Passport photo guide

Lost passport photo requirements: reporting it, applying again in person, and the one photo you need to bring

Losing a passport is stressful enough without wondering about a photo. But the photo is one of the few parts of the replacement process you can prepare in advance, and doing it well removes one possible reason to be sent home from your appointment. The process itself has two parts that people often blur together: telling the State Department that the passport is lost or stolen, and applying for a new one. The photo belongs to the second part. This guide walks through both, explains why you cannot simply renew by mail or online the way you could with a valid passport, and covers what the photo needs to look like.

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Keywordlost passport photo requirements

UpdatedOct 19, 2026

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Important notice on fees, processing times, and procedures

Fees, processing times, and facility procedures change periodically, and readers should check travel.state.gov for the current official process and fee schedule before applying. The timing and expedite-fee figures cited in this guide reflect the State Department's official guidance last updated on September 30, 2026.

The practical answer

If your US passport is lost, stolen or damaged, you have to apply in person again to get a replacement. The State Department's lost-and-stolen page says so directly: you must apply in person again if you want a replacement passport. The process page for in-person applications confirms that adults whose passport was lost, stolen or damaged are among those who must apply in person at an acceptance facility, together with first-time adult applicants and people whose passport was issued more than 15 years ago or when they were under 16. For that in-person application you bring Form DS-11, your proof of US citizenship with a photocopy, a physical photo ID with photocopies, and one photo. The in-person page is explicit about the photo: you must provide one photo with your application. It also tells you not to attach or staple the photo to the form, because the acceptance agent or passport employee will review the photo and staple it for you. And it says not to sign your form until a passport acceptance agent asks you to do so. The photo itself is held to the same standard as any other US passport photo. It must be a colour photo taken in the last six months, in a 2 by 2 inch format with the head measuring between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, on a plain white or off-white background with no shadows or objects, showing you facing the camera with both eyes open and a neutral expression or a natural smile. Eyeglasses must come off unless you cannot remove them for medical reasons and include a signed note from your doctor. The photo must be the original, unchanged image. The State Department says not to change your photo using computer software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence, and that it checks all photos to make sure you are not using AI tools.

Reporting the passport versus replacing it

There are two separate actions, and they use different forms. To report a passport lost or stolen by mail, you fill out Form DS-64 online, then print, sign and mail it to the address on the form, with a photocopy of the front and back of a photo ID. If you are applying for a replacement at the same time, Form DS-11 is the form used to report a valid passport lost or stolen while applying for a new one, and you include details of where and when it was lost, plus a police report if you filed one. The State Department says that missing details may lead it to ask you for Form DS-64. Reporting the passport has a consequence that is worth knowing before you do it. The State Department says that once you report your passport lost or stolen, you cannot use it for international travel even if you find it later. The passport is cancelled once it is reported. If there is any chance that the passport is simply misplaced at home, search thoroughly before you report it. A separate case is a passport that was mailed to you but never arrived. For that, the State Department uses Form DS-86, which must be completed within 120 days of issuance. After 120 days, you must reapply and pay all fees, by law.

Where people get surprised

The first surprise is that a lost passport cannot be renewed the easy way. People who know that a valid passport can be renewed online or by mail often assume the same applies to a lost one. It does not. The State Department's pages are clear that a replacement requires applying in person again. That means a visit to an acceptance facility with the full set of documents, and it means the photo has to be ready before you go. The second surprise is the timing. The State Department's page on getting a passport fast lists routine processing at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited processing at 2 to 3 weeks, neither including mailing, with mail adding up to 2 weeks to the total. Expedited service costs an additional $60 on top of the standard application fee. If your travel is urgent, the page describes an appointment at a passport agency or center for travel in less than 2 to 3 weeks, and says to book when you are within 14 calendar days of your international travel date, or 28 days if you need a foreign visa. It also warns that appointment slots may not be available right away. Those figures come from a page last updated on September 30, 2026, and they change, so check the current page. The third surprise is the photo timing. The State Department's page does not say whether the photo must be taken in advance, and it does not say whether acceptance facilities take photos. It only says that you must provide one photo with your application. The safe plan is to arrive with a correct photo in hand rather than to count on getting one at the facility. The fourth surprise is that the photo has to be recent. The six-month rule applies to a replacement just as it does to a new application. A photo from your previous passport, or a spare from an earlier session, is very likely to be outside the window or no longer a good likeness. Take a new one. The fifth surprise is the temptation to fix a poor photo with software. A photo that is slightly too dark or has an uneven background is a reason to retake it, not to edit it. The State Department says to submit the original, unchanged photo.

