Costco Passport Photo: Discontinued & What to Do Instead

Costco no longer takes passport photos. The warehouse photo departments closed in early 2021, and the online Costco Photo Center followed in 2023, with printing handed to Shutterfly. So if you drove to the warehouse for the famously cheap photo and found the counter gone, you're in good company; the searches for it never stopped.

So where should a Costco member go now? What do the remaining counters charge? And is there a way to keep the trip out of it entirely?

Closure confirmed via coverage of Costco's announcement. Status re-checked July 31, 2026.

Traveler jumping with her phone in one hand and a US passport in the other
The photo counter is gone; the selfie route isn't.

Why Did Costco Stop Taking Passport Photos?

Print demand collapsed. When Costco announced the closures, it said the rise of camera phones and social media had steadily shrunk the need for printed photos, to the point that on-site photo printing no longer made sense. The photo departments shut in February 2021, and passport photos were part of what went.

The online Costco Photo Center held on until January 2023, then closed too, with photo printing moved to Shutterfly. Shutterfly prints photos, but it isn't a passport photo counter, so for members the passport errand needs a new home.

Where Can You Get Passport Photos Instead?

Every remaining option splits into two camps: counters that take the photo for you, and services that work from a photo you take yourself. Here's how they compare today:

OptionPriceThe catch
Walgreens $16.99, digital copy free Store lighting, redo trip if rejected
CVS $17.99 + $3.99 digital Digital costs extra, select stores
FedEx Office $15.95, prints or digital One format per purchase
Walmart $7.64 for two prints You supply the photo, unchecked
OnePassPhotoFree preview, price at checkoutChecked against every rule first

Walgreens pricing verified June 29, 2026; CVS July 29, 2026; FedEx Office July 31, 2026; Walmart July 31, 2026.

What size is a US passport photo?

Wherever you end up, the target is the same official size Costco used to deliver: a 2 x 2 inch square, with your head 1 to 1⅜ inches from chin to crown. Get the head too small or too large and the passport office rejects it, no matter how good the photo looks.

From home you don't have to eyeball it. We measure your head and set it to the regulation size before you pay, and you can see the full US passport photo requirements spelled out.

US passport photo size diagram A 2 by 2 inch (51 by 51 mm) square photo with a centered head and shoulders, where the head measures 1 to 1 and three-eighths inches (25 to 35 mm) from the chin to the top of the head. Example US passport photo of a woman, sized to the official 2x2 inch spec with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown and eyes 56 to 69 percent up from the bottom. 2 in · 51 mm 2 in · 51 mm head 1–1⅜ in
US passport photo size: 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm), with the head 1–1⅜ in (25–35 mm) from chin to crown. Source: U.S. Department of State.

The from-home option

How to Get Your Passport Photo Online

The thing that killed the Costco photo counter, the camera in your pocket, is also the thing that replaces it. A photo taken at home works fine for a US passport, as long as it meets the State Department's rules. And this is where OnePassPhoto can help.

Snap a selfie and upload it. We size your head to the proper specifications, tidy up the background if needed, and check your lighting, framing, and expression against every official US rule, all before you pay a cent. You get the digital file and a print-ready file, so you can still print two copies cheaply at any photo counter. We never retouch your face, so it still looks like you. And if a passport office ever turns it down, you get your money back.

Costco Passport Photo FAQ

Does Costco do passport photos?

No, not anymore. Costco closed its in-store photo departments in early 2021, and passport photos went with them. The online Costco Photo Center followed in 2023, with printing handed off to Shutterfly.

How much is a passport photo at Costco?

There's no current price, because there's no service. Before the 2021 closure Costco was known as one of the cheapest counters, which is why so many people still search for it. Today the membership card doesn't help with passport photos.

Why did Costco stop taking passport photos?

Falling demand for prints. When Costco announced the photo department closures, it pointed to camera phones and social media shrinking the need for on-site photo printing, and passport photos were part of the department that closed.

Is there a Costco passport photo near me?

No. The closure covered all warehouse photo departments, so there's no location that still takes passport photos, whatever the search results from before 2021 may suggest.

Can Shutterfly make my passport photo instead?

Shutterfly is where Costco's photo printing went, but it's a general photo-printing service, not a passport photo counter. If you upload something there, making it meet the State Department's rules stays your job.

Where should Costco members get passport photos now?

The nearby options are Walgreens ($16.99 with a free emailed digital copy), CVS ($17.99 plus $3.99 for the digital file), FedEx Office ($15.95, prints or digital), and Walmart ($7.64 to print a photo you upload). Or skip the trip: OnePassPhoto checks a selfie against every official rule from home.

What's the cheapest Costco alternative for passport photos?

Walmart, at $7.64 for two prints, with the catch that you supply the photo and nobody checks it. Pair it with a service that verifies your photo first and the low price stops being a gamble.

Can I take my own passport photo at home instead?

Yes, as long as it meets the official US Department of State rules. Upload a selfie to OnePassPhoto and we set the size, fix the background if needed, and check every rule before you pay; if a passport office ever rejects it, you get your money back.