Updated
By Passport Photo at Home · Rules checked against the passport photo page (last updated March 24, 2026) and the online renewal photo page (May 4, 2026) · How we check (updated )
The 10 reasons, and the fix for each
The State Department groups its photo rules into lighting and shadows, size and position, resolution and quality, digital changes, pose and expression, clothing, hats and glasses, background, and babies. These are the problems behind most rejections, with the rule each one breaks. The US passport photo requirements list every rule.
Shadow on the wall
Head too small
Head too big
Too dark
Glasses
Busy background
Head tilted
Teeth showing
Hat
Hands in the frame
| Reason | What the rule says | The fix | Our check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Shadows on the face or the wall | A background “free of shadows”; photos “that show shadows on your face will also cause you problems” | Face a window, stand several feet from the wall, no flash | Even light, Background |
| 2. Head too big or too small | Head 1 to 1 3/8 in (25–35 mm) on a 2 × 2 in photo; photos “taken too close or too far away will be rejected” | Camera about 4 ft away; let the tool crop; print at 100% | Head size, Eye height |
| 3. Blurry, grainy or pixelated | Rejected if “too blurry, grainy, pixelated or printed on the wrong paper” | Original file, not a screenshot or texted copy; photo paper | Focus, Resolution |
| 4. Too dark or too bright | Photos “that are too bright” cause problems too | Daylight from a window, out of direct sun | Brightness |
| 5. Glasses | Remove anything covering your face, “including eyeglasses”, unless for documented medical reasons | Take them off for the shot | No glasses (Retake for frames, Check for glare) |
| 6. Background not plain | “Plain white or off-white background free of shadows, textures, or objects” | A bare white wall or a white sheet, lit evenly | Background |
| 7. Head tilted or turned | “Directly face the camera without tilting your head” | Square shoulders, look into the lens | Head straight, Facing the camera, Head level |
| 8. Eyes closed or mouth open | Neutral expression or natural smile, “both eyes open and visible, and mouth closed” | Take several shots; lips together | Eyes open, Mouth closed |
| 9. Edited or filtered | “Submit the original, unedited photo without filters or digital changes” | Beauty mode, portrait blur and filters off; retake instead of retouching | Only when the file names an editing app |
| 10. Older than 6 months | “Submit 1 color photo taken in the last 6 months” | Take a new one; never reuse your last passport photo | Recent photo, when the file has a date |
Less common, but just as final: a hat or head covering without the signed religious or medical statement, a uniform or camouflage, headphones, red eye that was edited out, a print that's the wrong size, creased or on plain paper, and, for babies, a parent's hand or a pacifier in the frame. The what to wear guide and the baby photo guide cover those.
What happens after a photo is rejected
- A letter or email. “We cannot accept your photo” is one of the reasons the State Department contacts applicants. It may call instead, and the letter can include an illustration of what's needed.
- Your status changes. Online it shows Additional Information Needed, then Information Received, In Process Again once your reply arrives.
- 90 days. “We need the additional information within 90 days of the date shown on your letter.” The application waits until you reply.
- A new photo, sent as the letter says. If you mail it, use the address printed on the letter exactly as written (how to respond to a letter or email).
| Mailed 2 × 2 print (DS-11, DS-82) | Online renewal file | |
|---|---|---|
| When it's checked | By an examiner, with your application | Basic checks as you upload, then an employee after you apply |
| Extra ways to fail | Wrong size, plain paper, creases, printer dots | Teeth showing, a scan or photo of a print, a texted copy |
| File or print | 2 × 2 in on matte or glossy photo paper | JPG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF, 54 KB to 10 MB |
| After a rejection | Letter or email; reply within 90 days | Letter or email asking for a new photo |
Passing the upload step isn't approval, which is why an online renewal photo can still be rejected later. The online renewal photo guide has the file rules.
Before you send the new photo
- Fix the reason named in the letter or email first.
- Take a new photo; don't edit the rejected one.
- Plain white or off-white wall, no shadow behind your head.
- Glasses, hat and earbuds off, hair away from your eyes.
- Head level, both eyes open, mouth closed.
- No Retake left in the checker above.
- Printed at 100% on photo paper and measured: exactly 2 × 2 in.
- Sent the way the letter says, inside the 90 days.
Took the new photo already? You can check the photo you already have here before you send it. Had the photo taken at a store? Ask whether it retakes rejected photos. Staples says it retakes them for free, and CVS takes a failed photo back with your receipt; see passport photo prices and policies at each store.
What each problem looks like, and what our checker says
Each drawing shows one problem. Under it are the words the checker above shows when it finds that problem in a photo, and the fix.
Shadows on the face and the wall
What our checker says: Background: We can fix. “Your shadow falls on the wall next to your head. Step 2–3 feet away from the wall and face a window.” Even light on face shows Check or Retake, depending on how dark the side is: “One side of the face is darker. Face a window or lamp directly.”
The fix: Step several feet away from the wall and face a window, so the light reaches both cheeks and the shadow falls behind you, out of the frame. Turn the flash off.
