New Jersey's listing-photo bill: what buyers would get, and what you can do today

Updated October 13, 2026 · by HomeCloak

A bill introduced in New Jersey in September 2026 would do something no state has done yet: give home buyers a legal right to have the interior photos from their purchase listing taken down. It is a bill, not a law, and it may change or stall. But it names the problem precisely, and the fix it describes is one you can carry out today without waiting for Trenton.

What A5422 would require

As introduced, the bill would require real-estate brokers to hand buyers an image-removal request form before closing, and require the multiple listing service to remove interior images from its public feeds within 30 days of receiving that form. Reported penalties are $500 for a first violation and $1,000 after that.

That is the whole mechanism: a form at closing, a 30-day clock on the MLS. Notice what it does not cover. It says nothing about the copies that Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and the rest already pulled from the MLS feed, nothing about street-level imagery, and nothing about the people-search sites that tie your name to the address.

Why the demand is real

A 2025 survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers found that 76 percent want their state to require removal of interior listing photos after a sale, with home security and family privacy each cited by 69 percent. Pennsylvania homeowners have been reported pushing for a similar law. Expect more states to follow the New Jersey text once it moves.

How to get the same result now, in any state

You do not need a statute to ask. The MLS that published the listing has a photo-removal process, and the listing agent or the MLS itself will act on an owner's written request with proof of ownership. Each of the big listing sites has its own owner process on top of that. HomeCloak writes the MLS letter for your region, assists you in getting the photos down from each listing site, and tracks which copies came down and which are still up.

MLS: a written removal request with your deed or closing statement attached, sent to the MLS for your region.
Zillow: claim the home as owner, then remove the photos from the facts-and-features section.
Redfin, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com, Movoto: written requests to each site's privacy or support inbox.
Street View, Apple Look Around, Bing Streetside: a blur request for each, which only the occupant can file.

Common questions

Is A5422 law yet?

No. As of October 2026 it is an introduced bill in the New Jersey Assembly. It can be amended, combined with other bills, or left to expire. Check the New Jersey Legislature's bill tracker for the current status before relying on it.

If it passes, will my photos come down automatically?

Not as written. The buyer has to submit the form, and the 30-day duty falls on the MLS feed. Copies already republished elsewhere would still need their own requests.

Does this help me if I bought years ago?

The bill is about closings going forward. For an older purchase, the owner-request route described above works the same way it always has.

Skip the 250 hours.

HomeCloak files verified removal requests with every listing site, people-search network, and registered data broker on our list, reads the replies, follows up on every silence, and re-files when something comes back — for $109.99 a year. We prepare the few steps only you can do.

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