California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act

California bars restaurant-reservation resales above the price paid unless the restaurant authorizes the markup in writing.

The law targets reservation scalping and gives customers, restaurants, and public enforcers tools to challenge prohibited markups.

What the law does

Prohibits selling, transferring, or facilitating the sale or transfer of a restaurant reservation for more than the acquirer paid.
Allows higher-priced transfers when the restaurant has expressly authorized them in a written agreement.
Authorizes the Attorney General, county counsel, and city attorneys to seek up to $1,000 per violation, court orders, and attorney’s fees.
Lets people or entities actually harmed by a violation seek damages, costs and attorney’s fees, court orders, and other appropriate relief.
Deposits civil penalties recovered by the Attorney General into the Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund.

Reservation resellers and platforms that facilitate reservation transfers.
Restaurants in California that prepare, serve, and sell food directly to customers.
Diners and other people or entities harmed by unlawfully marked-up reservation sales.