A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 59.1-466.5 and 59.1-466.6 of the Code of Virginia, relating to ticket resale limitations; requirements; review of event ticket marketplace by the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Section.
HB825 revises Virginia’s ticket-resale laws to add consumer-protection rules for primary ticket providers, resale marketplaces, and resellers. The bill would prohibit ticket issuers from using delivery methods that effectively block lawful Internet resale, and it would bar discrimination in admission based solely on whether a ticket was resold or purchased on a particular platform. It also requires clearer, more complete price disclosures during ticket sales, including total price, itemized fees and taxes, and seat or section information when applicable.
The bill places specific restrictions on speculative ticket sales, requiring resellers to disclose at the outset that they do not yet possess the tickets, that they are offering to procure them, the expected delivery date, the event, and the seat or section information when available. If the reseller fails to obtain the tickets in time or fails to make the required disclosures, the purchaser must be refunded. HB825 also requires full refunds for counterfeit tickets, canceled events, or tickets that do not match the seller’s description, and it generally prohibits internet ticketing platforms from hosting listings that violate the section’s requirements.
In addition to the regulatory changes, the bill directs the Consumer Protection Section of the Office of the Attorney General to study Virginia’s event ticket market by December 1, 2026. That review must examine how tickets are acquired for resale, price differences between primary and resale markets, consumer complaints and fraud, counterfeit tickets, denial of entry, and the use of artificial intelligence or automated systems to buy resale tickets. The report must also consider consumer-protection measures used in other states, such as resale price caps, fee limits, transferability requirements, and restrictions on automated ticket-buying tools.
The bill’s impact would be to expand state oversight of the ticket marketplace and strengthen disclosure, refund, and platform-compliance obligations for ticket sellers and resale intermediaries operating in Virginia. It would amend §§ 59.1-466.5 and 59.1-466.6 of the Code of Virginia and create a formal Attorney General review process that could inform future legislation. The bill exempts certain student tickets and some venue membership-based tickets near national parks.
No committee votes or transcripts are available, but the bill was left in the House Labor and Commerce Committee. Based on the text, the measure appears consumer-protection oriented and aimed at curbing deceptive resale practices, while also preserving some existing ticketing arrangements through narrow exemptions.
HB825 would amend Virginia’s existing ticket-resale provisions in Title 59.1 by adding new disclosure, refund, and platform-compliance requirements for primary ticket providers, internet ticketing platforms, and resellers. It would also require the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section to conduct a market review and report recommendations, potentially laying the groundwork for future regulation of resale pricing, automated ticket purchasing, and platform practices.
There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so direct sentiment from lawmakers is not available. The bill’s structure suggests a consumer-protection focus, with provisions designed to address fraud, hidden fees, speculative sales, and denial of entry, while also acknowledging existing ticketing practices through limited exemptions. Its referral and subsequent leaving in committee indicate it did not advance in the available legislative history.
The main points of contention likely concern the bill’s restrictions on ticket issuers and resale platforms, especially the prohibition on sales methods that impede lawful resale, the disclosure mandates, and the requirement that platforms avoid listings that violate the section. Resellers and ticketing platforms may view the speculative-ticket rules, refund obligations, and transparency requirements as burdensome, while consumer advocates would likely support them as protections against fraud, hidden fees, and deceptive resale practices. The Attorney General study of resale price caps, fee limits, transferability, and AI-based ticket buying suggests these topics may also be politically sensitive areas for future debate.