What is a PSL, and which NFL teams require one in 2026?

By Fan Tab · Updated 2026-10-19 · Every figure links to its source

A PSL can cost more than years of season tickets, and many NFL teams require one. Here's how they work, what the different names mean and where every team stands for 2026, based only on sourced figures.

What is a PSL?

A personal seat license (PSL) is a fee you pay once for the right to buy season tickets for a specific seat. The PSL doesn't include any tickets. You still pay for season tickets every year on top of it. As the Charlotte Observer puts it, a permanent seat license "gives you the exclusive rights to buy season tickets for a particular seat, or seats, at a stadium." Teams mostly sold PSLs to help pay for new stadiums, and many teams now run official marketplaces where owners can resell them.

Teams use different names for the same idea:

Personal / Permanent Seat License (PSL): Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Houston Texans, among others.
Stadium Builder License (SBL): Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
Charter Ownership Agreement (COA): Cincinnati Bengals.
Seat Options: Dallas Cowboys.
Stadium Seat License (SSL): Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
Charter Seat License (CSL): Seattle Seahawks.

Which NFL teams require a PSL in 2026?

We found sources for 27 of 32 teams. 6 teams require a license for all seats and 9 more require one for most seats. 3 teams require one only in certain sections, 1 only for premium seats and 1 has legacy licenses only. 7 teams have no PSLs at their current stadium.

Team	PSL policy	Price range per seat (one-time)	Source
Baltimore Ravens	Required for all seats	$750–$12,000	kansascity.com (2026-01-08)
Carolina Panthers	Required for all seats	$600–$5,400	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Cincinnati Bengals	Required for all seats	$300–$1,500	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Los Angeles Rams	Required for all seats	$1,000–$200,000	static.clubs.nfl.com (2026-10-19)
New York Giants	Required for all seats	$1,000–$20,000	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
San Francisco 49ers	Required for all seats	$2,000–$80,000	levisstadium.com (2026-03)
Atlanta Falcons	Required for most seats	$500–$45,000	sportsbusinessjournal.com (2015-09-18)
Buffalo Bills	Required for most seats	$750–$50,000	cnn.com (2026-08-15)
Dallas Cowboys	Required for most seats	$2,000–$150,000	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Houston Texans	Required for most seats	$600–$4,200	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Las Vegas Raiders	Required for most seats	$500–$75,000	reviewjournal.com (2019)
Minnesota Vikings	Required for most seats	$500–$9,500	startribune.com (2014)
Philadelphia Eagles	Required for most seats	$1,500–$3,145	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Pittsburgh Steelers	Required for most seats	$1,500–$15,000	steelers.com (2026-10-19)
Tennessee Titans	Required for most seats	$250–$4,500	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Chicago Bears	Required for some seats	$900–$10,000	chicagotribune.com (2002-02-14)
New York Jets	Required for some seats	$2,500–$30,000	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Seattle Seahawks	Required for some seats	$2,000–$3,000	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Los Angeles Chargers	Premium seats only	$10,000–$75,000	chargers.com (2019)
Cleveland Browns	Legacy PSLs only (not required for new buyers)	$300–$2,350	nbcsports.com (2013-03-05)
Denver Broncos	No PSLs	—	9news.com (2026)
Detroit Lions	No PSLs	—	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Indianapolis Colts	No PSLs	—	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
Kansas City Chiefs	No PSLs	—	kansascity.com (2026)
New England Patriots	No PSLs	—	mprnews.org (2012-11-15)
New Orleans Saints	No PSLs	—	neworleanssaints.com (2026-10-19)
Washington Commanders	No PSLs	—	wusa9.com (2026)
Arizona Cardinals	Not confirmed	not published	no source found
Green Bay Packers	Not confirmed	not published	no source found
Jacksonville Jaguars	Not confirmed	not published	no source found
Miami Dolphins	Not confirmed	not published	no source found
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Not confirmed	not published	no source found

Read the dates. Many ranges come from a 2012 MPR News comparison of original sale prices, when the licenses were first sold. Resale prices on team marketplaces today can be much higher or lower.

The most expensive seat licenses

The highest prices are for new or premium stadiums. The Los Angeles Rams 2026 price map lists stadium seat licenses from $1,000 to $200,000 per seat. The Dallas Cowboys originally sold Seat Options for up to $150,000. The official 2026 Levi's Stadium pricing map for the San Francisco 49ers shows SBLs from $2,000 to $80,000. At the low end, the Cincinnati Bengals originally sold COAs for $300–$1,500.

Teams without PSLs

Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders don't charge PSLs at their current stadiums, according to the sources in the table. The Cleveland Browns stopped requiring PSLs for new buyers in 2013, though existing licenses still transfer. Having no PSL doesn't mean tickets are easy to get. For example, the Lions say season tickets are sold out with a waitlist.

Not every seat needs a license

A team that "has PSLs" may still sell some seats without one. That's often the cheapest way in:

Chicago Bears: 55% of Soldier Field is non-PSL seating, sold through the team's season ticket priority list.
New York Jets: upper-level (300) seats at MetLife Stadium have no PSL.
Seattle Seahawks: only about 8,356 Charter Seat Licenses exist, in select sideline sections.
Los Angeles Chargers: SoFi Stadium seat licenses applied to premium seats ($10,000–$75,000 at the original sale).

PSLs are coming to more stadiums

New stadiums usually come with new licenses. The Buffalo Bills open their new Highmark Stadium in 2026 with PSLs from $750 to $50,000 per seat, according to CNN. Sources in our data say PSLs are planned for the Browns' future Brook Park stadium, the Titans' new stadium (2027) and the Commanders' new stadium. The Chiefs are discussing them for a planned new stadium, and the Broncos haven't decided for theirs. If you're on one of these waitlists, expect a one-time fee to appear in the next few years.

How PSLs fit into the true cost of being a fan

Fan Tab's "true yearly cost" for each team is the cheapest season ticket plus a $559.80 every-game streaming stack. It leaves out PSLs, because a PSL is a one-time cost and resale prices vary so much. If your team requires one, add the license price on top of the totals on the tracker. Before buying, check the team's official marketplace for current resale prices, ask whether non-PSL seats exist and read the renewal terms.

Sources

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