If the U.S. online passport renewal website says “Sorry, we can’t accept your photo,” its uploader may have flagged your positioning, face angle, image quality, background, or glasses. Check the original photo before submitting it again.
Sorry, we can't accept your photo
Your positioning doesn't meet requirements. Your face should take up most of the photo, with the top of your hair and shoulders just inside the frame. Use the face outline on the "Edit Photo" page to zoom or reposition your photo.
It looks like your face is tilted or turned away. Make sure your eyes are level in your photo and you're directly facing the camera.
Go back and edit your photo or select a different photo.
View detailed photo requirements.Sorry, we can't accept your photo
Your photo quality doesn't meet the requirements. It might be zoomed in too close, or it may be too dark or lacking image details. This sometimes happens if you take a photo of a printed photo. Make sure your photo is high quality, well lit, and clearly shows the details of your face.
Go back and edit your photo or select a different photo.
Image dimensions
2×2 in (51×51 mm)
Resolution
600×600 px min.
Background color
White or off-white
Expression
Neutral, eyes open
Photo angle
Eyes level, no tilt
Head size
1" to 1⅜"
Eye height
1⅛" to 1⅜"
Glasses
Not allowed
(medical exception)
Headwear
Not allowed
(religious exception)
Recency
Within 6 months
The uploader can show more than one reason at a time. Wording may vary as the online renewal system changes.
Your face may be too large, too small, off-center, tilted, or turned away from the camera.
The image may be too dark, too tightly cropped, blurry, compressed, or missing facial detail.
The uploader may detect color, texture, objects, lines, or shadows instead of a plain white or off-white background.
Frames, glare, reflections, hair, or strong shadows near the eyes can trigger an eye-area warning.
Start with the original digital photo that triggered the U.S. passport upload error so we can check its framing, lighting, background, and image quality.
We check the crop, head position, background, lighting, and sizing against U.S. passport photo requirements and correct fixable issues.
Download the corrected digital photo and return to the online passport renewal application with a properly formatted replacement file.
It usually means the U.S. online passport renewal check detected a problem with positioning, face angle, background, lighting, eye visibility, glasses, or image quality.
Yes. The automated upload check can be stricter than a normal visual review. Small issues with crop, head position, lighting, contrast, or image detail can still trigger a rejection.
Not always. If the original photo is sharp and your face is clearly visible, its crop, background, sizing, and other fixable issues may be corrected. Retake it when your face is turned, your eyes are obstructed, or the source image is blurry.
Your order includes expert review and an acceptance guarantee. If the final photo is rejected for compliance reasons, you can request a refund under the guarantee.