State all-in price laws in force
10
Written for hotels specifically
6
Enacted, not yet in force
1
Every law below was read on the government’s own page on 21 September 2026. Our summaries sit beside each law’s own words; where they could differ, the law’s words are the ones that count. This is a record of what the texts say, not legal advice.
The federal rule
Federal · in force 12 May 2025
FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees
16 CFR Part 464 · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
Any business that shows a price for short-term lodging must show the total price, mandatory fees included, more prominently than any other price, and must say what any excluded fee is before you pay.
“It is an unfair and deceptive practice and a violation of this part for any business to offer, display, or advertise any price of a covered good or service without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price.”
The FTC’s own guidance uses a resort fee as its example: “The required resort fee must be included in the total price.”
The total may leave out government charges, shipping, and optional extras. Enforced by: Federal Trade Commission. 16 CFR Part 464 (eCFR)
The rule covers anyone who shows a hotel price: the hotel, a booking site, or us. It lets the total leave out government taxes, which is why a “total” you are shown can still be less than the bill once tax is added.
State and city laws in force
In order of when each took effect. Where a state law is stricter than the federal rule, a hotel has to meet both.
California · in force 1 July 2024
Short-term lodging advertising (AB 537)
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17568.6 · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
A hotel, a booking site or anyone else may not advertise a room rate that leaves out any fee required to stay; government taxes may be left out of the rate but must be in the total shown before you reserve.
“A place of short-term lodging, an internet website, application, or other similar centralized platform, or any other person shall not advertise, display, or offer a room rate, as defined in Section 17561, that does not include all fees or charges required to stay at the short-term lodging except taxes and fees imposed by a government on the stay.”
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, from the advertised rate only. Enforced by: City attorneys, district attorneys, county counsel or the Attorney General. California Code, BPC 17568.6
California · in force 1 July 2024
Honest pricing (SB 478)
Cal. Civ. Code § 1770(a)(29) · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
An advertised price must include every mandatory fee.
“Advertising, displaying, or offering a price for a good or service that does not include all mandatory fees or charges other than either of the following: (i) Taxes or fees imposed by a government on the transaction.”
The Attorney General’s FAQ says it applies to hotels, and that disclosing fees later in checkout does not comply.
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, and actual shipping costs. California Code, CIV 1770
Minnesota · in force 1 January 2025
Price advertising with mandatory fees
Minn. Stat. § 325D.44, subds. 1a–1b · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
An advertised price must include all mandatory fees or surcharges.
“A person engages in a deceptive trade practice when, in the course of business, vocation, or occupation, the person advertises, displays, or offers a price for goods or services that does not include all mandatory fees or surcharges.”
The total may leave out government taxes, and actual shipping costs. Enforced by: Minnesota Attorney General. Minn. Stat. 325D.44
Virginia · in force 1 July 2025
Mandatory fees or surcharges
Va. Code §§ 59.1-607 to 59.1-610 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
An advertised price must be the total, with all mandatory fees or surcharges.
“No supplier shall, in connection with a consumer transaction, advertise or display a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges.”
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, and reasonable shipping. Enforced by: the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Code of Virginia, Chapter 58
Massachusetts · in force 2 September 2025
Unfair and deceptive fees regulations
940 CMR 38.00 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
The total price must be shown the first time a price is shown, with what each fee is, before any personal information is asked for.
“Misrepresenting or failing to disclose Clearly and Conspicuously, at the time of the initial presentation of the price of any Product, or any subsequent presentation thereafter, the Total Price of that Product; Total Price may exclude Government Charges or Shipping Charges.”
The total may leave out government charges and shipping. Enforced by: Massachusetts Attorney General. 940 CMR 38.00, Mass.gov
Maine · in force 24 September 2025
Price transparency for short-term lodging
10 M.R.S. § 1250-P · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
Short-term lodging must be advertised at its total price, including any mandatory fee, and the law names resort fees as one.
“‘Mandatory fee’ means a fee or charge required as part of an advertised price, including, but not limited to, a resort fee, service charge or convenience fee.”
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, shipping, and optional extras. Enforced by: Maine Attorney General. Title 10, §1250-P
Colorado · in force 1 January 2026
Deceptive pricing practices (HB25-1090)
C.R.S. § 6-1-737 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
The total price must be shown as a single number, not split into fees, and more prominently than any other price.
“The total price for the good, service, or property must be disclosed more prominently than any other pricing information for the good, service, or property.”
The total may leave out government charges and shipping. House Bill 25-1090, signed act
Oregon · in force 1 January 2026
Online price disclosure (SB 430)
ORS 646.608(1)(bbbb); Oregon Laws 2025, ch. 311 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
A price shown online must include every fee needed to complete the purchase.
“A person that offers or sells goods or services online may not advertise, display or offer a price for the goods or services that does not include all fees or charges that a purchaser must pay to complete a transaction for the goods or services other than: (a) Taxes or fees that a governmental body imposes on the transaction;”
Online sales only.
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, and actual delivery costs. Enrolled SB 430
Rhode Island · in force 1 January 2026
Lodging prices under the FTC rule
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-1(6)(xxi) · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
A short-term lodging price that breaks the FTC rule is also a deceptive practice under Rhode Island law.
