Revised ADA Requirements: Ticket Sales

Hold and Release of Tickets for Accessible Seating

Generally, tickets for accessible seats may not be sold to members of the general public who do not need the specific features of accessible seats. However, in three specific circumstances, unsold accessible seats may be released and sold to members of the general public:

• when all non-accessible seats have been sold (excluding luxury boxes, club boxes, suites, and seats the venue holds back when declaring a sell-out); or
• when all non-accessible seats in a particular seating section have been sold, unsold accessible seats in that section may be released; or
• when all non-accessible seats in a particular price category have been sold, unsold accessible seats in that price category may be released.

Venues must select only one of these options for declaring a sellout for an event. Another option may be selected for a different event. However, venues are not required to release accessible seats and may choose to hold back all or a portion of the remaining accessible seats.

Accessible seats for a series, subscription, or season tickets may be sold to members of the general public in the same three circumstances – in the case of a sell-out of all non-accessible seats, of all non-accessible seats in a particular seating location, or all non-accessible seats in a particular price category. However, in order to avoid foreclosing the availability of accessible seating for years in the future, venues must set up a process to prevent automatic renewal of accessible seats that have been sold to the general public. One way venues can accomplish this result is by advising an individual ticket purchaser who is receiving accessible seating, at the time of purchase, that, whenever other patrons in non-accessible seats fail to renew their subscriptions, the venue will only allow this particular individual to renew by switching that individual to non-accessible seats in the same section or price level. Of course, if no comparable non-accessible seats become available, the venue may continue to allow this individual to renew the use of the accessible seats until comparable seats become available.