Disclosure rules for digitally altered listing photos
Since January 1, 2026, California has required a conspicuous disclosure and a link to the original photo on any digitally altered listing image. Virtual staging is squarely covered. This page sets out what the law asks for, what NAR's Code of Ethics already required everywhere, and the exact wording you can paste into a listing.
No signup, no paywall. Every claim below links to its primary source so you can check it yourself.
1. What California AB 723 requires
- Citation
- AB 723 — Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8
- Effective
- January 1, 2026
- Applies to
- CA brokers, salespersons, and anyone acting on their behalf
Two things are required, not one:
- 1A statement disclosing that the image has been altered, “reasonably conspicuous and located on or adjacent to the image.”
- 2A link, URL, or QR code to a publicly accessible page that includes and clearly identifies the original, unaltered image.
Where the posting is on a website the licensee controls, the unaltered image itself has to be included or linked. The second requirement is the one most listings miss: a “virtually staged” label alone does not satisfy the statute.
2. What counts as “digitally altered”
AB 723 draws the clearest line of any rule so far, and it is wider than most agents assume. It is not only virtual staging.
Needs disclosure
- Virtual staging — adding furniture, rugs, art, or decor
- Removing furniture, clutter, or personal items
- Changing paint color, flooring, or wall finishes
- Replacing or altering fixtures and appliances
- Sky replacement and day-to-dusk conversion
- Greening or reshaping lawns, landscaping, and hardscape
- Altering the facade, floor plan, or anything outside the property
Explicitly excluded
- Lighting adjustments
- Sharpening
- White balance and color correction
- Angle, straightening, and cropping
- Exposure
- Other common photo editing that does not change how the property is represented
The test is whether the edit changes how the property is represented — not whether software was involved.
3. What applies even outside California
No statute in your state does not mean no obligation. Two of the three rules below have applied nationwide for years.
NAR Code of Ethics — Article 12
REALTORS® must be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations.
NAR 2026 Code of EthicsNAR Standard of Practice 12-10
Prohibits manipulating listing content in any way that produces a deceptive or misleading result, and otherwise misleading consumers, including use of misleading images.
NAR 2026 Code of EthicsYour MLS rulebook
Effectively every MLS has photo rules that already cover altered images, typically requiring a label on the photo and sometimes requiring the original to be uploaded alongside it. These bind you whether or not your state has a statute.
4. How to publish a compliant listing
- 1
Label the image
Put a short disclosure on the photo or in the caption directly beside it. “Digitally Altered — Virtually Staged” is enough. A disclaimer buried at the foot of the page is not “adjacent to the image”.
- 2
Publish the original somewhere public
The original has to be reachable without a login. A page that shows the unaltered photo next to the altered one satisfies both the “includes” and “clearly identifies” parts of the statute.
- 3
Put the link in your MLS remarks
Public remarks, not agent-only remarks. Use one of the snippets below so the wording carries both the statement and the link.
- 4
Use a QR code in print
Flyers and brochures cannot carry a hyperlink, which is exactly why the statute names QR codes as an option.
- 5
Keep the originals
Archive the unaltered files. If a disclosure is ever questioned, the original photo is the evidence, and the link has to keep resolving for as long as the listing is up.
5. Copy-paste disclosure wording
Replace {LINK} with the URL where the original photo is published. Short on purpose — long legalese gets deleted before it reaches a listing.
MLS public remarks
Some photos are digitally altered (virtually staged). Original, unaltered photos: {LINK}
Keep it in public remarks, not agent-only remarks — the disclosure has to reach the consumer.
On-image label
Digitally Altered — Virtually Staged
On or adjacent to the image itself. A caption under the photo counts; a note at the bottom of the page does not.
Listing description / portal
This listing includes digitally altered images. Furniture and decor shown are virtual and not included in the sale. View the original, unaltered photos here: {LINK}
Use where you control the body text — your own site, portal descriptions, email.
Single-photo caption
Virtually staged. See the original photo: {LINK}
Shortest form that still carries both required parts: the statement and the link.
Print flyer / brochure
Digitally altered image. Scan the QR code to view the original, unaltered photo.
Print cannot carry a hyperlink, which is exactly why the statute allows a QR code.
Social post
Virtually staged — furniture is digital and not included. Original photo: {LINK}
Put it in the caption itself. A link in bio does not clearly identify the original for a specific image.
6. State tracker
Only rows marked In force or Enacted have been read against a primary source. Rows marked Unverified are ones where trade coverage reports a rule but we have not yet found the statute or commission rule itself — so we do not describe what it requires. Reviewed 2026-08-08.
| State | Status | Citation | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | In force | AB 723 — Business & Professions Code § 10140.8 | 2026-01-01 | |
| Texas | Unverified | —Trade coverage reports a TREC rule update on altered images in 2025. The specific rule number is not yet confirmed against the Texas Administrative Code, so no requirement summary is published here. | — | |
| New York | Unverified | —Reported alongside California in 2026 trade coverage of altered-imagery rules. Primary source not yet located. | — | |
| Wisconsin | Unverified | —Reported alongside California in 2026 trade coverage of altered-imagery rules. Primary source not yet located. | — | |
| Colorado | Unverified | —SB 189 pushed Colorado's broader AI provisions to 2027, so nothing image-specific is in force today. Listed to record that it was checked. | — |
Every other state: we have not found a state statute specific to digitally altered listing images. That does not leave you unregulated — NAR Article 12 and Standard of Practice 12-10 apply to REALTORS® nationwide, and your MLS almost certainly has a photo rule that covers altered images already. If you know of a rule missing from this table, send us the citation and we will add it with its source.
Not legal advice
This page is a plain-language summary written for real estate professionals, not legal advice, and it may be incomplete or out of date. Statutes and MLS rules change, and how a rule applies depends on your situation. Confirm your obligations with your broker, your MLS, and your own attorney before relying on anything here. Links to primary sources are provided throughout so you can read the underlying text yourself.
Disclosure built into the staging
QuickStaging stamps a disclosure label onto the image and mints a public page showing the original photo beside the staged one — with a shareable link and a QR code for print. That covers both halves of what AB 723 asks for, without a separate workflow.
Try virtual staging