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How we verifyPricing$11.86Where to get oneMoney-back guaranteePassport Photo Near Me: every option compared
If you are looking for somewhere nearby, here is what each chain actually charges and what you get — prices checked August 2026. And one option that saves the trip entirely.
| Where | Price | Digital file | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home, on your phone | $11.86 | Yes + print sheet | About a minute |
| CVS Pharmacy | $17.99 | No | About 10 minutes, in store |
| Walgreens | $16.99 | Included | About 10 minutes, in store |
| Walmart | $7.64 | No | About 10 minutes at the photo center |
| FedEx Office | $15.95 | No | About 10 minutes, in store |
| USPS (Post Office) | $15 | No | Same visit, though queues vary |
| Staples | $19.99 | Included | Same visit |
Before you drive anywhere
Call the specific branch first
Chains advertise the service nationally, but individual stores drop it. A wasted trip is the most common complaint about drugstore passport photos.
Check whether you need the digital file
Renewing online? You need a digital photo, and most counters hand you prints only. Walgreens is the exception among the cheap options.
You get one attempt
The clerk takes a shot against a backdrop and prints it. If your head is a few millimetres too small, nobody measures — you find out when the application is rejected.
Costco no longer offers it
Costco closed its photo centers in 2021. If that was your plan, you need one of the others.
Which one is right for you
The honest answer depends on what you are applying for, and the cheapest option is not always the right one.
If you only need prints and there is a Walmart photo center on your route, $7.64 is genuinely good value and hard to argue with. You get two 2 × 2 inch photos in about ten minutes.
If you are renewing online you need a digital file, and that changes the maths. Walgreens is the only cheap counter that includes one; CVS charges $3.99 on top of $17.99; Walmart, FedEx and USPS do not offer one at all. A $7.64 photo that cannot be uploaded is not a cheap photo.
If you are already at the post office applying in person, having the photo taken there for $15 saves a separate trip — provided the branch offers it and you have an appointment.
What a counter cannot do for you
None of these places measure anything. A staff member frames you by eye against a backdrop, prints, and hands it over. Nobody checks that your head falls inside the 1 to 1⅜ inch band, nobody notices that the overhead strip lights have thrown a shadow under your nose, and nobody tells you the white shirt you wore has merged into the white background.
That matters because rejection is slow. The photo is assessed when your application is processed, not when it is submitted, so a problem surfaces weeks later as a letter asking you to start again. The single practical advantage of checking a photo before you commit is that the feedback arrives in seconds rather than in the post.
What you would print instead
If you skip the counter, this is the sheet you take to it: 6 × 4 inches at 600 dpi with two 2 × 2 inch photos and hairline cut guides. Printing it at any kiosk costs around 35¢, which is the only part of the drugstore you actually need.
Or skip the trip entirely
Take a selfie where you are. We correct the background and framing, measure it against all eleven federal requirements, and show you the report before you pay. You get the digital file and a printable 4×6 sheet — which you can still print at any of the counters above for about 35¢.
Check my photo freeFrequently asked
Where is the cheapest place to get a passport photo near me?+
Walmart, at $7.64 for two prints, is the cheapest counter in most of the US — though not every store has a photo center. USPS is $15, FedEx Office $15.95, Walgreens $16.99 and CVS $17.99. Doing it yourself at home costs $11.86 including a printable sheet, with no travel.
Can I get a passport photo near me right now?+
Most drugstore photo counters take walk-ins during store hours and print in about 10 minutes. Post offices usually require an appointment. Call ahead — plenty of individual branches have stopped offering the service even where the chain still advertises it.
Do I need an appointment?+
Not at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart or FedEx Office. USPS passport photos are normally taken as part of a passport application appointment, which books out days or weeks ahead in busy periods.
Which places give you a digital copy?+
Walgreens includes a digital copy by email with the standard price, and Staples sells digital packages. CVS charges $3.99 extra for one. Walmart, FedEx and USPS give prints only — which matters, because online passport renewal needs a digital file.
Is it cheaper to take a passport photo yourself?+
Usually, and it is always faster. There is no legal requirement to use a professional photographer — only that the finished photo meets the official measurements. The catch is that a phone selfie is not compliant on its own: it needs the right crop, head size, background and resolution.
Prices checked August 2026 and vary by location. The retailers listed are not affiliated with this service.