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LAmoderate riskVerified against secondary guidanceLast verified October 11, 2026

Louisiana Agents: RS 37:1455(A)(35) Lists Misleading or Inaccurate Advertising

Louisiana's statute lists "advertising that is misleading or inaccurate" as a cause for license censure, suspension, or revocation. LREC may levy fines or impose civil penalties up to $5,000, and its advertising schedule starts at $250.

Informational only — not legal advice, not a substitute for counsel, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Confirm every rule with your broker and a licensed real-estate attorney before relying on it. This entry is verified against secondary public guidance (MLS advisory, regulator memo, or REALTOR association PDF).

Avoid LA fines — stage compliantly

Broker warning

Louisiana lists misleading or inaccurate advertising as a cause for discipline, and LREC fines advertising violations against both the agent and the sponsoring broker. Because E&O is mandatory, confirm with your carrier how your policy treats digitally altered listing imagery.

The laws that apply to you

Virtual staging laws in Louisiana

La. R.S. 37:1455(A)(35) — Misleading or inaccurate advertising

Louisiana Revised Statute 37:1455 lists causes for censure, suspension, or revocation of a real-estate license. Subsection (A)(35) lists "using advertising that is misleading or inaccurate." The Louisiana Real Estate Commission may levy fines or impose civil penalties not to exceed $5,000, in addition to censure, suspension, or revocation. LREC's fine schedule for advertising violations is $250, $500, and $1,500 for the first, second, and third violation, and fines are levied against both the agent and the sponsoring broker.

LREC mandatory E&O insurance

R.S. 37:1466 requires all active licensees to carry errors and omissions insurance. Coverage for any claim depends on the policy terms, so check with your carrier.

Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act (La. R.S. 51:1401 et seq.)

Prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of trade or commerce. R.S. 51:1409 lets a person who suffers an ascertainable loss of money or movable property sue individually for actual damages. If the practice was knowingly used after the attorney general put the defendant on notice, the court shall award three times the actual damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs are awarded when damages are awarded. Whether a home purchase fits "movable property" was not reviewed.

Your board's rules

What Louisiana MLS boards require for virtual staging

GSREIN

What you need to disclose

GSREIN (NOMAR, New Orleans) is reported as a founding member of ROAM; its own photo rules were not reviewed. Confirm photo and virtual-staging rules with GSREIN or ROAM.

What happens if you don't

Not confirmed.

What's allowed

Not confirmed.

What's banned

Not confirmed.

ROAM MLS (multi-association MLS including the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS)

What you need to disclose

The ROAM MLS Rules and Regulations (version 2.2.2, revised 5/11/2026) contain no virtual-staging rule. They require that all photos, sketches, renderings, or depictions reflect an accurate portrayal of the property, so disclose per NAR Article 12. Photos must be of the listed property only and may not carry branding or additional information or imagery (staff may remove them); confirm with ROAM whether a "virtually staged" label is acceptable.

What happens if you don't

Fines defined in the ROAM Violations and Fine Categories, not to exceed $15,000.

What's allowed

Not addressed in the published rulebook.

What's banned

Photos, renderings, or depictions that do not reflect an accurate portrayal of the property.

What you're risking

What happens if you skip disclosure in Louisiana

TypeDescription
LREC FineRegulatoryLa. R.S. 37:1455(A) allows the Louisiana Real Estate Commission to levy fines or impose civil penalties not to exceed $5,000; its advertising schedule is $250, $500, and $1,500 for the first three violations
License DisciplineRegulatoryLREC can censure, suspend, or revoke a license for violations of RS 37:1455 prohibited acts
Unfair Trade Practices ActCivilLouisiana LUTPA (R.S. 51:1409): actual damages for an ascertainable loss of money or movable property; treble damages if knowingly used after attorney general notice; attorney fees and costs when damages are awarded

What you need to know

  • Louisiana RS 37:1455(A)(35) lists "advertising that is misleading or inaccurate" as a cause for license discipline
  • LREC can levy fines or impose civil penalties not to exceed $5,000, and its advertising schedule is $250 / $500 / $1,500
  • E&O insurance is mandatory for active licensees under R.S. 37:1466
  • ROAM MLS is a multi-association MLS that includes the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS; GSREIN (New Orleans) is reported as a founding member, so confirm which rulebook governs your listing

How to disclose properly

  1. 01Best practice, not a Louisiana rule: disclose digital alteration on or adjacent to every staged listing image
  2. 02Best practice: keep original unaltered images available for review
  3. 03Best practice: apply disclosure to every marketing channel
  4. 04Confirm with your E&O carrier how your policy treats digitally altered listing imagery

Let the tool handle it

Stage your Louisiana listings without the compliance headache

Upload your photos, RELTO adds the right watermark for your Louisiana board, pairs originals alongside, and keeps an audit trail — so you are covered if anyone asks.

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Questions Louisiana agents ask about virtual staging

Does Louisiana have a virtual-staging-specific law?

No dedicated virtual-staging statute. La. R.S. 37:1455(A)(35) lists "using advertising that is misleading or inaccurate" as a cause for discipline, but the statute does not mention staging, so whether an edit is misleading is an interpretation. LREC may levy fines or impose civil penalties not to exceed $5,000, and its advertising schedule is $250 for a first violation.

Does Louisiana require E&O insurance?

Yes. R.S. 37:1466 requires all active licensees to carry errors and omissions insurance. What a policy covers depends on its terms, so ask your carrier how it treats digitally altered listing imagery.

Which MLSs serve Louisiana?

ROAM MLS is a multi-association MLS that includes the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS, and secondary sources report that GSREIN (New Orleans) is a founding member; GSREIN's own photo rules were not reviewed. The ROAM rules require accurate photos, limit photos to the listed property, and contain no staging-specific rule. Confirm with ROAM or GSREIN which rulebook governs your listing.

Rules in other states

CaliforniaFloridaTexasNew YorkNorth CarolinaIllinoisPennsylvaniaArizonaWashingtonGeorgiaColoradoOregonNevadaMinnesotaVirginiaWisconsinKentuckyMassachusettsNew JerseyMarylandConnecticutOhioMichiganTennesseeMissouriAll states

Sources cited on this page

Rules and rulebooks change without notice. Follow each link to the source to confirm the current text before relying on it.

Important — please read

This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. RELTO is a virtual-staging technology provider, not a law firm, and nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship. Statutes, MLS rules, and enforcement practices change — do not rely on this page alone for a transaction, listing, or compliance decision.

This entry is verified against secondary public guidance (MLS advisory, regulator memo, or REALTOR association PDF). Before you act, confirm the current rule with (1) the text of the statute or MLS rulebook itself, (2) your broker of record, and (3) a licensed Louisiana real-estate attorney. RELTO makes no warranty that the information here is current, complete, or accurate for your listing.

Last verified October 11, 2026. Confidence tier: verified_secondary_guidance.