Using someone else’s ski pass could fetch you a felony charge
Mike Peron / Tahoe Daily Tribune
PLACER COUNTY, Calif. – The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on ski pass fraud by partnering with area ski resorts.
“As a reminder, using another person’s pass or lift ticket is a crime,” the sheriff’s office stated in an announcement on its Facebook page. “Those who are caught will face consequences.”
According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and California law, fraudulently holding a pass could result in felony charges for passes valued over $950.
Certain Epic passes, Ikon passes and Sugar Bowl passes (resorts in Placer County) exceeded that benchmark for the 2024-2025 season. Passes for the upcoming 2025-2026 season recently went on sale. Currently, unrestricted passes for Epic, Ikon and Sugar Bowl are priced over $1,000. This is before price increases, which may push other pass types above the higher consequence threshold.
The crack down is in response to a reported increase in ski pass fraud. The sheriff’s office reports it is not isolated to a single resort.
Palisades Tahoe confirmed the company has seen an increase in ski pass fraud at their resorts. “Today, several individuals received citations in addition to our standard enforcement,” the resort said on Friday, March 21. “Using another person’s pass or lift ticket is a crime and may result in revocation, fines, and legal action. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in keeping the mountain experience fair for all.”
Vail Resorts did not respond directly to the Sun’s inquiry, but deferred to Placer County Sheriff’s Office on information.
Placer County Sheriff’s Office is taking ski pass fraud on a case by case basis in which resorts that encounter ski pass fraudsters can call the sheriff’s office for assistance.
Other counties in the Tahoe basin are not reporting the same issue found in Placer County.
Alpine County Sheriff’s Office works collaboratively with Kirkwood Mountain Resort to identify fraudulent activities and investigate any reports of fraud. As of Thursday, March 20, there were no active reports of season pass fraud in Alpine County for the 2024/2025 ski season.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office had no information on fraudulent ski passes or cases on the Douglas County side of Heavenly this season as of Friday, March 21.
El Dorado County informed the Sun that is has not received any reports of fraudulent ski passes this season, as of Tuesday, March 25.
The Sun reached out to Washoe County and did not receive information at the time of this publication.
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