Ticket Marketplaces Sue D.C. to Block RESALE Act Over Price Caps

The Ticket Policy Forum, representing platforms like TickPick and Gametime, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court, seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the legislation. At the core of the dispute are price caps limiting resale tickets and service fees to 10% above the original face value. Plaintiffs contend these limits are confiscatory, arguing that fixed costs for fraud protection and secure processing make lower-priced tickets economically unviable under such restrictions.

The lawsuit asserts that the District of Columbia is overstepping its legal authority by attempting to regulate commerce that occurs primarily outside its borders. With fewer than 1% of transactions involving both a D.C.-based buyer and seller, the group argues the law violates the dormant Commerce Clause and the Home Rule Act. Furthermore, the marketplaces claim the mandate to display the original purchase price violates the First Amendment, noting that they lack access to internal primary-market data, such as dynamic pricing records held by entities like Ticketmaster. Industry executives warn that if the court does not intervene, companies may be forced to blacklist District events entirely to avoid operating at a loss.