Costco & USPS Passport Photos: Alternatives (2026)
Costco closed in-store photo centres; USPS still prints 2×2 for about $15 but often no digital file. When is a home selfie + online maker cheaper?
Does Costco still take passport photos?
No. Costco closed warehouse Photo Centers in the US and Canada; there is no walk-in passport shoot at the store. Online photo partners are for generic prints — not a State Department-ready 2×2 studio package.
Use our AI-powered United States Passport Photo Tool to auto-crop your image in 3 seconds.
People still search “Costco passport photo” from habit; real options are USPS, pharmacy chains, or a compliant digital file at home.
Official photo requirements
- Document size applied
- Face alignment checked
- Background prepared
Size
2 × 2 in
Background
White
Digital photo
602 × 602 px
What USPS offers
At participating post offices, USPS passport service prints 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) photos — often about $15, sometimes by appointment. A digital JPEG is usually not included; online renewal / DS-160 still need a file.
White background, neutral expression, no glasses. Counters can crop wrong too — knowing State Department head-height rules lowers refusal risk.
When an online maker wins
If you only need a digital upload (online passport renewal, DS-160, USCIS), a USPS print set can be waste. A sharp home selfie + correct 2×2 crop is usually cheaper and takes minutes.
Want prints? Upload a FotoPass 4×6 sheet to a pharmacy / lab self-serve printer — keep “fit to page” off. See our CVS / Walgreens guide for retail price context.
Ready 2×2 with FotoPass
- 1
Beauty / Portrait off, front-facing selfie.
- 2
Select US passport.
- 3
The FotoPass tool applies the 2×2 inch square and a light background.
- 4
Compress to the portal KB cap or print the 4×6 sheet.
AI beautify / face-swap is refused by the State Department — use crop and background cleanup only.
