Rejected for a Missing or Invalid Model Release
A model release is the signed permission of a recognizable person to use their likeness commercially. Without one, a photo of a person can only be sold as editorial, and a commercial submission is rejected.
What the agency says
Shutterstock
Missing Model Release / Invalid Model Release
Shutterstock says commercial content showing a recognizable person needs a model release, and content without one will typically be rejected for "Missing Model Release". Releases with missing, illegible or altered information are rejected as "Invalid Model Release".
Missing or invalid: two different problems
Missing means the reviewer saw a recognizable person and no release was attached to the file. Either you have one and forgot to attach it, or you never got one.
Invalid means a release was attached but could not be accepted. Shutterstock's list of reasons includes:
- Required fields left empty: model name, contact details, date of birth, signature, signature date.
- Text that is illegible, inaccurate or altered (crossed out, white-out, pasted in).
- Several people or several pages in separate files that should be one, or one file covering several people.
- For a minor, the parent or guardian's name and signature missing.
- A typed signature instead of a handwritten one, or a date not written in full.
How to fix this file
- Attach the release if you have it, and submit again.
- Get a new, complete release if the old one was invalid. Write the date out in full (March 15, 2026) and have the model sign by hand.
- Make the person unrecognizable only if that is genuinely possible without an obvious edit, or choose a frame where they are not identifiable.
- Submit as editorial if you cannot get a release and the photo shows a real, newsworthy or public scene.
How to stop it happening again
- Get the release signed before the shoot, on the agency's own form or a phone app the agency accepts.
- Photograph each signed page and keep one file per person.
- Name the release files after the model and shoot date, so attaching them at upload is quick.
Find the photos that need a release
The free Stock Photo Review flags photos that show people, so you can check each one has a release before you upload. It is an AI opinion, so look at each flagged photo yourself.
Sources and when this was checked
Last checked: November 2026. The agency wording on this page comes from the help pages below. Agencies reword their reasons from time to time, so open the source if your message reads differently.
Frequently asked questions
Does a person seen from behind need a release?
Only if they are recognizable. Shutterstock also asks for a release for an unrecognizable body part with a visible tattoo, and for any nude or suggestive model even when unrecognizable.
Can one release cover a group?
No. Shutterstock needs a separate release for each recognizable person, each in its own file. A multipage form must be combined into one JPEG.
Can I use my own release form?
Shutterstock accepts non-English forms only from Shutterstock, Getty, iStock, Adobe and Easy Release. Using the agency's own form avoids most invalid release rejections.
What about photos of children?
A minor's release also needs the parent or guardian's name and signature, alongside the child's details.
