The United States Department of State requires passport photos to be 2-inch by 2-inch in size. The head within the photo is limited to 1-inch in size to 1 3/8-inch in size from the tip of the head to the bottom of the chin. This allows for adequate space around the head and to display hair length if necessary.
The background of the photo should be plain white or off-white in color and in natural lighting. Personal photos are acceptable if they meet the requirements of size and background, however, there are several places that will take a passport photo for a fees. Places include U.S. Post Offices, FedEx, drug stores such as Walgreen's and CVS and major retailers such as Walmart and Target. The U.S. Department of State also offers a free photo editing tool available online.
The photo will only show your shoulders and head, however, it is important to know what not to wear. Photos should not contain headphones, hats, sunglasses and non-prescription glasses. These items are unnecessary and may provide a glare on your face and cover you natural hair coloring. The U.S. Department of State will allow prescription glasses to be worn, as long, as they are angled slightly downward in the photo to prevent glaring. Hearing aids can also be worn in the photo if necessary. It is important to have a neutral facial expression with your eyes wide open.
New passports should contain photos that are less than six months old. However, adult passports, ages 16 and up, are valid for 10 years and youth passports, ages 15 and under, are valid for five years. The passport will contain the same photo until the expiration date. Exceptions for new photos include: lost passport, added facial tattoos or underwent facial reconstruction surgery and obtained a new gender identity.
