You can get a baby passport photo at the Post Office, a pharmacy, a big-box store, a photo studio, or at home. They differ in price and in how well they handle a baby who can't sit up.
Prices below are what each company listed at the time of writing (October 2026), so check before you go. The experiences come from parents' posts in passport forums. They're individual stories, not statistics, but the pattern is clear: results depend on the store and the person behind the camera.
If you'd rather skip the trip, you can take the photo at home and make a baby passport photo online: it's checked automatically in seconds, crop it to 2×2 inches, and give you a 4×6 sheet to print at any photo counter.
Quick comparison
| Where | Price at time of writing | Babies? | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (Post Office) | $15 photo fee | Not every Post Office takes photos; no baby-specific info on usps.com | Handy if you're applying there anyway |
| CVS | $17.99 for two prints (+$3.99 digital copy) | Yes, says it photographs all ages including babies | In store only; return with receipt if not accepted |
| Walgreens | $16.99 | Serves all ages | In store only; includes a digital copy |
| Walmart | $7.64 | Photo Center associates photograph infants, per Walmart's FAQ | In-store Photo Center service only |
| The UPS Store | Set by each location | Varies by location | Call ahead |
| Photo studio | Varies | Usually, if they advertise baby photos | Most time and patience per session |
| At home | Free to shoot; from $7.99 for our checked photo and print sheet, plus a 4×6 print | Yes, on your schedule | You control light, timing, and retakes |
Our price is one-time: 1 photo $7.99, 3 photos $15.99 or 5 photos $21.99. One photo is one person in one country's spec.
Does USPS take newborn passport photos?
Many Post Offices that accept passport applications also take passport photos, for a $15 fee listed on usps.com at the time of writing. Not every location offers photos, and USPS doesn't publish any special process for newborns, so call the Post Office you plan to use and ask.
The upside is real: a U.S. child's passport has to be applied for in person on Form DS-11 every time, and your baby must come along. If the Post Office is your acceptance facility, you can do the photo and the application in one visit.
What parents report is mixed:
- One parent paid for a Post Office photo that was rejected as overexposed, then got a new one at Walgreens.
- At another Post Office, the clerk spotted a parent's thumb in the frame and retook the photo on the spot.
- At a third, the clerk accepted a photo with the parent's fingers visible around the baby's head, and the passport was still issued.
So yes, USPS can take a newborn's passport photo. How well depends on the clerk.
USPS or at home? With a calm baby and a patient clerk, the Post Office is one trip. If your baby needs feeding breaks or many tries, shoot at home and bring the printed photo to your appointment.
Does UPS do children's passport photos?
Many The UPS Store locations offer passport photos. Stores are independently owned, so the price and whether they'll photograph an infant depend on the location; we didn't find a national price. Call ahead. You'll still apply in person at a passport acceptance facility, often a Post Office.
Pharmacy and store photos: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart
Pharmacy and big-box photo counters are everywhere and usually don't need an appointment.
CVS
At the time of writing, CVS says it takes passport photos for all ages, including babies, and that photos are accepted if an infant's eyes are not fully open. Two 2×2 prints cost $17.99, and a digital copy is $3.99 more. The photo has to be taken in store. If the photo isn't accepted, CVS says to return it with your receipt.
Parents' stories go both ways. One family spent about an hour at CVS with their five-week-old, including a feeding break, and a patient employee got a photo that worked. Another CVS couldn't get a usable photo of a five-month-old. A third family's photos passed the store software and the Post Office check, then the passport agency sent them back for a bright cheek and blanket wrinkles.
Walgreens
Walgreens lists two passport photos for $16.99 at the time of writing, taken in store at most locations, with a digital copy included, and says its photos are guaranteed to be government compliant. In one forum story, a Walgreens photo was accepted after the family's Post Office photo had been rejected.
Walmart
Walmart's Photo Center is the cheapest retail option we found, at $7.64. Its FAQ says passport photos are an in-store service only, and that Photo Center associates take passport photos for infants, toddlers, and children.
Tips for a pharmacy or store visit
- Call first and ask if they photograph newborns. Go after a feed.
- Bring a white sheet and ask if they'll photograph your baby lying on it.
- Check the photo before you pay for hands, face shadows, and wrinkles. Keep your receipt.
A store's software "pass" isn't final; the passport agency decides.
Photo studio
A studio that regularly photographs babies brings patience, proper lighting, and lots of attempts. Parents in forums say an infant-friendly setup was worth paying for. Prices vary by studio and city, so look for one that mentions newborns. In some countries a studio isn't optional; see below.
At home
For a U.S. passport, a photo taken by a friend or family member is allowed.
Pros: a familiar place, your choice of moment (right after a feed or nap), and as many shots as you need. In one forum story, nearby pharmacies couldn't photograph a newborn, so the parents shot at home, and the passport arrived about two weeks later.
Cons: you're responsible for the light, the white background, and the exact size. The head has to measure 1 to 1⅜ inches on a 2×2 photo, which is hard to judge on a phone.
Here's the home route in three steps:
- Shoot on a white sheet or with a sheet over a car seat. Our step-by-step guide shows how to take a baby passport photo at home.
- Check and crop. Upload to our tool. It flags shadows, hands, a pacifier, and other problems, crops to 2×2 with the head at the right size, and lays the photo out on a 4×6 sheet. The watermarked preview is free with no sign-up, and you can retake as often as you like before paying. You pay at checkout with your email and download right away.
- Print the 4×6 sheet as a regular photo at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, or any photo counter. Here's how to print 2×2 photos.
Weighing a phone app against a web tool or a store? We compared them in baby passport photo apps, web tools and stores.
If a passport office rejects a photo you made with us, contact our support (chat on this site or email) with the rejection notice and we'll refund you in full. We're not a government agency, and the passport office has the final say.
Baby passport photo near me: how to choose
Before you go anywhere, ask:
- Do you photograph newborns or babies who can't sit up yet?
- How do you do it: lying down, in a car seat, or held up?
- Can I see the photo before it's printed?
- If the photo is rejected, will you retake it for free or refund me?
Clear answers to all four are a good sign. Vague answers are a reason to shoot at home.
Countries where you can't use a home photo
Everything above is about U.S. passports. Some countries set much stricter rules about where a child's photo can come from:
- Canada: a child's passport photos must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio, printed professionally, and the photographer must write or stamp the date and studio name and address on the back. Home-printed photos aren't accepted (Canada.ca).
- Germany: for applications inside Germany, paper photos are no longer accepted. The photo is taken at the passport office or by a registered photo provider who sends it digitally.
- France: the photo must be taken by an approved professional or in a photo booth using an approved system.
- Ireland: a photo taken at home is allowed for an online application, as long as someone else takes it (no selfies). Ireland's guidelines also say the photo must not be digitally altered. You can make an Irish baby passport photo with these rules built in.
- Australia: home photos aren't banned, but the passport office says it doesn't recommend online photo services or apps, and prints must meet specific paper requirements.
The UK and New Zealand both accept photos taken at home on your own device. You can create a UK baby passport photo or an NZ baby passport photo with each country's rules built in. For a side-by-side view, see our baby passport photo requirements.
FAQ
Does USPS take newborn passport photos?
Many Post Offices that handle passport applications also take passport photos, for $15 at the time of writing. Not every location offers photos, and results with newborns vary, so call ahead.
Does CVS do baby passport photos?
Yes. CVS says it photographs all ages, including babies, and accepts photos where an infant's eyes aren't fully open. The photo has to be taken in store. How well it goes depends on the location and the employee.
What's the cheapest way to get a baby passport photo?
Taking it at home and printing it yourself is the cheapest. Among stores, Walmart had the lowest listed price at the time of writing, at $7.64.
Do I have to bring my baby to apply for the passport anyway?
Yes. A U.S. child's passport must be applied for in person on Form DS-11, every time. Our baby passport application checklist covers what to bring.
