fee, if any, prior to the 21
	74	+	completion of the transaction. The descriptor used to identify each mandatory 22
	75	+	fee shall not be deceptive or misleading. 23
	76	+	(4) The following charges are not mandatory fees and may be added to the ticket 24
	77	+	price and shall be disclosed to the purchaser prior to purchase of the ticket: 25
	78	+	a. Actual charges required to deliver a non-electronic ticket to the 26
	79	+	address specified by the purchaser by the delivery method designated 27
	80	+	by the purchaser. 28
	81	+	b. Taxes or fees imposed on the transaction by any government. 29
	82	+	c. A reasonable fee for processing the order. 30
	83	+	"§ 75-153. Restrictions for ticket issuers. 31
	84	+	(a) A ticket issuer shall not restrict or hinder the ability of a purchaser that has purchased 32
	85	+	a ticket from a ticket issuer from doing any of the following: 33
	86	+	(1) Reselling a ticket independently of the primary ticket seller or any secondary 34
	87	+	ticket exchange owned or affiliated with the ticket issuer. 35
	88	+	(2) Reselling a ticket on the secondary ticket exchange of the purchaser's 36
	89	+	choosing. 37
	90	+	(b) A ticket issuer may not require a minimum or maximum price for the resale of a ticket 38
	91	+	purchased from the issuer. 39
	92	+	(c) A ticket issuer may not sanction, discriminate against, or deny a purchaser admission 40
	93	+	to an event, deny rights to bundled series tickets or the renewal thereof, or otherwise discriminate 41
	94	+	against a secondary ticket exchange seller or purchaser on the basis that the ticket was resold, 42
	95	+	gifted, or purchased as a resold ticket. 43
	96	+	(d) A ticket issuer shall deliver an electronic ticket to a purchaser within 72 hours of 44
	97	+	confirming the purchase order, unless the event occurs within 72 hours of the purchase, in which 45
	98	+	case a ticket issuer shall deliver the ticket as soon as reasonably possible following purchase 46
	99	+	order confirmation. 47
	100	+	(e) Nothing in this section prohibits an operator of a live entertainment venue from doing 48
	101	+	any of the following: 49
	102	+	(1) Maintaining and enforcing policies regarding conduct or behavior at or in 50
	103	+	connection with the operator's live entertainment venue. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	104	+	DRH40355-NH-165 Page 3
	105	+	(2) Establishing limits on the quantity of tickets that may be purchased. 1
	106	+	(3) Selling or gifting nontransferable tickets to an event for either of the following 2
	107	+	reasons: 3
	108	+	a. The event is a private event. 4
	109	+	b. The ticket is offered at a discounted price to only a select group of 5
	110	+	people, including students, veterans, or members of an organization. 6
	111	+	Nontransferable tickets issued under this sub-subdivision shall be 7
	112	+	clearly marked as nontransferable and shall not be offered 8
	113	+	promotionally to the general public. 9
	114	+	"§ 75-154. Secondary ticket exchange website addresses. 10
	115	+	A secondary ticket exchange shall not use a website address that contains the name of or a 11
	116	+	name substantially similar to the name of the event, a performer at the event, or the venue to 12
	117	+	which the ticket is for." 13
	118	+	SECTION 2. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 14