USPS Passport Photo Cost: Prices, Fees & Ways to Save

Post Offices that offer passport services can also take your passport photo, which saves a stop if you are already there to apply. The service is not offered at every location, and it usually runs through the same appointment system as the application itself.

The photo is a small line on a passport bill, but it is easy to mix up with the other fees. This page separates what the post office charges for the photo, what it charges for accepting your application, and how its photo price compares with other places.

USPS lists the photo fee next to its acceptance fee on its passport page. A USPS news release from July 2026 gives the same photo price.

The photo fee is $15, and the acceptance fee is $35. They are separate charges, so the photo does not reduce or replace the acceptance fee. If you already have a compliant photo, you do not need to buy one at the counter. USPS marks its photo fee "if needed" for that reason.

USPS tells applicants to book an appointment, either through its online scheduler or at a lobby kiosk, and the scheduler lets you choose photo services along with the application. Because only some locations offer photos, search for a nearby Post Office that lists the service before you plan around it. Walk-in availability varies, so confirm with the location first.

Some photo companies that publish price guides report that the post office provides printed photos only, with no digital file. That detail comes from outside the Postal Service, so ask when you book if you need a digital copy for an online renewal.

Independent price guides agree with the post office. These two are published by companies that sell passport photo services, so read them as snapshots of what the market charges rather than as a USPS statement.

PassportPhotoSnap and PhotoGov both list the same figure, $15. When several guides repeat one number that matches the USPS page, a price difference at your location is mostly a question of whether that location offers the service at all.

The post office is not the cheapest option. Some retail counters charge less, and some offer a digital copy, which the post office may not. The prices below come from PhotoGov.

Walmart is the lowest of the three at $7.64, while FedEx Office is $15.95 and Walgreens is $16.99. Prices vary by store, and these are listed prices, not guarantees.

• Get the photo before your appointment. A lower-priced retail counter can take it, as long as it meets the State Department's photo rules.
• Check the rules first. A photo that is rejected costs you a second purchase, so read the State Department photo requirements before you pay anyone.
• Compare the total. If you only need a photo, the post office is rarely the cheapest stop. If you are applying there anyway, the convenience may be worth the difference.
• Ask about retakes. Policies on retakes differ by provider, so ask before you pay.