US Passport Photo by Mail — How to Staple, Not Bend, and Where to Send It
Printing the photo is only half the job. When you renew a US passport by mail (Form DS-82), the photo must be stapled with four staples in the corners, must not be bent, must go to a Post Office Box address (so no couriers), and must be a genuine print — not a photocopy or scan. Get these physical details right and the record is clean. Verified against travel.state.gov, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Staple it: four staples, vertical, in the corners, as close to the outer edges as possible.
- Do not bend the photo.
- One photo with the DS-82.
- No photocopies or scans; print on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
- Trackable, not courier: do not use UPS, FedEx or DHL — it is a PO Box.
- No $35 fee for a mail renewal; that fee is for DS-11 only.
Stapling: four staples, in the corners
The State Department is specific about how the photo meets the form. It says you must staple your photo to the application, following the instructions on the application, and that you should “use four staples vertically in the corners as close to the outer edges of the photo as possible”. The reason for the corner placement is practical — staples through the middle of the face damage the image and can prompt a rejection. You provide “one photo” with the application.
Do not bend, and keep it undamaged
A bent or marked photo reads as a damaged photo. The renewal page says simply, “Do not bend the photo”, and the photo guidance page adds the reason a crease matters: “Do not submit a damaged photo with holes, creases, or smudges.” Print on “matte or glossy photo-quality paper”, and never hand in a copy: “Do not submit photocopies or digitally scanned photos.” If you print at home, get the paper and tone right with the printing guide, and lay the photo out on the sheet provided by the photo print sheet.
Mailing: trackable, but not a courier
How you send it matters as much as what you send. Send Form DS-82 and the supporting documents “using a trackable delivery method”, but there is a catch: “do not use UPS, FedEx, or DHL since the address you need to send your Form DS-82 and supporting documents to is a Post Office (PO) Box”. A courier cannot deliver to a PO Box, so a tracked US Postal Service option is the right choice. Keep a record of the mailing — the general file-and-metadata habits are in the image metadata guide.
Fees and what comes back
Two things surprise people. First, a mail renewal should not attract the $35 execution fee: “acceptance facilities should never charge you a $35 fee for renewing your passport” — that fee applies “only if you are applying using Form DS-11”. Second, your old passport does not travel with the new one: “we will return your most recent passport book or card in a separate mailing”, and it “may not arrive for up to four weeks after you get your new passport”. So do not panic if the new book arrives alone. For the photo’s digital counterpart and the wider channel picture, see the digital file requirements and channel comparison guides.
60-second mailing check
- ☐ Photo is a genuine print (not a copy or scan), on photo-quality paper
- ☐ Four staples, vertical, in the corners near the outer edges
- ☐ Photo not bent, no holes, creases or smudges
- ☐ One photo with DS-82
- ☐ Send trackable, not UPS/FedEx/DHL (PO Box)
- ☐ No $35 fee for a mail renewal; old passport returns separately
Frequently asked questions
Do I staple my photo to the application?
Yes. You must staple your photo to the application, following the form's instructions, using four staples vertically in the corners as close to the outer edges of the photo as possible.
Can I bend or fold the photo to fit the envelope?
No. The State Department says plainly: do not bend the photo.
Can I write on the back of the photo?
For the paper mailing route, the guidance is to follow the form's instructions; what is ruled out is a damaged photo with holes, creases or smudges. Keep the photo clean and unmarked beyond what the form tells you to do.
How should I send the DS-82?
Use a trackable delivery method, but not UPS, FedEx or DHL — the address is a Post Office (PO) Box, so couriers cannot deliver there.
Will the acceptance facility charge me $35 to renew?
No. Acceptance facilities should never charge the $35 fee for renewing; that fee applies only when you are applying using Form DS-11.
When do I get my old passport back?
Your most recent passport is returned in a separate mailing and may not arrive for up to four weeks after you receive your new passport.
Official source: travel.state.gov — Renew by Mail and the passport photo help page, retrieved 2026-09-27 via archived official pages (snapshots 2025-12-25 and 2026-07-10). Confidence A (official text, quoted verbatim).
Related: get the print right with the printing guide and the photo print sheet; see the photo itself on the US passport photo page; check it with the passport photo checker.