“Advertising, displaying, or offering a price for live-event tickets or short-term lodging in violation of 16 C.F.R. Part 464.”
The total may leave out as under the FTC rule, government charges, shipping and optional extras. R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-1
New York City · in force 21 February 2026
Hotel fee disclosures
6 RCNY § 5-15 · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
Anyone showing the price of a New York City hotel, or of any hotel to a New Yorker, must show the total with all mandatory fees, more prominently than other prices.
“It is a deceptive trade practice for any person to offer, display or advertise the price of a stay in a hotel without disclosing the total price in a clear and conspicuous manner.”
The rule’s disclosure of a hotel’s deposit and hold policy takes effect one year after its January 2026 publication, so in January 2027.
The total may leave out government taxes and fees. Enforced by: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. DCWP Notice of Adoption, 6 RCNY § 5-15
Connecticut · in force 1 July 2026
All-in pricing (Public Act 25-44, § 1)
Public Act 25-44, § 1 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
A price may not leave out any fee you must pay, and a fee that was not disclosed may not be charged.
“no business that offers to sell, lease or otherwise provide any good or service shall: (A) Advertise, display or otherwise offer such good or service to any person at a price that excludes any fee, charge or cost that such person is required to pay in order to purchase, lease or otherwise receive such good or service”
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, if disclosed before purchase. Public Act No. 25-44
Tennessee · in force 1 July 2026
Notice of fees for hotel services
Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-139 · A disclosure rule, not an all-in price law
Not an all-in price law: a booking site that lists hotel services costing extra, such as parking or breakfast, must say that they cost extra and which ones.
“If a hotel booking site or third-party booking site includes information about ancillary hotel services available at a hotel located in this state and access to the services requires payment of additional fees by the consumer beyond the cost of the room, then the hotel booking site or third-party booking site must disclose: (1) That there are additional fees required to access such services; and (2) Which services require such additional fees.”
Enforced by: the remedies of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. Public Chapter No. 866
Hawaii · in force 14 July 2026
Short-term lodging total price (Act 254)
Act 254 (2026), SB 2031 · Written for hotels and short-term lodging
Short-term lodging must be shown at its total price, more prominently than other prices, with excluded fees and the final amount before you pay.
“It shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of section 480-2 and a violation of this part for any business to advertise, display, or offer any price of a covered good or service without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price.”
The total may leave out government charges, shipping, and optional extras. SB2031 CD1
Enacted, not yet in force
Illinois · in force 1 January 2027
Hidden and misleading fees
815 ILCS 505/2MMMM; Public Act 104-0472 · Applies to most businesses, hotels included
An advertised price must include all mandatory fees; hotels may show an automatic gratuity as a percentage, and must include every other mandatory fee.
“It is an unlawful practice within the meaning of this Act for a person to advertise, display, or offer a price for goods or services that does not include all mandatory fees or surcharges.”
The total may leave out government taxes and fees, and actual shipping. Public Act 104-0472
What these laws do not do
None of them bans a resort fee. They require it to be inside the price you are shown, instead of added at the end or at the front desk. A hotel can still charge one.
Our own data shows the fee is still there. In the states with an all-in price law in force, these are the hotels whose own website said either way:
| State | Our cities there | State a fee on their own site |
|---|---|---|
| CA | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Anaheim (Disneyland), San Diego, Palm Springs, South Lake Tahoe, Santa Barbara | 86 of 110 |
| HI | Honolulu | 31 of 34 |
| MA | Boston | 20 of 23 |
| CO | Denver | 12 of 13 |
That is not a finding that any of these hotels breaks a law. These laws govern how a price is shown when you book, and a fee named on a hotel’s own page is lawful under every one of them, as long as the price you are shown includes it. Hotels whose site said nothing either way are in no count.
And most of them let the total leave out government taxes. That is why the totals on this site count taxes too, and why our guide to tax on resort fees exists.
Reported as law, but not law
Articles about resort fees name these as laws. The governments’ own records, read on 21 September 2026, say otherwise.
- Federal: The Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 (S. 314). A bill reported by a Senate committee in April 2025; not enacted.
- New York State: The Junk Fee Prevention Act (S363 / A9604). Passed the Senate in May 2026 and is in an Assembly committee; not enacted.
- Pennsylvania: The “Pay the Price You See” bills (HB 1216, SB 640). HB 1216 passed the House and is in a Senate committee; SB 640 is in committee. Not enacted.
- Washington: SHB 1080, fee disclosure for lodging. In the House Rules Committee; not enacted.
- Hawaii: SB 1035 (2025). Not enacted: the two chambers disagreed in April 2025 and it went no further. The law Hawaii did pass is SB 2031 (Act 254, 2026), above.
Questions people ask
- Are resort fees illegal?
- No. The federal FTC rule and the state laws require the resort fee to be included in the price you are shown. None of them bans the fee.
- Does the total price have to include tax?
- Under the FTC rule, no: government charges may be left out of the total, as long as they are disclosed before you pay. Most state laws say the same. California requires government taxes and fees in the total shown before you reserve.
- Which states require hotels to show the total price?
- As of 25 September 2026: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, plus New York City, on top of the federal rule that applies everywhere. Illinois’s takes effect 1 January 2027.