Which listing photo edits need a Digitally Altered label in ARMLS?

Our reading as of , from the sources below. Not legal advice.

Short answer

Brightness, contrast, color, cropping and sharpening need no label. Anything that adds, removes or changes what's in the photo, from staging to removing power lines, needs the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark on the image and the unaltered original directly before or after it.

  1. Brightness, contrast, color, cropping and sharpening aren't Digitally Altered. Neither is changing the sky's color.
  2. Staging, decluttering, landscaping, a fire in the fireplace or removed power lines are. Use the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark on the photo.
  3. Upload the unaltered original directly before or after the altered photo. From December 2026 a miss costs $200.

What Retouch Homes does in ARMLS

On by default, no label
Straightening, leveling and cropping, which ARMLS treats as standard adjustments. Exposure and color come next.
Planned
A new sky. ARMLS doesn't count a change in the sky's color as altered; for a whole new sky we'll follow ARMLS's answer before turning it on.
We don't do
Removing power lines, views or neighboring buildings. ARMLS allows it with the watermark, but we don't change what's around a property.

Edit by edit

Exposure and color in ARMLS

No label

Routine enhancements such as brightness, contrast and color correction that don't change how the property is represented are permitted without the watermark.

Source 1, 2

Straightening and lens in ARMLS

No label

Not named, but ARMLS permits standard photo adjustments for clarity that don't misrepresent the property.

Source 2· our reading, no rule names it

Cropping in ARMLS

No label

ARMLS lists cropping among the standard adjustments that aren't Digitally Altered.

Source 2

New sky in ARMLS

Unclear: label it

ARMLS says changing the sky's color needs no watermark, and shows sky and color grading as not altered. It doesn't address a whole new sky; label it or submit the photo to ARMLS for review.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.

Source 2· our reading, no rule names it

Grass and landscape in ARMLS

Label

Digitally altered landscaping is one of ARMLS's own examples. Watermark it and pair it with the original.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.

Source 1, 2

Removing clutter in ARMLS

Label

ARMLS's FAQ says a decluttered room needs the watermark, because removing content makes a photo Digitally Altered. A yard sign is blurred instead, with no watermark.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.

Source 2

Removing fixed features or surroundings in ARMLS

Label

Allowed only with the disclosure: altering views or neighboring structures is covered, and removed power lines are one of ARMLS's examples.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.

Source 1, 2

Virtual staging in ARMLS

Label

Staging is allowed with the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark and the unstaged original directly before or after.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.
Where the label goes
The Flexmls watermark on the photo, with the original directly before or after.

Source 1, 2

Day to dusk in ARMLS

Label

Not named. ARMLS counts added content, such as a fire in the fireplace, as altered, and a dusk conversion adds light. A sky color change alone isn't.

Label text
Digitally Altered
Show the original?
Yes: show it right before or after the edited photo.

Source 2· our reading, no rule names it

AI-generated image in ARMLS

Unclear: label it

ARMLS allows renderings, but no rule covers a generated image of an existing home that has no original to pair it with. Ask ARMLS first.

Label text
Digital rendering, not a photo.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Label text to copy

Digitally Altered

Use the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark (the sunburst icon) on the photo itself. ARMLS's old "Virtually Staged" watermark is no longer approved. For videos and virtual tours, the ARMLS watermark or "Digitally Altered" in the description.

Coming into force

· ARMLS starts fining

ARMLS's education phase, with no fines, runs June to November 2026. From December it fines $200 for not following the Digitally Altered disclosure, after a warning for the first penalty violation each calendar year. Source 2, 3

The rule, word for word

“…The disclosure must, at a minimum, include an MLS system-provided watermark applied directly to the Media. Each Media item that is Digitally Altered must be paired directly before or after with the corresponding unaltered original Media item.…”

ARMLS Rules & Regulations, rules 1.29 and 8.23. Our summary above isn't binding; the source is.

Questions agents ask

Do I need a Digitally Altered watermark for virtual staging in ARMLS?

Yes. Since May 28, 2026, staged photos need the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark and the unstaged original directly before or after. The old ARMLS "Virtually Staged" watermark no longer counts.

Does brightening or color correcting a photo need a label in ARMLS?

No. Brightness, contrast, color, cropping and sharpening aren't Digitally Altered in ARMLS, as long as they don't change how the property is represented.

Can I remove power lines from an ARMLS listing photo?

Yes, but only with the Digitally Altered watermark and the original photo next to it. Removed power lines are one of ARMLS's own examples.

What's the ARMLS fine for an undisclosed altered photo?

$200 per violation from December 2026, after a warning for the first penalty violation each calendar year. ARMLS can also remove the photo right away.

Sources

  1. ARMLS Rules & Regulations, rules 1.29 and 8.23 · May 28, 2026 · primary source · checked November 9, 2026
  2. ARMLS, Digitally Altered Media: policy, examples, timeline and FAQs · July 23, 2026 · primary source · checked November 9, 2026
  3. ARMLS Penalty Policy · May 28, 2026 · primary source · checked November 9, 2026

Our reading as of November 9, 2026. Not legal advice. Rules change, so check the sources before you rely on them. See all markets.