Where To Get a Passport Photo 2023?

Applying for a passport and wondering what's the best way to get good passport photos?   Where to get a passport photo?  What are the passport photo requirements? Nice places to take pictures near me? Etc. You have found the place for answers!

First of all, many people get "passport" photos for different reasons.  You obviously need the photo for passports, whatever your nationality is.  Next, you might need photos for a visa application.  Finally, you might need photos for general purpose or work ID's.  For this article we will focus more on US Passport photos and help you get started!

How to Take A Good Passport Photo - Practical Tips for Making Passport Photo Acceptable?

Professional Passport photos have very specific requirements for size, color, framing of the photo, lighting and more! Not meeting these requirements may cost you a rejection of your passport application, whether it’s a passport renewal application or new passport application.

Passport photos have very specific requirements for size, color, framing of the photo, lighting and more!

Your US passport photographs must meet the following requirements per the State Department:

• Passport photo must be In color.
• 2 x 2 inches in size.
• Printed on thin, photo-quality paper.
• Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance.
• Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
• Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
• Taken in normal street attire: Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily.
• Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hair line.
• If you normally wear a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture.
• Eye glasses will no longer be allowed in passport photos, unless you can provide a medical doctor note indicating it's needed.
• Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required).
• Articles worn for religious or medical reasons should be accompanied by a statement to that effect.

Best Passport Photos Near Me: 

Generally, the photo that doesn’t create any hurdle in the process of your passport application approval is the best picture to apply with. Truthfully, the US State department is quite strict regarding your passport pictures and we have discussed passport photos requirements multiple times. 

If you are taking pictures at home, you should click multiple shots keeping the US passport photo requirements in mind. 

Otherwise, search for the best passport photos near me and you’ll find multiple good passport photo taking services. Though, this will cost you some bucks and in the end you’ll cash out a much professional approach. The professional photographers at the services set your posture and expressions with the approach perfectly aligned with US photo guidelines. Moreover, you have a choice to take a perfect photo for printing from 2-3 or multiple shots. 

Where to Get a Passport Photo? Get The Best Passport Pictures Near Me:

There are many places to get a passport photo. At least one photo is required when applying for most passport photo services. Where you get a passport photo is important because submitting an unacceptable picture that doesn't meet the requirements can be a reason for your passport application to be delayed.  So, let's dive into your choices.

Drug Stores and Pharmacies for your Passport Photo

The three largest pharmacy chains in the United States are CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. All three of these chains and more can provide good passport photos for you. All total these 3 chains have over 20,000 locations, so you should have no problem finding a location to take your passport photo. The price for a passport photo is typically in the $15 range.

Shipping Center like Fedex and UPS

Both FedEx and UPS offer passport photo services. Fedex Office Print and Ship Services and UPS both offer passport photo services very similar to the Drug Stores in that you can walk in and spend around $15 and in 15 minutes you can have professional passport photos taken that meet the standards provided by the State Department. Make sure to check with the UPS and Fedex store as not all of them offer these services.

Passport Acceptance Agents like Post offices 

When you are applying for a new US passport, you'll need to visit a local post office,clerk of the court or library to complete your application.  In some instances, the passport acceptance agent (postal worker, etc) can provide these passport photo services.  Much like the Fedex and UPS stores ensure this service is available.  Don't assume these services are available.

Retail stores for your Passport Photos

WalMart and Costco both provide professional passport photos. In the case of Costco, you have to be a club member but generally the photos are slightly less expensive and it’s one of the cheapest places to get passport photos.

Passport Photos Near Me - Cheap Passport Photos Taken With Ease:

Since you know, there are a variety of places you can get your “US Passport Photo” done. However, there are factors to consider, like cost, location, timeframe to get your photos, discounts or packages, etc. 

Usually, good passport photos don't cost you above 20$ for a pair. Yet, if you want to squeeze price more and want to leverage passport photo processing at much cheaper rates, below are some cheapest places to print photos;

AAA Passport Photos: 

Does AAA do passport photos? Definitely yes, the price varies for members and non-members. Some clubs make membership mandatory to use their photo service, yet, AAA has priced its service differently for every type of user they got. For non-members, you need to pay 15$, whereas members enjoy the same service with a 5$ discount, making it 10$.

But AAA further divides the membership into levels, and this adds benefits to member’s bucket accordingly. With two levels of memberships, PLUS level subscription has an advantage of a free 1 set of 2 passport photos yearly. On the other hand, the PREMIER level membership also costs you 10$ but will raise the Yearly benefit from 2 shots to 4 per household.

Costco Passport Photo - Does Costco Do Passport Photos?

When you search for passport photos near me, you'll probably still see Costco listing among the photo services. But, does Costco do passport photos? Costco used to be one of the cheapest passport photo options until Feb 2021, costing only $5+ for a single picture. 

But then, the brand informed its users it is stopping 4 services, including services for passport pictures. So, you can’t use Costco's physical store, but you can still use their online passport photo printing service. 

Passport Photos at Target:

When you want to take great care of passport photo quality, Target is no exception here. The Target passport photos cost you under $10, showcasing incredible sharpness, balanced saturation and color mixing, and great Kodek paper quality. 

However, you don’t get a passport picture right after you clicked-in, yet, your photos get parceled in a much okay unbranded envelope by Target. If your deal-making points are quality, Target is among the most viable options.

Staples Passport Photo: 

In July 2022, staples announced a same-day passport photo service at 1000+ stores. You can get your professional photos in a couple of minutes. While Staples offers both photo printing and taking services, in both cases, you have to walk-in Staples stores. There is no appointment for these mentioned services. 

Unfortunately, Staples is a bit expensive, offering a pair of passport photos at 21.99$. You can find staple passport pictures near me via an online store locator.

Walgreens Passport Photo:

The country's most extensive network has over 8000 stores to offer photo services. It’s a common perception that Walgreens is available at every corner of 1 out of 3 streets in the United States. 

So, you can walk in and get snapped for your legal documents without any hassle. If you want to get good passport photos in less than an hour, Walgreens offers you swift service at 14.99$, which is market competitive pricing.

Walmart Passport Photo:

One more suitable option to get cheap passport photos is at Walmart. The e-commerce giant sells everything, including passport picture services. 

However, call Walmart first to make sure your nearest Walmart store is offering photo services or not. Lower than Walgreens, CVS, and Staples, the U.S. passport photos at Walmart will cost you 7.44$ in quick 1-hour delivery.

UPS Passport Photo:

Another giant service network in the country, UPS offers quick passport photo processing with its 4700+ stores. You can call UPS to book an appointment and get your 2x2 pictures done for 11.99$, which is quite cheaper than its main competitors, including Walgreens, USPS, and Staples.

FedEx Passport Photo:

Drugstores are pretty famous in the U.S. when you ask where to take passport photos. FedEx is a fairly prominent campaigner regarding the best passport photos quality and inexpensive pricing. As a direct competitor of Walgreens, FedEx offers a set of passport photos for 14.95$. 

So, these are some of the best and cheapest services when you search for where to get passport photos. Apart from this, some other good services like CVS, Rite-aid, and Sam’s Club deliver photo-taking and printing services.

Can You Take Your Own Passport Photos?

You don’t have to go to a passport photo center and pay extra for official passport photos, but if you take them yourself you need to be aware of the rules and requirements of an accepted paspsort photo.  Selfies are definitely a challenge, so ensure someone else is taking the photo.