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California AB 723 Compliance Checklist

A 10-point pre-flight check for every California listing with virtually staged or digitally altered photos.

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Use this checklist before submitting EVERY listing where any photo has been digitally altered (virtual staging, sky replacement, removing power lines, landscaping changes, etc.). If you check all 10 boxes, you're compliant with California AB 723. If you miss even one, you're risking MLS rejection or a DRE complaint.

📷 Photos

1. I have identified every digitally altered photo in the listing.

Standard edits — lighting, exposure, white balance, cropping, straightening — are exempt. Virtual staging, virtual destaging, sky replacement, landscaping, and removing/adding objects are NOT exempt.

2. Every altered photo has a "reasonably conspicuous" disclosure on or near the image.

Acceptable wording: "Digitally altered," "Image edited," "Virtually staged." The disclosure must be visible without effort — not buried in 6-pt gray text.

3. The disclosure is on or directly adjacent to the photo.

Not buried 200 words down in the listing description. Most MLSs interpret "on or near" strictly.

🔓 Originals

4. I have the unaltered original file for every altered photo.

You can't comply without it.

5. The original is hosted at a URL anyone can access without signing in.

Test in a private/incognito browser window. No paywalls, no required logins, no installs.

6. The disclosure provides a link, URL, or QR code to that hosted original.

Per AB 723: "A link, URL, or QR code leading to the original image(s)" is required. Any of the three works.

7. The link still works — not broken, not expired, not behind a paywall.

Imgur links can break if the post is removed. Dropbox links can expire. Self-hosted is most reliable.

🏢 MLS submission

8. I've checked my specific MLS's AB 723 implementation guide.

Each MLS has slightly different format requirements:

• CRMLS (Southern CA): knowledge base FAQ
• SDMLS (San Diego): implementation guide
• Bay East (Bay Area): photo rule
• Your MLS: check their member resources page

9. My vendors are compliant too.

If your photographer, virtual staging service, or marketing assistant returned non-compliant files, YOU are still on the hook. Confirm every vendor in your workflow ships AB 723–ready output.

📁 Documentation

10. I've saved a "compliance package" for this listing — for at least 7 years.

Staged image with overlay, original image, hosting URL, dated. Keeps you safe if a DRE complaint comes up months or years later.

What happens if you miss one

Listing rejection by your MLS — most common, fastest enforcement
DRE complaint from buyer/agent — can escalate to disciplinary action against your license
Civil liability if a buyer claims they were materially misled
Brokerage compliance discipline — many CA brokerages now require AB 723 compliance as a condition of MLS submission

Want this to disappear in 24 hours?

If you'd rather not run through this checklist for every listing, ListingStage ships AB 723 compliance automatically — disclosure overlay, QR-linked original, MLS-ready package — for $15/photo, back by tomorrow.

Order staging — $15/photo → Read the full AB 723 guide