FOXBORO, Mass. -The New England Patriots are giving fans the option of transferring season tickets to an immediate family member for $2,000 to $5,000 per ticket, the team said.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the new “Pass It On” program was established after some ticket holders told the team they’d pay a fee for the privilege of passing on their seats. Season ticket transfers were not previously allowed under team policy.

The cost per transfer for each ticket is $5,000 for lower-level sideline seats, $3,500 for lower-level end zone and second-level seats, and $2,000 for all upper-level seats. James said the new transfer program is limited to 1,000 ticket transfers a year.

Some fans complained the price is too high. Carl Moore of Wrentham, who owns six season tickets that he shares with his sons, told The Boston Globe he was blown away by the high price.

“It’s a seat tax,” he said. “That’s what it is.”

“It’s optional,” James said. “No one has to pay the price. This is being done for those who’ve expressed an extremely high priority on being to transfer accounts to immediate family members, wishing they would have been given the option.”

James added that requiring people to pay to pass on tickets gives the 50,000-plus people on the team’s season ticket waiting list some hope that eventually they’ll get tickets.

Some teams have financed new stadiums through the sale of personal seat licenses, which can cost up to $20,000 per seat but are assets that can be sold or transferred. The Patriots financed Gillette Stadium privately and did not require season ticket holders to pay a large fee to keep their seats, but also didn’t allow the transfers until now.

AP-ES-02-25-05 1813EST