Can You Have Jewelry in an ID Photo? Piercings, Glasses, and Rules

You can wear jewelry in an ID photo. The U.S. State Department allows jewelry and facial piercings in passport photos as long as they don’t hide any part of your face, and most state DMVs apply the same practical standard for driver’s licenses.¹ The real question isn’t whether a ring or a pair of studs is allowed. It’s whether what you’re wearing will cause glare, throw a shadow, or block part of your face.

What the Passport Rules Actually Say

The State Department’s guidance is short and direct: “You can wear jewelry and keep on your facial piercings as long as they do not hide your face.”¹ The Foreign Affairs Manual uses the term “facial ornamentation” for these items and confirms they may be worn as long as they don’t partially or completely obscure the face.²

So stud earrings, small hoops, a thin necklace, a wedding band — all fine. Where jewelry causes trouble is when it creates a practical problem for the photo itself. Large, shiny pieces can bounce light back into the lens. Long dangling earrings or a chunky necklace can cast shadows on your neck or jawline. If the piece competes with your face for attention in the frame, a reviewer may flag it. There’s no written size limit, but the safest choices are small and matte.

Facial Piercings

Nose rings, lip rings, eyebrow studs, and other facial piercings are allowed.¹ The Foreign Affairs Manual groups piercings with hearing devices and wigs as items that may be worn during the photograph provided they don’t obscure any part of the face.²

Permanent jewelry and dermal piercings are treated the same way. The only situation that would cause a problem is a piercing large enough to cover a significant area around your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Driver’s License and State ID Photos

There is no single national standard for jewelry in state ID photos. Federal REAL ID regulations require a “full facial digital photograph” that follows an international biometric imaging standard, but the regulation doesn’t spell out specific accessory rules.³ Each state motor vehicle agency layers its own policies on top.

In practice, most states follow the same principle as the passport rules: jewelry is allowed as long as nothing obstructs your face. Some DMVs may ask you to remove large earrings or a heavy necklace if the photographer expects glare, but that’s usually a judgment call at the counter rather than a written rule. If you’re unsure, check your state DMV’s website before your appointment, or wear something understated.

Glasses Are Not Treated Like Jewelry

People often lump eyeglasses in with jewelry, but the rules are different. Eyeglasses are not allowed in passport or visa photos. The State Department banned them in November 2016 to improve the accuracy of its facial recognition software.⁴ Frames can cover parts of the eyes and lenses can reflect the flash.

The one exception is a rare medical circumstance where you physically cannot remove your glasses, such as after recent eye surgery. That requires a signed statement from your doctor, and even then the frames cannot cover your eyes and the lenses cannot produce glare or shadows.¹ Tinted or dark lenses are permitted only if the medical statement specifically says they’re required.² Clear contact lenses are fine.

Hats, Scarves, and Hair Accessories

Head coverings work differently from jewelry too. Hats, scarves, wide headbands, bows, turbans, and large skullcaps are prohibited in passport photos unless you wear one for religious or medical reasons.¹²

A religious head covering requires a signed statement confirming it’s part of your daily religious practice and that you wear it continuously in public. A medical head covering, such as for hair loss during treatment, requires a signed doctor’s statement. In either case, the covering must be a solid color with no pattern and no visible perforations, and your full face must remain visible with no shadows across it.²

Smaller hair accessories like bobby pins, thin hair clips, and slim headbands that lie flat against your head are allowed as long as they don’t obscure any part of your face or hairline.² Decorative pieces that sit high on the head or stick out are more likely to cause trouble. The same standard applies to children and infants.

If Your Photo Gets Rejected

If your passport photo doesn’t meet the requirements, the State Department will return your application and ask for a compliant replacement. You generally have 90 days to submit a new photo. Miss that window and your application is canceled, which means starting over and paying the fees again. For a driver’s license, a non-compliant photo is usually caught at the DMV and the photographer will retake it before you leave.

To avoid the problem in the first place, keep jewelry small and matte, take off your glasses, skip any hat or headband that isn’t for religious or medical reasons, and face the camera straight on against a plain white background.

1
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
2
U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 402.1 – Passport Photographs
3
eCFR. 6 CFR 37.17 – Requirements for the Surface of the Driver’s License or Identification Card
4
U.S. Department of State. 16 STATE 106142 – No Eyeglasses Policy for Visa and Passport Photographs