United States · free check
US Passport Photo — online renewal
US Passport — online renewal needs your original, unchanged photo (white or off-white background, taken within 6 months); the official system does any cropping. Check it here for free before you upload: we tell you exactly what to fix, and we never change your file.
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Official requirements
- Upload
- Original photo (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF), up to 10000 KB
- Head size
- Position yourself several feet away from the camera with your head centered and head fully visible.
- Background
- Use a plain white or off-white background free of shadows, textures, or objects.
- Glasses
- Remove anything covering your face (including eyeglasses) unless for documented religious or medical reasons.
- Head covering
- If you are wearing glasses or a hat, remove them... You may wear head coverings for religious purposes. The head covering must be one color, and the material should not have patterns or small holes.
- Expression
- Use a neutral facial expression or natural smile. Avoid showing teeth.
- Taken within
- 6 months
Source: travel.state.gov (archived copy). Last checked Nov 7, 2026.
Download these requirements as a one-page PDF to bring to the counter.
What we will not do
“Submit the original, unedited photo without filters or digital changes. ... Do not use a photo you created or edited using artificial intelligence or other digital tools.”Official rule
“You can reposition or crop your photo in the application. | Fix your lighting and background and take a new photo.”Official example of an altered photo
That's why IDPlain never replaces the background, retouches skin or "fixes" lighting. We check the photo you took and tell you how to retake it if something is off; the file you upload stays exactly as your camera made it. Why we never edit the background
Upload the original. This document's official system wants your unchanged photo, so we only check it here; we don't make a file.
- ✓ Document
- 2 Photo
- 3 Check
- 4 Preview
- 5 Download
Before you shoot
- Plain, light wall
- Face a window
- Phone at eye level
- Neutral face, eyes open
Errors from the official upload
Looks like your eyes are covered
What the US online passport renewal error “Looks like your eyes are covered” means — closed, hidden or shadowed eyes — and how to retake the photo.
Read moreGlasses detected
The US online passport renewal rejects photos with glasses. What “Glasses detected” means, the medical exception, and how to retake the photo.
Read moreThere's a problem with the background
What the US online passport renewal error about the background means, and how to retake the photo so the background passes.
Read moreThere's a problem with the color in your photo
Why the US online passport renewal flags the color or lighting of your photo, and how to retake it in natural, even light.
Read moreYour head is not centered
What the US online passport renewal error “Your head is not centered” means — head size, position and tilt — and how to retake the photo.
Read moreYour mouth may be open
What the US online passport renewal message “Your mouth may be open” means, when you can still use the photo, and how to retake it.
Read more
US Passport — online renewal photo questions
Can I take my own US Passport — online renewal photo at home?
Yes. A photo taken at home by a friend or family member is accepted if it meets the rules. The official guidance: “Photos taken on a mobile device may automatically save in one of these formats. / Make sure your full face is visible when you have someone take your photo.”
Can I wear glasses in my US Passport — online renewal photo?
The official rule: “Remove anything covering your face (including eyeglasses) unless for documented religious or medical reasons.”
Can I smile in my US Passport — online renewal photo?
The official rule: “Use a neutral facial expression or natural smile. Avoid showing teeth.”
Can I wear a hat or head covering?
The official rule: “If you are wearing glasses or a hat, remove them... You may wear head coverings for religious purposes. The head covering must be one color, and the material should not have patterns or small holes.”
How recent must the photo be?
It must have been taken within the last 6 months.
Can I edit the photo or change the background?
No. The official rule: “Submit the original, unedited photo without filters or digital changes. ... Do not use a photo you created or edited using artificial intelligence or other digital tools.” That's why IDPlain only checks this photo and never changes the file.
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