What happens if my US passport photo is rejected?

United States
July 16, 2008 10:49pm CST
What happens if my US passport photo is rejected? Do they make you go through the whole process of applying again, including the fee, or do they just ask you to send them new photos? This has really been bothering me. It hasn't been rejected, since I haven't sent it in yet, I just want to know.
1 response
@Reesers (1387)
• United States
17 Jul 08
They'll just ask you to send new photos. That happened to my mom last year. She had her photo taken at the post office and they had the wrong background. So she went to Walgreens to have it done, which turned out to be cheaper and just what they needed for her passport. There were no extra fees or anything like that. They just waited until she returned the new photos and finished her application.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Jul 08
Thank you so much for telling me your mom's experience, I have been so worried lately about all of this. I have until December to get my passport, but if it was all sent back and I had to restart I would be afraid that I would never get to leave the country. How much of a delay did it make when she had to send new ones? I have taken two different sets of photos, Walmart took a pair, and I noticed that there were shadows in the back, so without wanting to take the risk I went to Wegmans, and the woman tilted the camera a little so now my head looks slightly tilted, I may risk it with these. I'm about to go back to walmart though and have them retake them for free!
@Reesers (1387)
• United States
17 Jul 08
Hey, it's natural to be worried. But as long as you fill out everything, check it over a time or two before sending it off, you should be fine. There wasn't much of a delay. When she called, she was told that her application was ready but was on hold because of the photos. They also told her that as soon as they get the photos, they would finish it and it would be good to go. I can't remember exactly how long it took but it came back before we expected it. One of the nice things is that you can check the status of your passport online. It gave us a new date for hers and we got it probably at least a week before that date. And if there is a problem, it will give some kind of message on the website and they'll also send you a letter. Then you can fix whatever it is you need. I don't think it's a bad idea to go back to Walmart, especially with shadows in the background. They better not charge you again! ;) BTW...here's the website that tells you everything you needed to know and can check the status. It really helped us out a lot. http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html Good luck!
1 person likes this