Passport photo requirements

What counts

• Size: 2 x 2 inches, with your head (chin to top of hair) between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches tall.
• Recent: taken within the last six months, showing how you look today.
• Color and quality: a color photo, in focus, printed on photo-quality paper.
• Background: plain white or off-white, with no shadows, patterns or objects.
• Pose: facing the camera, eyes open, with a neutral expression or a natural smile.
• Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, worn daily, and not covering your face. A signed statement or doctor's note goes with the application.

What doesn't

• Eyeglasses of any kind. Take them off for the photo.
• Filters, retouching, or any digital change to the photo.
• Photos edited or created with AI tools. The State Department rejects them.
• Selfies or photos cut from a larger picture.
• Hats, headphones and sunglasses.
• Photos older than six months, or ones that no longer look like you.

Can you smile in a passport photo?

Yes, a natural, relaxed smile is allowed, with both eyes open. A big, open-mouthed smile is more likely to be rejected, so if in doubt, keep your mouth closed or use a neutral expression.

What to wear

• Wear everyday clothes. Solid colors that contrast with a white background, for example navy, gray or a deep color, usually photograph best. Avoid white or off-white tops, which blend into the background.
• No uniforms, no clothing that looks like a uniform, and no camouflage.
• No hats or head coverings, unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons (with a signed statement).
• Jewelry, facial piercings and tattoos are fine, as long as they don't hide your face.
• Glasses come off, even if you always wear them.

Where to get a passport photo

Many places take passport photos while you wait, usually for a fee:

• pharmacies, including many CVS and Walgreens stores;
• post offices that accept passport applications. Many take photos on site, and your city page shows which ones do;
• FedEx Office, The UPS Store and office supply stores;
• AAA offices, often with a discount for members.

Services, hours and prices vary by store, so call ahead, and ask whether they guarantee the photo meets U.S. passport requirements. Your city page lists places that take passport photos near you.

Can you take your own passport photo?

Yes, if it meets every rule:

1. Have someone else take it, or use a tripod and timer. Selfies aren't accepted, and a selfie angle distorts the face.
2. Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall, in even daylight, with no shadows on your face or the background.
3. Face the camera straight on, glasses off, with a neutral expression or a natural smile.
4. Don't edit or filter it, not even red-eye removal. Retake it instead.
5. Crop it to 2 x 2 inches with your head the right size. The State Department has an online photo tool for this.
6. Print it on photo paper at a pharmacy or print shop. Photos printed on regular paper aren't accepted.

Digital photos (online renewal)

If you renew online through the State Department, you upload a digital photo instead of mailing prints. It has to meet the same rules: recent, plain background, no glasses, no edits. Official digital photo guidance.

Children's and babies' photos

The same rules apply, with some allowances: a baby can be photographed lying on a plain white sheet. No one else, such as a parent's hands, may appear in the photo. Eyes should be open if at all possible.

How many to send us

• In person (new passport, child passport, lost or stolen, damaged, first passport card): one photo.
• By mail (renewal, name change, data correction, second passport, passport card renewal): two photos.

Common mistakes

• Shadows on the face or the background, usually from a flash or a window behind you.
• A head that's too small or too large in the frame.
• Glasses left on, even clear ones.
• A photo stapled or glued to the form. Keep it loose, and we attach it correctly.

Questions