A passport photo costs $17.99 at CVS and $16.99 at Walgreens as of 2026. Creating your own with uspassportphoto.com costs $7, and printing it as a standard 4x6 photo costs about $0.40. This guide breaks down every option and where the DIY approach saves the most.
The photo is the small, fast part of a passport application — the application itself is measured in weeks. If you are early in the process, start with things to know before your passport renewal, which covers online renewal eligibility and which form you need. Come back here for the photo.
What a Passport Photo Costs in 2026
| Option | What you pay | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Make your own + print | $7 + ~$0.40 print | 4x6 file with two 2x2 photos, digital copy included |
| Walmart full-service | $7.64 | Two 2x2 prints in-store |
| USPS (at a post office that offers it) | ~$15 photo | Two 2x2 prints; the $35 acceptance fee is separate |
| Walgreens full-service | $16.99 | Two 2x2 prints, digital copy included |
| CVS full-service | $17.99 | Two 2x2 prints; digital copy is $3.99 extra |
Full-service prices are verified from each retailer’s own pages (linked at the bottom). USPS post offices that take passport applications charge a $35 execution fee regardless of where your photo comes from (source: travel.state.gov fees), so bringing your own photo does not avoid that cost — it only avoids the separate photo charge.
Why In-Store Photos Cost $17
The markup is not the paper or the printing. A 4x6 photo print costs a retailer well under a dollar. What you are paying for is the software and staff time that position your head to the State Department’s measurements and check the result against the rules.
That positioning is the hard part of a passport photo, and it is where most do-it-yourself attempts fail.
What the State Department Actually Requires
The specification is short:
- Size: 2x2 inches (51x51 mm)
- Background: plain white or off-white
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open
- Glasses: not permitted (this rule took effect November 1, 2016)
- Head coverings: only for religious reasons, with a signed statement
There is no special paper stock, no official stamp, and no barcode. The State Department accepts photos taken anywhere, including at home, as long as they meet the spec. The full requirements are on the official photo requirements page.
The Measurements That Trip People Up
The size rule is only half of it. The photo also has to place your head within a narrow band:
- Head height, chin to crown: 1 inch to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm)
- Eye height above the bottom edge: 1⅛ inches to 1⅜ inches (28–35 mm)
- Head centered horizontally
Take a phone photo against a white wall and try to crop it to exactly those figures. A few millimeters of error in head size or eye height is enough for an acceptance agent to reject it, and a rejection adds weeks to the application. This is the specific task the $17 in-store price is buying.
The Cost of Doing It Yourself
There are two DIY paths.
Manual editing
Take a photo against a white wall, then use photo software to neutralize any color cast, crop to 2x2 inches at 300 DPI, and position the head within the measurements above. Lay two copies onto a 4x6 canvas and print.
Cost: nothing but your time. Risk: if the measurements are off, the application comes back and you start over.
Using a passport photo service
uspassportphoto.com automates the positioning and background:
- Upload any well-lit photo
- The service detects your face, sizes the head to specification, and makes the background compliant
- It runs a compliance check and flags problems before you pay
- You download a print-ready 4x6 file with two 2x2 photos and a digital copy
Cost: $7 flat, with a full refund if you are not satisfied. You still print the file yourself for about $0.40. The difference from manual editing is that the measurements are handled for you.
Taking the Source Photo
Whichever path you choose, the input photo matters. Our guide to taking a great passport photo covers this in full; the essentials:
- Light: face a window in daylight. Avoid overhead lights, which cast shadows under the eyes, and avoid direct flash.
- Background: a plain white or light gray wall. Stand two to three feet away from it so you do not cast a shadow onto it.
- Camera: rear camera, held at eye level, three to four feet away. Have someone else take it, or use a timer.
- You: neutral expression, looking straight at the lens, glasses and hats off, hair clear of the eyes.
Take several frames and pick the best one.
Printing Your Photo
A compliant 2x2 photo still has to be printed on the right paper. Order the 4x6 file as a standard photo print and select glossy or semi-glossy — the State Department asks for that finish, and matte prints can be rejected.
| Store | 4x6 glossy print | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | $0.18 | Glossy is home delivery only; 1-hour pickup is matte |
| Walgreens | $0.39 | Same-day pickup, usually within an hour |
| CVS | $0.42 | Same-day pickup, usually within an hour |
For step-by-step instructions, see printing at CVS or printing at Walgreens, or compare all three in the Walmart vs CVS vs Walgreens breakdown.
Family Cost Comparison
Passports tend to be renewed as a household, so the per-person price multiplies.
| Household | CVS full-service | Walgreens full-service | Make your own + print |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17.99 | $16.99 | ~$7.40 |
| 2 people | $35.98 | $33.98 | ~$14.80 |
| 4 people | $71.96 | $67.96 | ~$29.60 |
A family of four spends roughly $30 making their own photos, against about $72 at CVS.
What a Rejected Photo Costs
The real cost of getting a passport photo wrong is not the reprint — it is the calendar. A photo rejected at submission means the application is returned unprocessed, and you resubmit and re-enter the processing queue. During busy periods that is several added weeks.
The most common rejection causes, and the fixes:
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Head sized or positioned outside the measurements | Use a service that sizes it automatically |
| Shadows on the face or behind the head | Face a window, step away from the wall |
| Background not white | Use a plain wall or background removal |
| Glasses left on | Remove them (required since 2016) |
| Smiling or frowning | Neutral expression, mouth closed |
| Photo older than 6 months | Take a new one |
Key Details
Cheapest option. Making your own for $7 and printing it for about $0.40 is the lowest total cost for one person, and the gap widens with each additional family member.
What $7 includes. A print-ready 4x6 file with two 2x2 photos, plus a digital copy for online applications. A full refund is available if you are not satisfied.
Print finish. Glossy or semi-glossy. Matte can be rejected.
USPS fee. The $35 acceptance fee at a post office is separate from the photo and applies no matter where the photo was made.
Is a home photo acceptable? Yes. The State Department sets no requirement on where the photo is taken, only that it meets the published specification.
Summary
- Take a well-lit photo against a plain white wall
- Create the passport photo file at uspassportphoto.com for $7
- Order it as a 4x6 glossy print at CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart for about $0.40
- Cut along the guides
Total: about $7.40 for one person, versus up to $17.99 in-store.
Sources
- CVS Passport Photos — $17.99 full-service
- Walgreens Passport Photos — $16.99 full-service
- Walmart Passport Photos — $7.64 full-service
- U.S. Department of State — Passport Fees — $35 acceptance fee
- U.S. Department of State — Photo Requirements
Prices last verified August 2026.