Tickets in California Today

Consumer Rights

Cancellation Refunds

Full refund required within 30 days of a cancelled event.

BPC § 22507

Enforcement

Ticket Bots

Unlawful to use software to bypass a ticketing queue or access control.

BPC § 22505.5

Transparency

Resale Disclosures

Resellers must disclose original face price and the exact seat location.

BPC §§ 22502.1 & 22508

Gaming

Sports Ticket Raffles

Governs charitable raffles with manual draws for sports event tickets.

Penal Code § 320.6

Fraud Prevention

Deceptive Ticket Websites

Bans sites that impersonate an official event presenter's domain or design.

BPC § 22505.2

Air Travel

Airline Ticket Fraud

Carriers must refund victims of travel-seller fraud they had knowledge of.

BPC § 17550.31

Transit

Mega-Event Transit Surcharges

Up to $5 surcharge authorised on tickets to 2026 FIFA World Cup events.

PUC §§ 100116 & 130051.29

Arts & Culture

Music Festival Grants

Establishes the California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program.

Gov. Code § 12098.9

Seller Obligations

Travel Trust Accounts

Sellers of travel must hold client funds in trust or post a surety bond.

BPC § 17550.15

Air Travel

Travel Refund Rights

Defines when a seller of travel must issue a refund or credit.

BPC § 17550.22

Transparency

Travel Seller Disclosures

Required disclosures before and at the point of sale by sellers of travel.

BPC § 17550.13

Glossary

Original Seller

The authorised first-sale agent acting on behalf of the event presenter or venue.

Glossary

Ticket Reseller

Any person who sells a ticket other than as an original sale — the secondary market seller.

Glossary

Ticket Resale Marketplace

A platform that advertises, processes payments for, or facilitates resale — think StubHub.

Glossary

Constructive Possession

A buyer's enforceable right to receive a ticket after full payment, before physical delivery.

Glossary

Entertainment Venue

Arenas, concert halls, and stadiums where events are presented for a price of admission.

Glossary

Premium Seat License

A license to purchase tickets for a designated seat across multiple events over at least one year.

Glossary

Travel Consolidator

An entity that buys airline tickets in bulk and resells them at a discount to passengers.

Glossary

Seller of Travel

A person or entity that sells flights, packages, or accommodation to California consumers.

Glossary

Travel Certificate

A voucher issued in lieu of a cash refund, redeemable for future travel under specific conditions.

Glossary

Travel Consumer Restitution Fund

A state fund providing recourse for consumers who lose money to a registered seller of travel.