What may change

The State Department announced on September 29, 2026 that first-time applicants will be able to apply for a passport entirely online, and that its goal is for the vast majority of Americans to be able to apply on America.gov by the end of 2027. Reports differ on when the first-time application will open, and the announcement was described as covering first passports. Nothing in the State Department pages used for this guide says that replacement of a lost passport will move online. Until the official guidance says otherwise, a replacement means applying in person.

How PassSnap fits

PassSnap helps you prepare the one photo you need to bring. The guided capture checks head size, eye line and framing as you shoot, exports a 2 by 2 inch JPEG and a 4 by 6 print layout, and the optional AI verify step flags glasses, expression and background problems before you print. Nothing is retouched or beautified, which matters because altered photos are a problem under US rules. This is useful when time is short. If you have an appointment and need a compliant photo the same day, taking it yourself at home removes the extra trip. PassSnap is not a government service and cannot report your passport lost, book your appointment or tell you whether a particular photo will be accepted. It prepares the photo; the process and the decision belong to the State Department.

Before you go to your appointment

Report the passport only when you are sure it is gone, and do it by the route the State Department gives: Form DS-64 online, printed, signed and mailed with a photocopy of the front and back of your photo ID, or the details on Form DS-11 when you apply. Remember that reporting cancels the passport.

Take a new photo rather than looking for an old one. It must be in colour, taken in the last six months, in the 2 by 2 inch format, with your head between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head, on a plain white or off-white background with no shadows or objects.

Remove your glasses, keep a neutral expression or a natural smile with your mouth closed and both eyes open, and look straight at the camera. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, bring a signed note from your doctor. Turn off portrait mode, beauty filters and any automatic enhancement before you shoot, and do not edit the photo afterwards.

Bring one printed photo, loose. Do not attach it to the form and do not staple it, because the acceptance agent or passport employee will review it and staple it for you. Do not sign Form DS-11 until the acceptance agent asks you to.

Assemble the rest of the application packet: Form DS-11 printed single-sided (double-sided forms are not accepted), proof of US citizenship with a single-sided photocopy, and a physical photo ID with a single-sided photocopy of both the front and back.

Prepare the required payments before your appointment: the State Department lists a passport application fee payable by check or money order, a separate $35 facility acceptance fee paid directly at the facility, and an optional $60 expedite fee if you select expedited processing. Check the current fee schedule on travel.state.gov before you go.

Check the timing against your travel plans. Routine processing is listed at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited at 2 to 3 weeks, plus mailing, and urgent travel within 14 calendar days needs an appointment at a passport agency or center. If your trip is close, look at the options on the State Department's page the same day you realise the passport is lost.

FAQ

Do I need a new photo to replace a lost passport?

Yes, you provide one photo with your application. A replacement means applying in person again with Form DS-11, and the photo has to meet the current rules: colour, taken in the last six months, in the 2 by 2 inch format, on a plain white or off-white background, and unaltered. Take a new photo rather than reusing an old one.

Can I replace a lost passport online or by mail?

Not according to the State Department's pages. They say you must apply in person again if you want a replacement passport. You can report a lost or stolen passport by mail with Form DS-64, but that reports the loss. It does not replace the passport. The State Department's announcement of an online route in September 2026 was about first-time applications, and no change to lost-passport replacement has been announced in the pages used for this guide.

What if I find my passport after I report it lost?

The State Department says that once you report your passport lost or stolen, you cannot use it for international travel even if you find it later. The passport is cancelled once it is reported. That is why it is worth searching thoroughly before you report it.