# US Baby Passport Photo Maker, 2x2 inch

Country: United States

Document: Baby Passport Photo

Page language: en

Page: [US Baby Passport Photo Maker, 2x2 inch](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/us/babyPassport/)

Requirements last verified: 2025-01-15

## Photo specifications

These are document-specific values from the page data. Printed and digital requirements may apply to different application routes; consult the guide and sources below.

| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo dimensions | 2 × 2 in |
| Photo paper | Glossy or matte |
| Digital pixel dimensions | 600 × 600 px (see guide/source for applicability and minimum vs exact sizing) |
| Digital file format | JPEG |
| Maximum digital file size | 240 KB |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months |

## Appearance and composition

- Background: Plain white background - can use white sheet
- Head size: 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown
- Expression: Eyes should be open (under 1 year may have eyes closed)
- Glasses: Not permitted.
- Even lighting; no harsh shadows.
- Filters, beauty modes and retouching are forbidden.
- Color photo.
- Head coverings are permitted for religious reasons; check the source for conditions.
- Uniforms are restricted; check the source for exceptions.
- No earphones or wireless devices.

## Common rejection reasons

- Adult visible in photo - Baby must be the only person in the photo, no hands or fingers visible

- Baby wearing accessories - No pacifiers, headbands, bows, or hair clips allowed

- Eyes closed (over 1 year) - For babies over 1 year old, eyes should be open

- Non-white background - Background must be plain white (white sheet is acceptable)

- Wrong head size - Baby's head must measure 1 to 1-3/8 inches from chin to crown

- Baby not facing camera - Baby's face must be forward-facing, looking at the camera

## Source for the document requirements

[Source linked by the document page](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html)

The complete guide below includes additional sources and application-specific qualifications when available.

## Create a photo with One Dollar Passport Photo

The service sizes, crops and checks a photo for the selected document. Its output settings are service choices, not additional government requirements.

- Digital photo download: $1 USD.
- Print-ready sheet download: $5 USD. Printing is separate.
- Optional human expert review: +$4.99 USD.

[Open the photo tool](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/us/babyPassport/)

Complete Guide

## Baby passport photo: how to take an infant's 2×2 photo at home

Infant passport photos follow the same 2×2 inch rules as adults — but you can't pose a baby. How to take one that won't get rejected, and where to get it.

Written by

Jake

Community & Writing, One Dollar Passport Photo

Reviewed by

Lisa

Expert Reviewer, One Dollar Passport Photo

Fact-checked & verified

May 17, 2026

## The official requirements

An infant’s US passport photo uses the **same 2×2 inch standard as an adult’s** — the State Department does not relax the spec for babies:

-   **Size:** 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), square
-   **Background:** plain white — a white sheet is acceptable
-   **Head size:** 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from chin to crown
-   **Expression:** eyes open and facing the camera — **but for babies under 1 year, closed eyes are accepted**
-   **Recency:** taken within the last 6 months
-   **The baby must be alone:** no hands, arms, or other people in the frame

The one official allowance is the eyes: an infant under a year old does not need to have their eyes open. Everything else — size, background, the baby alone — is enforced exactly as for an adult.

## How to photograph a baby

You cannot pose a baby, so the technique works around that:

1.  **Lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet.** This gives a true white background with no shadow, and the baby can’t tip over.
2.  Shoot from **directly above**, camera parallel to the baby’s face, so the face is straight-on.
3.  Use even, natural light — near a window, no flash, no overhead shadow.
4.  Make sure **no hands or arms** are in the shot. If you’re steadying the baby’s head, keep your hands fully out of frame.
5.  Take many shots and pick the best — then crop to a 2×2 inch square with the head at the right size. A tool that crops and validates against the spec saves guessing the head measurement.

An alternative for newborns: a white car seat covered with a white sheet, photographed from above.

## Why baby photos get rejected

The State Department bounces a predictable set of problems on infant photos. Each one, and the fix:

-   **An adult visible in the photo** — the most common one. A hand steadying the head, or a parent in the background, fails. The baby must be alone.
-   **Accessories on the baby** — no pacifiers, headbands, bows, or hair clips.
-   **Eyes closed (baby over 1 year)** — the under-1 exception does not apply; an older baby needs eyes open.
-   **Background not white** — a patterned sheet or shadowed wall fails. Use a plain white sheet.
-   **Wrong head size** — the head must still be 25–35 mm chin to crown within the 2×2 frame.
-   **Baby not facing the camera** — shoot from straight above so the face is forward-facing.

## What the baby should wear

There is no dress code, but a few choices reliably cause trouble.

**Avoid:** headbands, bows, hair clips, hats, and pacifiers — no accessories at all. Avoid a white onesie, which blends into the white sheet behind.

**Fine:** plain everyday baby clothing in a solid, darker color. The simplest setup is a plain colored onesie against the white sheet.

## Where to get the photo

Photographing a baby is the hard part, and where you do it changes how many tries you get:

| Where | Cost | Retries | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pharmacy photo counter | ~$15 | Limited — staff time | Staff may struggle to get a still infant |
| At home, then an online tool | $1.00 | Unlimited — your own camera | Shoot dozens of frames, pick the best, crop online |

A baby rarely cooperates on the first frame, so the practical advantage of shooting at home is that you can take as many photos as it takes — then upload the best one to a tool that crops it to 2×2 inches and checks the head size. A pharmacy counter works too, but you’re limited to whatever the staff can capture in a short session.

## Submitting the photo

A child’s passport is always a **first-time, in-person application** — an infant cannot use the online renewal route.

**Form DS-11, in person** — Both parents (or guardians) appear with the child at an acceptance facility, and you submit one printed 2×2 inch photo on photo paper. Bring the child’s evidence of citizenship and the parents’ ID. Because it must be done in person with the printed photo, prepare the photo before the appointment rather than relying on the counter.

### Sources & References

This guide is fact-checked against official government publications and updated regularly to reflect the latest requirements.

1.  \[1\]
    
    [US Department of State — Passport Photo Requirements](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html)
    
    travel.state.gov