Glasses
What our checker says: No glasses: Retake when it sees frames on a US photo: “Glasses or glare detected. Take glasses off for US photos.” Glare alone gets a Check, and thin or rimless frames can go unnoticed.
The fix: Take the glasses off, even clear ones, and don't push them up onto your head. The only exception is medical, with a signed note from your doctor.
Head tilted
What our checker says: First the tool levels the whole photo when the eyes are tilted between 1.5° and 15°, then checks it again. Head straight: Retake when the eyes are still tilted more than 8°, with the angle it measured, for example “The head is tilted about 18°. Keep your eyes level.”
The fix: Square your shoulders to the camera and keep your eyes level. Hold the phone upright at eye height, not tilted.
Too close or too far
What our checker says: Too close: Room around you: Retake. “The photo needs more room above the head and below the chin and at the sides. Step back from the camera and keep your shoulders in view.” When only wall is missing and your head and hair are whole, it's We can fix instead: one tap adds plain wall color at the sides or above the head, marked as an edit. Too far: the tool crops in for you, and Resolution shows Check or Retake if the crop has too few pixels: “Use the original photo, or take it a little closer.”
The fix: Hold the camera about 4 feet away, with your head and the top of your shoulders in the frame and some wall around them. Let the tool crop to 2 × 2 in.
Not looking straight at the camera
What our checker says: Facing the camera: Retake when the head is turned more than 7°, or more than 5° when MediaPipe's own head pose disagrees, with the angle, for example “The head is turned about 12° to one side. Face the camera directly.” A chin tipped far up or down gets Head level: Retake.
The fix: Point your nose at the lens and look into it, not at the screen. With a front camera, the lens is above the screen; with someone else taking it, look at the phone, not at them.
Smile with teeth
What our checker says: Mouth closed: Retake. “The lips are apart and teeth show. Close your mouth; a smile with lips together is fine.” Full lips that meet pass, because the gap is measured against the lips' own height. A sliver of teeth gets a Check: “The lips may be slightly apart. Close your mouth gently, lips together.”
The fix: Keep your lips together. A small, natural smile with the mouth closed is allowed on a US passport photo.
Low light
What our checker says: Brightness: Retake when no fix could bring the face back: “The face is too dark to show detail, even if we brighten the photo. Add light in front of you: face a window or a lamp.” A wall that came out gray in a dim room fails Background with a tip on lighting it, and a dim photo often fails Sharp focus.
The fix: Take the photo in daylight, facing a window, out of direct sun. At night, put a lamp in front of you, not above or behind you.
Patterned background
What our checker says: Background: We can fix. “The background looks uneven, with shadows, lines or objects instead of plain white or off-white. Stand about 2 feet in front of a plain white wall or sheet, facing a window.”
The fix: Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall, or tape a white sheet up behind you. Replacing the background is an edit, so a retake in front of a plain wall is safer than Fix it for me.
Hat or head covering
What our checker says: Nothing. No automatic check looks at hats or head coverings, so check this one yourself.
The fix: Take it off. A head covering worn for religious or medical reasons can stay with a signed statement, if your full face shows and the covering is one color without a pattern.
Filters and edits
What our checker says: Only when the file names an editing app: No edits: Check, for example “Saved with Facetune. If you changed more than the crop, use the original photo, because edited photos get rejected.” Beauty modes and filters inside the camera app usually leave no trace the tool can read.
The fix: Turn off beauty mode, filters and portrait blur, then retake. Don't retouch, brighten or replace the background afterward; the State Department wants the original, unedited photo.
Passing every automatic check doesn't guarantee acceptance; the State Department decides. How our passport photo checks work explains what the tool measures and what it can't see.
Questions
What is the most common reason a passport photo is rejected?
The State Department doesn't rank them. Its photo videos single out three: shadows and light, photos taken too close or too far away, and blurry or badly printed photos.
How long do I have to send a new passport photo?
90 days from the date shown on your letter. Your application may be delayed until you respond.
How will I know my photo was rejected?
You get a letter or email, and your online status shows Additional Information Needed. The State Department may also call you.
Can I fix my rejected photo with an editing app?
No. The photo must be the original, without filters or digital changes. Take a new photo that fixes the problem.
Why was my photo rejected when it looked fine?
Usually for something that's hard to see on a phone screen: a faint shadow on the wall, a head a few millimeters too small after printing, a print that came out 1.9 inches wide, or slight blur. Measure the print with a ruler and check the file above.
My online renewal photo uploaded fine. Why was it rejected later?
The upload step only checks the basics. An employee reviews the photo after you apply, and if there's an issue, you get a letter or email asking for a new photo.
Can a photo from a store or a photographer be rejected?
Yes. The same rules apply wherever it was taken. Check the store's retake policy and the photo itself before you send it.
If my new photo passes your checker, will it be accepted?
Not necessarily. The checker catches common problems, but it can't see everything, and the State Department makes the final decision.