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Passport photo rejected? Common reasons and how to check yours
A U.S. passport photo is rejected when it breaks one of the published photo rules: the wrong size or head size, glasses, shadows on the face, a background that is not plain white or off-white, a tilted head, an open mouth, a blurry or edited image, or a photo taken more than six months ago. Most of these can be checked at home.
This guide covers the printed photo that goes with forms DS-11 and DS-82. If you renew online, you upload a digital photo instead: the State Department asks for a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB, and says you can reposition or crop the photo in the application. The rules about the photo itself are the same.
Where the rules are written
The State Department's Passport Photos page sets out the requirements, and its page on uploading a digital photo covers online renewal. The same rules are printed in the instructions of the application forms: DS-11, which you submit in person, and DS-82, the renewal by mail. The State Department's manual for passport staff, 8 FAM 402.1, lists when staff must request a new photograph. The rules below are quoted from those pages as they read in October 2026.
Meeting the published rules is not a guarantee. The passport agency decides.
The reasons, one at a time
1. Wrong size, or the head is too small or too large
The rule. "The correct printed size of a passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)." The form says: "Head must be 1-1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head". Hair may go past the edge of the photo, as long as your entire head is shown.
How to check. Measure the print with a ruler. The head should fill between half and a little over two thirds of the height, and the top of your head should not be cut off.
2. Head tilted or not facing the camera
The rule. The form says: "Head must face the camera directly with full face in view". The staff manual asks for a centered, full-frontal view and says the head "should not be excessively tilted in any direction".
How to check. Hold the photo upright. The line through your eyes should be level, and both sides of your face should show equally.
3. Shadows, glare or bad exposure
The rule. The manual says: "The lighting should be uniform with no reflections on the face and no shadows on the face which obscure the facial features." Over-exposed or under-exposed photographs may not be acceptable.
How to check. Compare the two sides of your face. If one is clearly darker, or part of your face is washed out, retake the photo in even light.
4. The background
The rule. "Background must be white or off-white, free of shadows, and plain without texture, objects, or lines." The manual adds that there should be no large, dark shadows or reflections in the background.
How to check. Look around your head and shoulders. You should see one even white or off-white surface, with no shadow, pattern or objects.
5. Glasses, head coverings, headphones and uniforms
The rule. The form says: "No eyeglasses and head covering and no uniforms". Glasses need a signed statement from a doctor explaining why you cannot remove them. A head covering needs a signed statement that it is religious attire worn continuously in public, or a doctor's statement of daily medical use. Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform, and camouflage are not allowed. The manual adds headphones and similar devices.
How to check. Check what you are wearing in the photo, from head to collar.
6. Expression and eyes
The rule. "Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, both eyes open and visible, and mouth closed." You may smile, but your eyes must be open and your mouth closed. The manual adds that unusual expressions and squinting are not accepted, and no hair should cover the eyes.
How to check. A relaxed face with the mouth closed stays inside this rule.
7. Blurry, grainy or pixelated
The rule. The photograph must be clear. The manual says: "Photographs with visible pixels are not acceptable." Grainy images may not be acceptable either.
How to check. Look closely at your eyes and hairline in the print. A small or distant picture that was enlarged will look soft.
8. Edited or filtered
The rule. "Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters." The manual says: "Digital manipulation and/or retouching of the facial image on photographs is not acceptable." Red-eye is not accepted either.
How to check. Use the photo as the camera took it. Do not smooth skin, apply a filter or swap the background.
9. Too old
The rule. The form says the photo must be "Taken less than six months ago".
How to check. If you are not sure of the date, take a new one.
10. The print itself
The rule. The photo must be in color and "Printed on matte or glossy photo quality paper". "Do not submit photocopies or digitally scanned photos." The manual says the face area must be free of damage, such as creases, large holes and large smudges. Form DS-82 says to use four staples, vertically in the corners and close to the outer edges, and not to bend the photo.
How to check. Look at the paper and the surface before you attach the photo.
Checking the measurable rules in your browser
OpenPhotoId is a free tool that crops a photo to the U.S. passport format and measures the result.
- Open openphotoid.com and choose Choose a photo.
- Under Which document?, go to United States and choose Passport.
- Read the list under Official checks. The line at the top says Passes every check, Passes, with cautions or Does not pass yet, and each check shows the value it measured.
Head Height compares the head with a band of 50–68.8% of the frame, which is the 1 to 1 3/8 inch rule on a 2 inch photo. If the top or sides of the head are cut off, it fails and asks for a photo that shows the whole head. In photos we made wrong on purpose, Head Tilt caught a head rotated to one side, Even Lighting caught a face that was darker on one side, and Sharpness caught a blurred photo and one taken from too far away. What a passport photo checker can measure explains all twelve checks.
For a U.S. passport the app keeps the background you photographed and checks it, because the State Department does not accept a photo changed with software. A blue backdrop fails the Background check, so take the photo against a white or off-white wall. If you replace the background anyway, the result is marked with a caution. Skin smoothing and drawn-on clothes are not offered for this document.
Leave room around your head and shoulders. If the photo is cropped tighter than the format needs, the app fills the missing edges, says so in a note under the picture, and marks Background with a caution. Retake the photo with more space around you.
To print, go to Save and choose For printing at a shop. The 4×6" option puts six copies on one sheet with cutting guides. Measure a printed copy. It should be 2 x 2 inches.
The photo is processed in the browser tab and is not uploaded. More on how that works.
What an automatic check cannot see
The Glasses check looks for glasses on the face, and for a U.S. passport it fails when it sees them. None of the twelve checks looks at expression, clothing, head coverings, retouching, the age of the photo, or the paper and condition of the print. When we tested a portrait with an open-mouthed smile, no check flagged it.
So "Passes every check" means the measurements are in range. It does not mean the photo will be accepted. Go through reasons 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 yourself.
If your photo has already been rejected
For online renewals the State Department says an employee reviews the photo after the application arrives, and if there is an issue it sends a letter or email asking for a new photo. The staff manual says that if the applicant takes no action within 90 days, the application must be denied, and the fees are not refunded. Reply to the request, and send a photo that meets the rules above.
FAQ
Can I smile in a U.S. passport photo?
Yes, with your mouth closed. The State Department's photo page says: "You can smile in your photo. Just make sure your eyes are open and your mouth is closed."
Does a baby need to have its eyes open?
The manual says it is acceptable if an infant's eyes are partially or completely closed, and that head tilt is acceptable for infants. A parent's face cannot be in the photo.
Does a passing result in OpenPhotoId mean my photo will be accepted?
No. It means the things the app can measure are within the published ranges. The passport agency makes the decision.