U.S. Passport Photo Requirements: Every Rule in One Place

Most passport delays that start with a photo come down to a handful of rules. This page collects every U.S. passport photo requirement the State Department publishes, explains what each one means in practice, and points you to a detailed guide for each topic. Use the checklist table near the end before you print or upload anything.

The core specifications

The official rules are short. The State Department asks for one color photo that is a good likeness of you today. Form DS-82 (edition 04-2025) lists the essentials in one box: taken less than six months ago, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, facing the camera with your full face in view, printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, and a plain white or off-white background.

Those numbers apply to the printed 2 x 2 inch photo you attach to a mail-in renewal (DS-82) or an in-person application (DS-11). If you renew online, you upload a digital file instead, and the file has its own technical limits, covered further down.

Size and head size

The photo itself is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Your head, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm). A head that is too small or too large is one of the most common reasons a photo is sent back. Our passport photo head size guide shows how to measure it on paper and in pixels.

Recent and a good likeness

The photo must have been taken within the last six months and must look like you now. Federal regulation 22 CFR 51.26 sets the underlying test: the photo must be a good likeness of you and satisfactorily identify you. See the six-month rule explained for when a changed appearance matters.

Pose, expression and background

Face the camera directly with your full face in view and your head not tilted. Keep both eyes open. The State Department says you can smile, but your eyes should be open and your mouth closed; the internal Foreign Affairs Manual adds that normal, unexaggerated smiles are fine while unusual expressions and squinting are not. Details are in can you smile in a passport photo.

The background must be plain white or off-white, free of shadows, textures and objects. If your wall is not white, the State Department suggests covering it with a white sheet or blanket and standing several feet in front of it. Our passport photo background guide covers what counts as off-white and how to avoid shadows.

• CorrectCentred, neutral, even light

• Too closeHead fills the frame

• ShadowsLight from one side

• GlassesReflections hide the eyes

• SmilingMouth must be closed

• Busy backgroundUse a plain, light wall

Lighting and quality

Light your face evenly. The Foreign Affairs Manual, which passport specialists follow, says lighting should be uniform with no shadows or reflections on the face, skin tones should look natural, the photo should be neither over- nor under-exposed, and red-eye is not acceptable. The image must be sharp and not grainy or pixelated.

Glasses, headwear, clothing and hair

These are the rules people ask about most, and most of them have narrow exceptions.

• Glasses: remove all eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses. Glasses have not been allowed since a 2016 policy change. If you truly cannot remove them for medical reasons, include a signed statement from your doctor. Read the glasses rule and its medical exception.
• Hats and head coverings: not allowed unless worn for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement when you apply by mail or in person. Your full face must stay visible. See religious and medical head coverings.
• Clothing: wear everyday clothes. Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform and camouflage are not allowed. Headphones and wireless devices must come off. See what to wear for a passport photo.
• Hair: hair must not cover your eyes. Flat hair clips and thin headbands are fine if they do not hide your face or hairline. See passport photo hair rules.
• Makeup and facial hair: everyday makeup and any beard are fine as long as the photo looks like you and is not retouched. See makeup and beards in passport photos.

Editing, filters and who takes the photo

The State Department asks for the original photo without filters or digital changes. Do not change the photo with software, phone apps or filters. The Foreign Affairs Manual is explicit that retouching the face and beauty filters from social media and camera apps are not acceptable. Turn off portrait mode, beauty mode and any face smoothing before you shoot.

Have someone else take the photo. Arm's-length selfies tend to tilt the head, distort the face and crop the shoulders, and the State Department's online renewal guidance tells you to have someone take your photo before you start.

Digital photo rules for online renewal

Online renewal replaces the printed photo with an uploaded file. As of the date we checked, the State Department's upload guidance asks for:

• A JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB.
• A square image. The upload page sets the file type (JPG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF) and a 54 KB to 10 MB file size but no pixel rule; a square of 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, the range in the State Department's visa photo standard, is a safe target.
• A sharp, in-focus color photo, not grainy or pixelated and with no visible printer dots, so a scan of an old print is a poor choice.
• The same content rules as a printed photo: recent, plain white or off-white background, no glasses, no edits.

Our digital passport photo size guide explains how to check pixels and file size on any phone or computer. You can also run the file through our free passport photo checker before you upload it.

Babies and children

Children follow the same rules, with one practical exception: an infant's eyes may be partly or fully closed. No other person can appear in the photo, so a parent's hands and face must stay out of frame. Lay a baby on a plain white sheet or cover a car seat with one. Children under 16 cannot renew online and apply in person with Form DS-11, so you will need printed photos. See the baby passport photo guide and the child passport photo guide.

Passport photo requirements checklist

What happens if your photo does not meet the rules

If a passport specialist cannot accept your photo, you will be asked to send a new one, and your application waits until it arrives. The Foreign Affairs Manual says an application can be denied if the applicant does not respond within 90 days, and the fees are not refunded in that case. That is why it pays to check every row of the table above before you submit. For more help, browse all of our passport guides, including why passport photos get rejected.

The rules on this page reflect the State Department pages and forms listed below as of the date shown. The State Department can update its requirements, so check the official photo page before you apply.