Passport photo cost: CVS, Walgreens, USPS, Walmart and more
What US stores charge for 2 x 2 inch passport photos, copied from each store's own website, and how to make the same photo for free and print it for the price of one 4 x 6 print.
Prices compared
| Retailer | Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart | 2x2 in passport photo, taken and printed in store | $7.64 | Walmart Photo Center, no appointment. The page does not say how many prints are included. |
| AAA (Central Penn club) | One set (2 photos) | $8.45 | Classic members. Non-members $15; Plus members get one set a year free; Premier members free. Digital copy $5 ($2 for Plus). Each AAA club sets its own prices. |
| USPS (Post Office) | Passport photo, at Post Offices that take them | $15.00 | Listed as the “Post Office photo fee (if needed)”, next to the $35 acceptance fee. Not every Post Office takes photos. |
| FedEx Office | Two 2x2 in photos, printed or digital | $15.95 | Printed photos or a digital copy. |
| Walgreens | Two 2x2 in printed photos | $16.99 | Taken by a store associate; a free digital copy is emailed. |
| CVS | Two 2x2 in ID prints | $17.99 | Taken in store only. Digital copy by email $3.99 (select locations); files on a USB drive $10.99. |
| Staples | Two 2x2 in photos (prints only) | $19.99 | Digital file on a USB drive $21.99; two prints plus the digital file $24.99. Higher at select stores in the Los Angeles and New York City areas. |
| Costco | Passport photos | Not published online — varies by store | Costco's help center lists no passport photo service; for photo printing it points members to a Shutterfly discount. |
| The UPS Store | Passport photos | Not published online — varies by store | Stores are independently owned franchises; the site says prices may vary by location. |
What you get for the price
The prices in the table are for a standard adult passport photo. What each store includes differs:
- Prints: most stores give you two 2 x 2 inch prints. You need only one for a US passport application, so the second is a spare. Walmart’s page does not say how many prints it includes.
- Digital copy: Walgreens emails one for free; CVS and AAA charge extra; Staples sells a digital file on a USB drive or a bundle with prints; FedEx Office lets you choose prints or a digital copy for the same price.
- Membership prices: AAA clubs set their own prices and often discount or waive the fee for members. The Central Penn club in the table is one example; check your own club.
- Local differences: stores in some areas charge more (Staples says so for select stores in Los Angeles and New York City), and franchised stores such as The UPS Store set their own prices.
Which option to choose
- Renewing online: you need a digital photo file, not prints. A store photo only helps if the store gives you the file, and it still has to meet the file rules on the application. Making the file yourself is free and you can retake it as often as you like.
- Applying in person at a post office: getting the photo at the same counter saves a trip, if that post office takes photos.
- In a hurry with no one to take the photo: Walmart Photo Centers take passport photos with no appointment, and at Walgreens you go to the photo counter and ask.
- Babies and young children: a photo taken at home, with the baby lying on a plain white sheet, is often easier than a store visit; see our baby passport photo page.
Or make it free
The photo itself does not have to come from a store. A US passport photo can be taken by anyone, with any recent phone, as long as it meets the rules. Here is how to do it for the price of one print:
- Take the photo at home against a plain white wall, in daylight, with someone holding the phone at eye level about 1.5 meters (5 feet) away. Our guide to taking a passport photo at home has the details.
- Open the free US passport photo tool. It crops the photo to 2 x 2 inches, puts your head at the right size and checks the background, lighting and sharpness. Your photo never leaves your device.
- For online renewal, download the digital photo. You are done, for free.
- For a paper application, download the print sheet: two 2 x 2 inch photos on one 4 x 6 inch sheet, at true size, with cut guides.
- Order one standard 4 x 6 inch print of the sheet at a photo counter or online for store pickup, and make sure it is printed at 100% with no cropping. Cut along the guides.
A standard print costs a fraction of a store passport photo, as the table below shows, and the print sheet maker explains how to keep the size exact.
What one photo print costs
| Retailer | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | One 4x6 in glossy print, 1-hour pickup | From $0.18 |
| Walgreens | Prints and enlargements (4x6 in and other sizes), same-day pickup Walgreens gives one starting price for all print sizes. | From $0.29 |
| CVS | One 4x6 in print ordered from Google Photos Picked up at a CVS store. | $0.39 |
Frequently asked questions
How much are passport photos at CVS?
CVS lists two 2 x 2 inch ID prints for $17.99, taken in the store only. A digital copy sent by email costs $3.99 more at select locations, and your photo files on a USB drive cost $10.99. You cannot order CVS passport photos online, so you need to visit a store with a photo counter.
How much does Walgreens charge for passport photos?
Walgreens lists $16.99 for two printed 2 x 2 inch passport photos, taken by a store associate, and it emails you a digital copy at no extra charge. That digital copy is useful if you want to renew online later, but check that it meets the State Department's file rules before you upload it.
Can I get passport photos at the post office?
At many post offices, yes. USPS lists a $15.00 Post Office photo fee, charged only if you need photos, next to the $35.00 acceptance fee for applying in person. Not every post office takes passport photos, so check with your local post office before you go, especially if you also want to apply there.
What is the cheapest place to get passport photos?
Of the prices published online, Walmart's $7.64 in-store passport photo is the lowest, followed by AAA clubs for members. The cheapest option of all is to make the photo yourself with our free tool and print a 4 x 6 inch sheet with two photos on it, which costs the price of one standard print.
Does Costco still take passport photos?
Costco's help center lists no passport photo service in the US. For photo printing it points members to a discount with Shutterfly instead. If you are a Costco member, you can still print our free print sheet as an ordinary 4 x 6 inch photo print through any photo service.
Are passport photos taken at home accepted?
Yes for a US passport. The State Department accepts any photo that meets its rules, wherever it was taken. The photo must be recent, in color, sharp, taken against a plain white or off-white background, with your head at the right size. Our photo tool crops it to 2 x 2 inches and checks those rules for you.
Do I need a printed photo to renew my passport online?
No. Online renewal asks you to upload a digital photo, so you need a file, not a print. Our US passport photo tool gives you that file for free. You only need a printed 2 x 2 inch photo for a paper application, such as Form DS-11 in person or Form DS-82 by mail.
Sources
- Walmart: 2x2 in passport photo, taken and printed in store (opened )
- AAA (Central Penn club): One set (2 photos) (opened )
- USPS (Post Office): Passport photo, at Post Offices that take them (opened )
- FedEx Office: Two 2x2 in photos, printed or digital (opened )
- Walgreens: Two 2x2 in printed photos (opened )
- CVS: Two 2x2 in ID prints (opened )
- Staples: Two 2x2 in photos (prints only) (opened )
- Costco: Passport photos (opened )
- The UPS Store: Passport photos (opened )
- Walmart: One 4x6 in glossy print, 1-hour pickup (opened )
- Walgreens: Prints and enlargements (4x6 in and other sizes), same-day pickup (opened )
- CVS: One 4x6 in print ordered from Google Photos (opened )
Prices last checked:
Shop names are used only to compare prices. passportvisapic.com is not affiliated with any retailer, and prices can differ in your local store.