# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Become Authorized to Take Passport Photos

Travelers applying for a U.S. passport must follow a specific set of procedures, including the submission of a suitable photo. Any photo that does not meet the government's requirements will be rejected, which will cause a delay in the issuance of a passport. The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs recommends that passport applicants use a photo service to obtain their pictures, however, any individual is permitted to take a passport photo if he follows all the requirements listed on the website Travel.State.Gov.

Instructions

- 1
  Isolate an area in your store that has a white or off-white background, or use a white screen to act as a background to take passport photos.
- 2
  Place a tripod for the camera at least four feet away from the area where the subject will stand to take the photo.
- 3
  Practice taking close photos that display a person's full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of his chin, with the subject facing the camera. The head must be centered in the frame, the height of the head must measure between 1 and 1 3/8 inches, and the height from the top of the eyes to the bottom of the photo should measure between 1 1/8 inches and 1 3/8 inches.
- 4
  Practice cropping the digital photos to measure a total of 2-by-2 inches, and use a ruler to ensure you have met all the other required measurements stated in Step 5.
- 5
  Place an advertisement in your store window that states you take official passport photos.