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A US passport renewal photo follows exactly the same rules as a first-time passport photo: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), the head 1 to 1⅜ inches (25-35 mm) from chin to crown, on a plain white or off-white background, taken within the last 6 months.
You cannot reuse the photo from your current passport. The State Department requires a photo taken within the last 6 months that reflects how you look now. Submitting an old photo, or one that resembles the picture in the passport you are replacing, is one of the most common reasons a renewal is held up.
Same size (2×2 inches), same head height (1 to 1⅜ inches chin to crown), plain white or off-white background, neutral expression with both eyes open and mouth closed, no glasses, and natural color. There is no separate renewal size. If you can make a compliant new passport photo, it is valid for renewal.
Online passport renewal asks you to upload a digital photo. Renewing by mail with Form DS-82 needs one printed 2×2 inch photo. Either way the photo itself must meet the same requirements.
Stand a few feet in front of a plain, light wall in even, front-on light with no hard shadow behind your head. Have someone take the photo at eye level, or use a timer. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression. We then crop, size and check it against the official rules before you pay.
Source: U.S. Department of State, verified by OnePassPhoto.
Related: US passport photo, US passport photo size and requirements
No. The photo must be taken within the last 6 months and reflect your current appearance. Reusing the photo from the passport you are replacing is a common rejection reason.
No. A passport renewal photo is the same 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) with the head 1 to 1⅜ inches from chin to crown, on a plain white background.
Online renewal accepts a digital photo upload. Renewing by mail with Form DS-82 requires one printed 2×2 inch photo.