Ticket resellers who plan to scalp tickets on the streets of Indianapolis, IN must first obtain an annual license, following approval of a new ordinance by the City-County Council Monday night, August 15.
The council voted overwhelmingly in support of the measure, which also received backing from local ticket brokers, and calls for street vendors to pay $57 for the annual license and submit to a background check. A criminal conviction within five years of the license application date will disqualify the reseller.
In addition, the ordinance stipulates that street reselling cannot occur within a mile of one of the city’s major venues. Internet-based resellers, or those selling tickets for 15 percent above face value or less, are not required to obtain a license.
Before the new ordinance can take effect, it must be signed by Mayor Greg Ballard, a move that is expected soon. It will then go into effect within 45 days after being signed.
Indianapolis will host the next Super Bowl in February, but city officials were quick to distance themselves from any requirements the National Football League might have concerning municipalities having ticket resale ordinances on the books before it can host the big game.
“This is not a Super Bowl ordinance. It’s things that people have had some concerns with for quite some time, with a number of different events, and it’s to address the problem with counterfeit tickets,” City-County Councilor Angela Mansfield was quoted as saying by WISH-TV.