Can You Change Your Passport Photo? Rules, Timing, and Rejections

You cannot change the photo in a U.S. passport on its own. The State Department treats the passport as a single document, so to change your passport photo you have to renew it or apply for a new one and pay the full fee again. Any U.S. citizen can renew at any time, even before the passport expires, so a photo you hate is fixable. It just costs $130 to $165 depending on how you apply.¹²

Which Route Fits Your Situation

There is no photo-replacement service, so your path is either a renewal or a fresh application. The State Department doesn’t ask why you’re renewing early, and disliking your picture is reason enough.

Renewal by mail uses Form DS-82. You qualify if your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, and is either in your current name or you can document a legal name change. You send in the form, your current passport, and a new photo. The fee is $130 for a passport book.¹

If your passport was lost, stolen, damaged, issued more than 15 years ago, or issued when you were under 16, you apply in person with Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility. You bring proof of citizenship, a photo ID, and a new photo. The fee is $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee, for $165 total.³²

Renewing Online

Online renewal is available under a narrower set of rules. Your passport must have been valid for 10 years, must be expiring within one year or have expired less than five years ago, and you must be 25 or older, not changing your name or sex marker, located in a U.S. state or territory, and not traveling for at least six weeks from the date you submit.⁴ Only routine processing is offered online. No expedited service.

The digital photo must be a JPG, JPEG, or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB, in color, and taken within the last six months. The online tool screens your photo against basic requirements before you submit, so if something is off you can try another image right away. After submission, a State Department employee reviews the photo again and contacts you by letter or email if there’s a problem.⁵

How Long It Takes

As of early 2026, routine processing runs four to six weeks and expedited processing runs two to three weeks. Those windows don’t include mailing time in either direction.⁶ Expedited service adds $60 to the application fee, and one-to-three-day delivery of the finished book costs another $22.05.²

One trap worth avoiding: don’t send in your current passport right before a trip. Once the renewal is processed, the old passport is canceled, and you’ll be without a valid one during that window.

When a New Photo Is Actually Required

If you’re happy with your current passport, the State Department doesn’t care whether you like the picture. A new photo becomes mandatory only when your appearance has changed enough that you can’t be reliably identified from the existing one.⁷

Changes that do not require a new photo:

Growing or shaving a beard
Coloring your hair
Normal aging

Changes that do require a new passport with an updated photo:

Significant facial surgery or trauma
Adding or removing many large facial piercings or tattoos
Significant weight loss or gain

If your appearance has changed substantially, apply for a new passport rather than risk trouble at a border checkpoint because you no longer match your photo.⁷

A damaged passport also forces a replacement with a new photo. Damage includes water stains, mold, significant tears, unauthorized markings on the data page, missing visa pages, or hole punches. Normal wear from being carried in a pocket doesn’t count.⁸ You’ll apply in person with Form DS-11, submit the damaged passport, and include a signed statement explaining the damage.

A legal name change also produces a new photo as part of the update. If your passport was issued less than a year ago and you changed your name after it was issued, you may use Form DS-5504. Otherwise you renew by mail with Form DS-82 or apply in person with Form DS-11.⁹

Photo Requirements That Trip People Up

Getting the photo right matters, because a rejected photo puts your application on hold and can add weeks. The State Department’s rules:⁷

Size: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
Head size: chin to crown between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) in the photo.
Background: plain white or off-white, no shadows, texture, or lines.
Expression: neutral, both eyes open and mouth closed. A natural closed-mouth smile is fine.
Position: face the camera directly, no tilting or turning.
Recency: taken within the last six months.

Eyeglasses, sunglasses, and tinted lenses must come off. If you can’t remove your glasses for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor.⁷ Headphones and earpieces come off too.

Hats and head coverings aren’t allowed unless worn daily for religious reasons, with a signed statement, or for medical reasons such as treatment-related hair loss, with a signed statement from a medical professional. Either way, the covering cannot hide your face. Military uniforms and camouflage-patterned clothing are prohibited.¹⁰

If Your Photo Gets Rejected

When the State Department finds a problem with your photo after submission, the application goes on hold. You’ll receive a letter or email explaining the issue and asking for a corrected photo. For online renewals, the built-in photo tool catches some problems up front, so you can try a different image immediately.⁵

You typically have 90 days to send in a compliant replacement. Miss that window and the application may be canceled, meaning you start over and repay all fees. Most avoidable delays happen right here: people rush the photo and lose weeks.

Getting a Photo You Won’t Hate the Second Time

Professional passport photo services at pharmacies and shipping stores generally run $8 to $20 for two printed photos. The staff know the specifications, which helps avoid rejection. If you’ve already been through one bad photo, spending $15 at a retail counter beats paying $130 or more for another passport because a DIY attempt failed.

A few things cause most rejections: shadows on the face or background from poor lighting, a head sized wrong in the frame, and wearing glasses out of habit. Before you accept the photo, check that the background is evenly lit, your head fills the right proportion of the frame, and nothing obscures your face. For an online renewal, confirm the file is a JPG or HEIF between 54 KB and 10 MB.⁵

1
Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Uploading a Digital Photo
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
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U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
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U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs – Attire