Passport Photos in Van Nuys

U.S. Passport Photo Requirements

These rules come from the State Department's passport application forms and its Foreign Affairs Manual. A photo that misses one of them can hold up your application while the State Department asks you for a new one.

• Size: 2 x 2 inches (about 5 x 5 cm)
• Head size: 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
• Recent: taken within the last six months, and still a good likeness of you
• Color and paper: a color photo printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper
• Background: plain white or off-white, with no shadows or objects behind you
• Pose: facing the camera directly, full face in view, head not tilted
• Expression: neutral or a natural smile with your mouth closed, both eyes open
• No eyeglasses, unless a doctor's statement explains why you cannot remove them
• No filters or retouching: digital edits and beauty filters from phone apps are not accepted
• No headphones, wireless earbuds or similar devices

Glasses, head coverings and medical exceptions

Glasses are allowed only when they cannot be removed for medical reasons, such as recovery from eye surgery, and you include a signed statement from your doctor with your application. A head covering worn for religious reasons is allowed with a signed statement that it is part of recognized, traditional religious attire worn continuously in public. One worn for medical reasons needs a signed doctor's statement. In both cases the covering must not hide any part of your face or cast a shadow on it. Hats, wide headbands and scarves worn for any other reason are not accepted.

Babies and young children

A child needs a passport photo like any other applicant, newborns included. For infants the State Department accepts eyes that are partly or fully closed and a slight head tilt. The baby's head may be supported discreetly, for example in a car seat with a white or off-white blanket behind them, but a parent's face cannot appear in the photo. If the photo is for a baby, call before you come so we can plan it.

Why Passport Photos Get Rejected

The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual tells passport staff to ask for a new photo when they see any of these problems:

• Eyeglasses in the photo
• The head too small or too large in the frame, or off center
• Shadows on the face or the background, or uneven lighting
• An over- or under-exposed photo, or skin tones that look off color
• A blurry, grainy or pixelated image, or red-eye
• Filters, retouching or other digital edits
• A photo older than six months, or one that no longer looks like you
• Hair over the eyes, or a hat or head covering worn without a religious or medical reason
• Headphones or similar devices
• A uniform or camouflage clothing
• A damaged print

When a photo is rejected, the State Department sends a letter asking for a new one. If the applicant does not respond within 90 days, the application is denied and the fees are not refunded.

Where to Submit Your Passport Application

Print It takes passport photos. We are not a passport acceptance facility, so we cannot accept your application or send it to the State Department.

Applications made in person, which include every application for a child under 16, go to an acceptance facility. The State Department lists more than 7,500 of them, including post offices, clerks of court and public libraries, and its acceptance facility search tool finds the closest. Eligible adults can renew by mail or online instead. The State Department's site explains which route applies to you.

Renewing online uses a digital photo

When you renew online, you upload a digital photo instead of attaching a print. The State Department asks applicants not to scan a printed photo or take a picture of one, so a printed passport photo cannot be reused for an online renewal.

A child's passport with one parent present: Form DS-3053

Both parents or guardians normally appear in person with a child under 16. When only one can come, one option the DS-11 instructions list is the other parent's notarized statement of consent, Form DS-3053. It must be signed and notarized on the same day, is valid for 90 days from the date it is notarized, and goes in with a photocopy of the front and back of that parent's government photo ID.

The consenting parent can sign the DS-3053 in front of our notary, in the same office where you get the photos. Notary walk-ins are welcome; see our notary services. If a document for your application is in Spanish and the agency asks for an English version, we also offer English and Spanish translation.

Print It is not a law firm and cannot give legal or immigration advice. For which form to file or what to write on it, go to the State Department, USCIS or an attorney.