New Maine concert ticket law is the toughest in America

A new Maine concert ticket law is the toughest in America. If other states or Congress use the Maine law as a template it will revolutionize event ticketing and kill the ticket resale market as it exists today.

New Maine concert ticket law is the toughest in America

S.P. 403/L.D. 913 was signed into law by Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills on Wednesday and will take effect in 90 days.

Supporters of the bill believe it corrects years of abuse by unchecked resale platforms, bots, and speculative ticket sellers.

StubHub opposed the bill telling the Bangor Daily News that the legislation will “reward the Live Nation–Ticketmaster monopoly while putting fans at risk” and criticized the “artificial price cap” on secondary market resales.

Independent venues and promoters see the new Maine concert ticket bill as a major victory.

“By creating this law, Maine’s state elected leaders have shown the rest of the country what’s possible,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA and Co-Chair of the Fix the Tix Coalition. “This legislation doesn’t just protect fans – it rebalances the live event ecosystem to put power back in the hands of consumers, artists, and venues. By banning fake tickets, capping resale at a fair 10% above face value, and ensuring clear accountability for deceptive practices, Maine has created a blueprint for ticketing reform that other states and Congress should now follow.”

“Maine’s new live event ticketing law offers strong and enforceable protections for both fans and artists, says Wayne Forte, NITO President. “By mandating price and fee transparency, a 10% resale cap, along with refunds as well as bans on speculative ticketing, bots and deceptive website and branding, Maine has provided a template for the rest of the country and we applaud them for taking this action on behalf of fans and the artists we represent” NITO is also a member of the Fix The Tix Coalition.

Maine Concert Ticket Law Highlights

• Bans speculative ticket listings—making it illegal to sell a ticket that the seller does not yet possess
• Imposes a 10% resale cap to limit excessive markups and price gouging
• Requires full price transparency, with all mandatory fees disclosed up front and displayed more prominently than any other pricing
• Mandates refunds for counterfeit, undelivered, or misrepresented tickets
• Codifies that a ticket is a revocable license, reinforcing the authority of venues and ticket issuers
• Bans deceptive websites and stolen branding that mislead fans into thinking they’re buying from official sources
• Prohibits the use of bots to circumvent online ticket limits
• Ensures Attorney General enforcement, treating violations as unfair trade practices under Maine law, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation

“This legislation reflects the needs and values of Maine’s music and cultural communities,” said
Lauren Wayne, President of the State Theatre Presents in Portland, Maine. “We are incredibly
grateful for having Senator Daughtry and the entire Housing and Economic Development
Committee listen to Mainers throughout the entire process of this bill so that we can all
continue to ensure that real fans get access to real tickets at real prices. LD 913 is pro-consumer
and pro-local business and we are thrilled to have helped make this happen so that Mainers are
no longer fleeced by deceptive websites and deceived by scalpers who price gouge fans.”

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency.

“New Maine concert ticket law is the toughest in America” first appeared on Hypebot.com.