New Minnesota Law Targets Hidden Fees on Concert Tickets

The days of hidden fees on tickets for concerts and other events in Minnesota are about to end.

Governor Tim Walz has signed House File 1989 into law. It requires Ticketmaster and other live event promoters to share details about additional fees and prohibit resellers from counterfeiting tickets.

The law will apply to any ticket purchased in Minnesota or other states for shows held in the North Stare State.

The language is the law is very specific when it comes to how additional fees must be handled going forward:

• 'The disclosure of subtotals, fees, charges, and all other components of the total price must not be false or misleading, and must not be presented more prominently or in the same or larger size than the total price.'
• 'The disclosure of subtotals, fees, charges, and all other components of the total price may be displayed in a manner that allows the purchaser to hide or minimize the itemized list.'
• 'The price of a ticket must not increase with respect to a particular person after the ticket is first displayed to the person, excluding reasonable fees for the delivery of nonelectronic tickets based on the delivery method selected by the purchaser and any additional purchases made by the purchaser, which must be disclosed prior to accepting payment.'

The bill that eventually became the new law was first introduced in the 2023 legislative session by Congresswoman Kelly Moller who drafted the bill after several ticketing issues with the Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which played two dates at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, June 23-24, 2023.

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During the run up to those shows, the Ticketmaster system crashed during on-sale dates allowing computer bots to buy up tickets and resell them for heavily inflated prices.

Governor Walz signed the bill into law at First Avenue, a popular concert venue in downtown Minneapolis. At the signing ceremony, the father of two Swift fans who bought tickets to to Minnesota shows last year, said the paid an additional $200 in hidden fees for their seats.

The new law goes in effect January 1, 2025.