You can print your own US passport photo. Print it on matte or glossy photo paper, 2 × 2 inches, with no visible printer dots. The easiest way is to put two photos on one 4 × 6 inch sheet and order one standard print at a photo counter.
The State Department says: “Print your photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.” Both finishes are fine. Plain paper, photocopies, and scans are not.
Matte or glossy?
Either one. The rule names both: “matte or glossy photo-quality paper”. Choose the finish your photo counter offers. What matters more is that the print is sharp and the colors look natural: “Submit a high-resolution color photo that is not blurry, grainy, or pixelated. The photo should not have visible printer dots.”
Option 1: a 4 × 6 print at a photo counter
- Make a 4 × 6 inch image with two 2 × 2 inch photos on it, at full resolution. A 4 × 6 print is the standard size at photo counters.
- Upload it to the store's photo service, or bring it on a USB drive or your phone.
- Order one 4 × 6 print. Turn off any automatic crop, “fit to print”, or enhancement option, so the photos keep their size and look.
- Cut along the lines. Check with a ruler that each photo is 2 × 2 inches and that the head is 1 to 1⅜ inches from chin to top.
A standard print costs much less than a store passport photo, which is $15 to $17.99 for two prints (see passport photo cost).
Option 2: print at home
- Use photo paper, not plain paper. The rule asks for “photo-quality paper”.
- Use the printer's best photo setting. Look for visible dots or lines: “The photo should not have visible printer dots.”
- Print at 100% scale. Turn off “fit to page”, or the photo is no longer 2 × 2 inches.
- If the colors look wrong or the print shows bands, use a photo counter instead.
Before you send the photo
- Measure it: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm). See the size guide.
- Cut cleanly. The photo must have no holes, creases, or smudges.
- Use a photo from the last 6 months.
- Do not submit a photocopy or a scan: “Do not submit photocopies or digitally scanned photos.”
Renewing online? Do not print
The online renewal takes a digital file, not a print. Do not take a photo of a printed photo. See the online renewal photo page.
Get a print sheet from PassPose
PassPose checks your photo for free, crops it to the official size, and gives you a 4 × 6 print sheet with the photos at the right size. It does not edit the photo. You pay only to download.
Source: travel.state.gov, Passport Photos. Page updated March 24, 2026. Read on October 19, 2026.