I’m also thankful to have read this thread. I let my passport expire a few years ago because I didn’t want to get the picture made. Wasn’t happy with my weight and didn’t have any overseas plans so just let it slip by. Now the weight problem is solved but I probably have more wrinkles. 
Oh well, just need to make a point to stop by AAA and get this over and done with.
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Looking at my old passport photo (before I lost weight) realized that I sure did better then from the shoulder up. So be it.
I am not too hung up with how the photo looks since passports (and drivers license) photos are rarely flattering. But since I have no near- term need a day delay won’t hurt. And it will be good to have my hair more matching of its normal non-covid state.
My daughter, at age 2 getting a Chinese passport, had to have her right ear showing. Very weird.
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UPS stores do passport photos.
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I was able to get passport photo at AAA. (Not sure the normal cost. It was free because we opted to book a trip to Hawaii after ditching the Mexico trip. It turns out that is actually a much more effective use of our United Frequent Flier Miles, and we’ve never been… so all turned out OK).
Although there is no international travel on the horizon, I do want to get the renewal processes started. We do not need fast turn around… but would express USPS submission be better for tracking purposes? (I think it is $26. Express return, which I was not going to do is $18… but reconsidering, even though the check is written)
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Dunno—we just paid the required minimum and trusted the process. It came sooner than we expected—under 2 months. That was fine with us.
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I’ve renewed 3 passports during covid. Younger s’ was in august 2020 when the fed govt was just opening back up and trying to work through the backlog. Took 12 weeks.
In November 2020 both H and I renewed ours, but at separate times two weeks apart. But both of us took the photo at Walgreens and went to the post office. I sent mine in first. h two weeks later. He got his back in 4 weeks. Mine took 12. Who knows why. Both of our old passports had not expired. There was no difference. I figure his went to a new hire trying to impress someone.
But! Our old ones, I had the worst photo. My eyes were half shut and look like I’m on drugs. I was determined to have a decent one. I liked my new Walgreens pic and was so happy to get my new passport. Whoever made the final passport did something weird with the undertones of the picture. It’s all reddish and there are huge black shadows all around my eyes. I look like a clown! My original didn’t look like that! I still have the backup copy they give you. H’s of course is normal. Argh!!!
We always go to the post office and we have to make an appointment. And to make one, you have to call.
But I also once had the post office reject a photo that I had done for older S at cvs. They made me retake it with them. So you never know.
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Yikes @classicmom98. That’s weird that they managed to wreck your passport photo. Oh well, at least they don’t really seem to look much at the photos, particularly if you have global entry.
Timing can be pretty random. H and I both applied for Global entry renewal at the same time. Mine was approved promptly. His took sone weeks longer, for no reason either of us could discern.
When I was getting my kids’ second passports, they were children’s so had to be processed by the post office. they went in together, and one came back fairly promptly (it was right when they started requiring them for Mexico and Canada, so there was a backlog). The other didn’t come, didn’t come, said it would be coming in 6 more weeks. Eek! We were headed to China! All of a sudden it arrived, plus the backup documentation.
I really think it was her picture. Even though the post office took it, it looked different than her sister’s.
PHEW - glad the second passport finally came. For my kids years ago, hubby filled out form and signed it… then I took kids to post office for photo etc. Argh, he use pencil (who does that on an official form?). Since the forms had his signature (he used pen for that) I had to overwrite forms with pen - believe me, much harder to write on top of pencil than to start from scratch.
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FYI - Hint from Google search
Be sure to use a large envelope to send your passport renewal package. The US Department of State encourages the use of larger envelopes, not letter-size envelopes so that you do not have to fold any of the forms or documents you are submitting.Dec 4, 2019
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Have a great time in Hawaii!
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Not always – I had to renew my passport & went to the local UPS, but they aren’t doing photos there due to Covid masking restrictions. But they told me where to go – a Walgreen’s up the road. No problem there. In any case, my trip to UPS wasn’t wasted because the clerk there definitely knew where to send me.
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I’m in the process and I just used flat rate priority mail so I would have a tracking number. (In the flat rate envelope for letters – so that also takes care of the envelope size issue).
I dropped it in the mail late on a Friday and it was delivered on Monday morning… with lots of little text messages along the way telling me exactly where the envelope was. My check was cashed quite promptly as well… but no passport as of yet – but it’s been less than 3 weeks, so I’m not worried.
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Ah, that might be a good idea. Looks like it is $8.95, could be worthwhile for some peace of mind.
Yes, I should have said SOME UPS stores do them, check before going. We dropped masks, were > 6 feet distanced, snap, put mask back on, no problem.
Just an update – I received my passport in the mail today, 38 days after I mailed in the application. (so a little less than 6 weeks).
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Bumping this up. Our passports expire this year so I have the forms printed out and going to get the pictures done today. Actually put on makeup!
Any reason to get the card? We live near Canada but haven’t been in awhile. My husband does not have an enhanced driver’s license. His renewal was during the COVID shutdown so it was done through the mail. Would that be a reason to get a passport card or is it a waste of $?
I don’t have debit cards, so on those rare occasions when I needed either a debit card or two pieces of ID at the bank, the passport card came in handy.
I printed out the form and picked to get the card. Now I’m rethinking and don’t think I need a passport card, so will reprint the form and save the $30.
It’s just not that hard for me to use the passport on the few time the card could be substituted (cruise, going to canada or mexico by a border crossing.