Ticket scalping is not automatically illegal in Pittsburgh, but where and how someone resells a ticket matters.
Pennsylvania law generally allows people to buy and resell tickets online, including above face value, without requiring the seller to obtain a local resale license. State law specifically exempts internet-ticket resales from its licensing requirements, provided the website operator meets consumer-protection rules.
In person, Pittsburgh has stricter rules around major sports venues. The City of Pittsburgh requires an annual ticket-reseller license for anyone reselling tickets connected to events at PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena or Acrisure Stadium, still referred to as Heinz Field in the city code. For tickets to events at PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, the city code prohibits sales on public streets, sidewalks and rights-of-way except within a designated ticket-reselling zone at the northeast corner of Dorsett Way and North Shore Drive.
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Someone caught selling outside that zone is supposed to receive a warning and be directed back to the legal area. A second violation can result in a $500 fine.
With Pirates baseball underway and Steelers football approaching, the rules are also a reminder for buyers. The safest route is buying through the team, its official ticketing partner or an established resale marketplace. Avoid social-media sellers offering screenshots or PDF tickets; use an official mobile transfer through the team’s ticket app instead. The Pirates direct fans to digital-ticket management through the MLB Ballpark app and list the PNC Park ticket office as an official purchase option.
This article by Gabby Sartori was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is ticket scalping legal in Pittsburgh? Here’s what fans need to know