The Florida Senate

817.36  Resale of tickets.--

(1)  A person or entity that offers for resale or resells any ticket may charge only $1 above the admission price charged therefor by the original ticket seller of the ticket for the following transactions:

(a)  Passage or accommodations on any common carrier in this state. However, this paragraph does not apply to travel agencies that have an established place of business in this state ¹and are required to pay state, county, and city occupational license taxes.

(b)  Multiday or multievent tickets to a park or entertainment complex or to a concert, entertainment event, permanent exhibition, or recreational activity within such a park or complex, including an entertainment/resort complex as defined in s. 561.01(18).

(c)  Event tickets originally issued by a charitable organization exempt from taxation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code for which no more than 3,000 tickets are issued per performance. The charitable organization must issue event tickets with the following statement conspicuously printed on the face or back of the ticket: "Pursuant to s. 817.36, Florida Statutes, this ticket may not be resold for more than $1 over the original admission price." This paragraph does not apply to tickets issued or sold by a third party contractor ticketing services provider on behalf of a charitable organization otherwise included in this paragraph unless the required disclosure is printed on the ticket.

(d)  Any tickets, other than the tickets in paragraph (a), paragraph (b), or paragraph (c), that are resold or offered through an Internet website, unless such website is authorized by the original ticket seller or makes and posts the following guarantees and disclosures through Internet web pages on which are visibly posted, or links to web pages on which are posted, text to which a prospective purchaser is directed before completion of the resale transaction:

1.  The website operator guarantees a full refund of the amount paid for the ticket including any servicing, handling, or processing fees, if such fees are not disclosed, when:

a.  The ticketed event is canceled;

b.  The purchaser is denied admission to the ticketed event, unless such denial is due to the action or omission of the purchaser;

c.  The ticket is not delivered to the purchaser in the manner requested and pursuant to any delivery guarantees made by the reseller and such failure results in the purchaser's inability to attend the ticketed event.

2.  The website operator discloses that it is not the issuer, original seller, or reseller of the ticket or items and does not control the pricing of the ticket or items, which may be resold for more than their original value.

(2)  This section does not authorize any individual or entity to sell or purchase tickets at any price on property where an event is being held without the prior express written consent of the owner of the property.

(3)  Any sales tax due for resales under this section shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue in accordance with s. 212.04

(4)  A person who knowingly resells a ticket or tickets in violation of this section is liable to the state for a civil penalty equal to treble the amount of the price for which the ticket or tickets were resold.

(5)  A person who intentionally uses or sells software to circumvent on a ticket seller's Internet website a security measure, an access control system, or any other control or measure that is used to ensure an equitable ticket-buying process is liable to the state for a civil penalty equal to treble the amount for which the ticket or tickets were sold.

(6)  As used in this section, the term "software" means computer programs that are primarily designed or produced for the purpose of interfering with the operation of any person or entity that sells, over the Internet, tickets of admission to a sporting event, theater, musical performance, or place of public entertainment or amusement of any kind.

History.--ss. 1, 1a, ch. 22726, 1945; s. 868, ch. 71-136; s. 7, ch. 90-231; s. 9, ch. 95-314; s. 3, ch. 2006-105; s. 152, ch. 2007-5; s. 4, ch. 2009-179.

¹Note.--The words "and are" were substituted by the editors for the language ", is" to improve clarity and correct sentence structure.