Where are you getting your information?
THANKS all! I had been under the impression that expired passports were a pain to renew (and lectured my children about it … and maybe relevant if theirs was prior to age 16). But from what I’m seeing online, I’ll be OK. Was going to do mail-in, but based on helpful comments may try post office. We’ve already ditched our idea for winter vacation in Mexico, but I’d like to get this chore done and off my mind.
Sadly, Costco eliminated their in-store photo services. No longer an option. It was good while it lasted!
Google passport photos to find a place to do it for you. I wouldn’t risk doing it myself.
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AAA still does passport photos, I believe.
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Post offices often require an appointment to get a new or renew a passport. You can renew an adult passport by mail. I think it has to have been expired less than 10 years.
Last time we did them I went to the county courthouse. The very efficient clerk handled my 15 year old daughter’s and she had to get another child’s passport, and my 16 year old daughter’s, and she was getting her first adult passport. She used both their expired passports, and it didn’t phase her that one was born in another country and neither have a second parent. She didn’t even ask for other supporting documents, just the expired passports.
I sent my expired passport in with my renewal form by mail (I’m cheap, wanted to save the $25 processing fee). we all got them back in a few weeks.
The then 16/now 26 year old just sent hers in for renewal, and I’m about to do that also. Just mailing the passport, picture, and $$. That’s it.
I’ve not had a passport appointment since my 1st one. I believe my kids got their passport appts at nearby local community college. They were going away and needed them.
Yes you can, my husband and I just renewed ours and they expired over 4 years ago. Form, passport, check, photo, got the new one in about 4 weeks.
Mail in is so easy. Around here you need an appointment for a passport at the post offices that offer the service. CVS and Walgreens do photos.
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I tried our post office website, and if you are renewing a passport for an adult it only gives link to website with mail-in instructions…. seems not even possible to set up an appointment.
I’m not in a rush (bailed out on the Mexico idea). Except to get it off my mind and get the pile off my kitchen counter. I did use it as an excuse to to force a pre-photo decision on long deferred hair decision. Tomorrow I will go back to perm-with-bangs, like I had for the four decades prior to Covid.
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Thank you very much for this thread, it helped me a lot and came at the right time.
From Travel.gov site:
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Have a neutral facial expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open.
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Face the camera directly with full face in view.
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Note to parents of young children: we have sample photos in the Photo Examples section below with tips for submitting a baby’s passport photo. We realize that an infant’s pose and expression are challenging to maintain for a photo.
I probably wouldn’t take the chance, but this specifically states you can smile if both of your eyes are open and it’s a “natural smile”-whatever that means.
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Glad it helped! That was part of the reason I made a dedicated thread, instead of asking in Random Questions thread. MANY THANKS for all the quick and helpful wisdom shared here.
Now that we proved we are brave enough to fly at this point of Covid (with boosters) …. I may need to start another thread for US recommendations for a winter getaway 
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My advice is to just do it, I had my form filled out and printed for months, but every time I was driving by a place that took photos I always felt like my hair/makeup wasn’t photo worthy (true, during Covid and masks). I really wanted a flu shot so made an appointment at cvs, decided just to get the photo in spite of my face being masked for a while. It really was nice to finally get it done!
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“Natural smile” means the mouth is closed and not distorted, no teeth showing, and the eyes are wide open.
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Oh, no teeth? Didn’t know that. Just renewed D22’s US passport after it expired a year ago - US Embassy in the UK processed the application within 9-10 days. Faster than during pre-Covid days.
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That’s what a pro photographer told us. Mona Lisa smile, lol.
The photo shows very little hair and mostly face. Really did not matter what my hair looked like. I chose the second time taking the photo to have no smile, no teeth showing.
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And a heads up. If you or your kid ever needs a photo for a visa, make SURE you go to a place that knows how to take it correctly. Each country has different requirements and they can be quite baffling and rigorous.
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Mona Lisa smile… love it. I remember for school photos our shy daughter usually had a no-teeth smile which we called her Monkey Smile. Just looked at one of them this morn, trying to do album of various portraits - but that is a discussion for a declutter thread 