Bill filed in North Carolina Senate seeks new rules for entertainment ticketing and resale

A measure introduced by State Sen. Jay J. Chaudhuri in the North Carolina Senate is intended to enhance transparency and improve consumer protections in entertainment event ticketing, the North Carolina State Senate reports.

Identified as SB 849 and filed April 27 for the 2025 regular session, the proposal carries the short title: ‘Real Tickets, Real Fans Act.’

Below is a summary based on the actual bill text, with interpretation to clarify the main points.

The bill establishes comprehensive standards for selling and reselling entertainment event tickets, requiring upfront disclosure of final ticket pricing, all obligatory charges, seat assignments, and explicit labeling of initial sales versus resales. It prohibits speculative ticket posts, repeated resales of one ticket, unauthorized resale of presale and fan club tickets, misleading use of entertainer or venue names, and automated tools or multiple accounts designed to bypass online limits or security measures. Offenders may face civil penalties up to $15,000 daily and per-ticket fines, with higher punishment for willful offenses. The bill authorizes the attorney general to enforce and report on these requirements and allocates $250,000 in ongoing annual funding starting with the 2026-27 fiscal year to support enforcement. Sections 1 and 2 become operative Oct. 1, 2026, for relevant ticket sales from that date forward, while the remaining sections take effect July 1, 2026.

Timothy D. Moffitt, one of three sponsors, introduced the highest number of bills (74) during the 2025 session.

The legislative pathway in North Carolina involves multiple steps. A bill is filed by a lawmaker, then sent to a committee for review. Each chamber must read the bill three times. If changes are made, the chambers must agree on a single version before sending it to the governor, who has 10 days to act (or 30 if the General Assembly is out of session) by signing, vetoing, or permitting it to become law without signature.

Find additional details about this session’s legislative activity here.

Chaudhuri earned a BA from Davidson College in 1991 and a JD from North Carolina Central University in 1999.

A Democrat, Chaudhuri was first elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 for the 15th Senate district, succeeding former state senator Terry Van Duyn.