Arizona
ARMLS: virtual staging rules
What ARMLS requires before a virtually staged photo goes into a listing — the disclosure rule, the edits it permits, the edits it prohibits, and what happens when a listing gets it wrong.
Disclosure rule
Rule 8.23(n): any Media that has been Digitally Altered must carry a clear and conspicuous disclosure, which at a minimum includes the MLS system-provided watermark applied directly to the Media, and each altered item must be paired directly before or after with the unaltered original. The separate ARMLS-approved "virtually staged" watermark is optional; any other watermark must be ARMLS-approved, and only one watermark per photo is allowed. For videos and virtual tours, use the ARMLS-approved Digitally Altered watermark or put "Digitally Altered" in the description (armls.com/digitally-altered-media).
Permitted
Virtual staging that adds, removes or modifies furniture and décor, disclosed with the MLS system-provided Digitally Altered watermark and paired with the unaltered original (Rule 8.23(n)). Routine brightness, contrast or color correction that does not change the property's representation is permitted (Rule 8.23(f)).
Prohibited
Digitally altering Media to materially misrepresent the existing condition or existing structure of a property, including surrounding elements such as views or neighboring structures, unless disclosed as the rules describe (Rule 8.23(f)). People in Media unless they are in the background (Rule 8.23(c)). Contact information or branding on Media (Rule 8.23(a)-(b)). Broker policies may be stricter.
Penalty
ARMLS has said it will fine $200 per violation of the Digitally Altered disclosure rule from December 2026, with no fines issued June–November 2026. Rule 8.23 also lets ARMLS immediately remove non-compliant Media.
Provenance: these board rules were documented as part of RELTO's Arizona research, whose state entry is verified against the board or statute’s own public rulebook. No separate board-rulebook citation is indexed for this rule — confirm the current wording with the board directly. Full legal context, penalties, and sources for Arizona: Arizona virtual staging rules.
Disclosure language you can copy
RELTO's recommended wording — always confirm the exact format ARMLS requires (photo label, caption, or public remarks) before publishing.
- On the photo
- Virtually Staged
- In public remarks
- One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.
- Extended disclaimer
- Images have been virtually staged to illustrate the property's potential. Furniture and decor shown are digitally rendered and are not included with the property. Please refer to the original photographs for an accurate representation of the property's current condition.
Sources
- ARMLS Rules & Regulations (last updated May 28, 2026), Rule 8.23(n) — Arizona
- ARMLS — Digitally Altered Media enforcement schedule — Arizona
- ARMLS — Watermarks — Arizona
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-28-502 — Advertising by a Licensee (Cornell LII) — Arizona
- A.R.S. § 32-2153 — Grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of real-estate licenses — Arizona
- Arizona Department of Real Estate — Laws & Rules Manual (PDF) — Arizona
Stage compliantly on ARMLS
RELTO's free tier watermarks every image automatically, and MLS-ready downloads on paid plans add the disclosure label. Free to start, no credit card.
Stage a photo freeInformational only — not legal advice. RELTO is a virtual-staging technology provider, not a law firm, and nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship. Board rules and enforcement practices change; confirm each rule with the board's current rulebook, your broker, and a licensed real-estate attorney before relying on it. Every rule above was documented as part of the state research that covers this board; verification dates and confidence tiers describe those state entries, not board-specific rulebook citations.