Minnesota Gov. Signs Ticketing Transparency Law

A bill signed into law by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday will offer more transparency and protection to residents in the state purchasing tickets for concerts and other live events. The House File 1989 — a coincidental reference to Taylor Swift‘s birth year and 2014 album — goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

Walz signed House File 1989 yesterday at famed Minneapolis venue First Avenue. The law came about in part due to frustration felt by Minnesota State Rep. Kelly Moller, who was unable to secure tickets to Swift’s 2023 concert in Minneapolis. A ban on hidden fees, deceptive websites, bots and ambiguity regarding the final price are among the protections included in the law.

Ticket sellers will need to disclose to Minnesota consumers the total price of admission including all fees. Additionally, the law aims to crack down on resellers selling more than one copy of a ticket in regulating the “speculative market.” Resellers must disclose the exact location ticket-buyers will be sitting if the venue has assigned seating.

The law will apply to tickets purchased in Minnesota or other states for live events taking place in Minnesota. JamBase Editor-in-Chief Andy Kahn, who resides in Minnesota, spoke with CBS Minnesota affiliate WCCO about the challenges of compliance and enforcement.

“If there’s going to be a crackdown right off the bat of known entities that are violating these regulations already, or if it’s going to take somebody like you or me getting shut out of buying a ticket when we go online to try to buy a ticket and taking whatever we think are violating these regulations to court,” Kahn said.

Watch WCCO’s report on the bill being signed into law below: