Passport photo for renewing by mail (Form DS-82)
Renewing by mail needs one paper photo. Make it at home on your own device — nothing is uploaded — and print one 4×6 sheet: five 2×2 inch photos and a size-check ruler for $3.99, plus the cost of the print. Open the photo maker
Renewing a U.S. passport by mail on Form DS-82 needs one 2×2 inch colour photo on photo paper. Who can renew by mail, the photo rules, how to staple it, and how to make it at home.
The maker crops and scales your photo to the official head size, checks the background and tilt, and lets you download only when every check passes.
Can you renew by mail?
Form DS-82 is for renewing a current or recently expired U.S. passport book or card by mail. The form says you can use it only if all of these are true:
- You can send your most recent U.S. passport book or card with the application.
- You were at least 16 when it was issued, and it was issued less than 15 years ago.
- It has not been damaged, mutilated, or reported lost or stolen, and its validity was not limited for those reasons.
- Your name has not changed — or it changed by marriage or court order and you can send a certified copy of the document.
If any answer is no, the form says to stop: you may need Form DS-11 (in person) or DS-5504 instead.
The photo DS-82 asks for
- One colour photo, 2 × 2 inches, taken within the last six months.
- Head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, facing the camera with the full face in view.
- Plain white or off-white background.
- No eyeglasses, no head covering and no uniform — except with the signed religious or medical statements the form describes.
- Printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
Attaching it
The form says: use caution when stapling the photo — 4 staples, vertically, in the corners, as close to the outer edges as possible, and do not bend the photo. Follow the photo template on page 1 of the application. Print pages one and two of the application on separate sheets; the instruction pages are not sent.
Making the photo at home
- Stand in front of a plain white wall in even light and have someone take the photo, head and shoulders in view.
- Open the photo maker with “United States passport”. It sizes the head to the 1–1 3/8 inch range and checks the background and tilt. The single 2×2 file is free.
- For paper, get the 4 × 6 print sheet: five 2×2 photos and a 1-inch ruler. Order one standard 4×6 print, or print it at 100% on photo paper. See how to print it at the right size.
- Measure the ruler on the print, cut one photo along its edges, and staple it as above. The spare photos are there if you need another.
Need paper photos? Compare before you pay
Renewing a U.S. passport by mail on Form DS-82 means attaching one 2×2 inch colour photo on photo paper. A single 2×2 file sent to a kiosk as a 4×6 print is enlarged to fill the print, so it comes out the wrong size — the print sheet puts the photos on a 4×6 at their exact size.
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Walgreens passport photos | $16.99 | two printed 2×2 photos |
| Post Office photo fee | $15.00 | photo taken at a Post Office that offers it |
| This print sheet + one 4×6 print | $3.99 + the print | five 2×2 photos and a 1-inch size-check ruler on one 4×6 (U.S. size); Walgreens lists prints “from $0.29”, depending on size |
Prices as shown on photo.walgreens.com and usps.com, checked 2026-10-22; they can change and differ by store. Form: DS-82. The full-size digital file stays free.
Where the form says to mail it
As printed on DS-82 (edition 04-2025): routine service from California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York or Texas goes to the National Passport Processing Center, PO Box 640155, Irving, TX 75064-0155; from any other state or Canada to PO Box 90155, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155; expedited service (extra fee) from any state or Canada to PO Box 90955, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955. The Department recommends a trackable mailing service. Applicants living outside the United States and Canada cannot use these addresses and should follow their U.S. embassy or consulate's instructions. Check the current form before you mail.
Sources: eforms.state.gov
Private Apps is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.