A Walgreens passport photo costs **$16.99** before tax for two 2 x 2 inch prints, and **a digital copy by email is included** at no extra charge. We read both on [Walgreens' passport photo page](https://photo.walgreens.com/store/passport-photos) on **October 6, 2026**. A copy on a USB drive costs extra. Here is what the money buys, how it compares with CVS and the Post Office, and where the store beats doing it yourself.

<Callout type="note" title="Quick answer">
**Walgreens passport photo price: $16.99** for two 2 x 2 inch prints, before tax, with a **free digital copy by email** (checked October 6, 2026). In store only at most locations, no appointment, ready in a few minutes. No promotion was shown that day. The at-home alternative: our check is free, the digital file is **$4.99**, or **$6.99** with a 4 x 6 print sheet, paid only at download.
</Callout>

## Walgreens vs CVS vs USPS vs at home

Each price below comes from the company's own page, with the date we read it. Store prices can differ by location.

| | Price | Digital copy for online renewal | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens | $16.99 for two prints | Included free by email; USB copy extra | walgreens.com, read October 6, 2026 |
| CVS | $17.99 for two prints | $3.99 extra by email, select locations ($21.98 total) | cvs.com, read September 16, 2026; the page was not readable on October 6, 2026 |
| USPS (Post Office) | $15.00 photo fee "if needed" | Digital photos on a USB drive "for a fee" at many passport locations; the amount is not stated | usps.com, read October 6, 2026 |
| Our tool | Free check; $4.99 file, $6.99 with a 4 x 6 print sheet | The $4.99 file | [our pricing page](/pricing); pay only at download, no subscription |

The USPS fee sits next to a separate $35.00 Post Office acceptance fee, which only matters if you apply in person there. USPS says you can book a photo-only appointment, "including digital photos for online renewals."

## What you get for $16.99

Walgreens' page describes the service plainly:

- **Two 2 x 2 inch printed photos**, "taken by a trained store associate," which Walgreens says are "guaranteed to be government compliant"
- **A free digital copy sent via email** with the purchase; a copy on a USB drive costs extra
- **No appointment**, in store only, at "most of our Walgreens locations"
- Prints **typically ready a few minutes** after the photo is taken; the FAQ says "in one hour or less"

Walgreens also says the photos are "printed and analyzed using advanced tools to ensure compliance with the latest U.S. government and international regulations for size, background, head position and placement." It takes photos for all ages, including babies, and it is explicit that it "is not an acceptance facility for passport applications."

On September 20 the page carried a $2-off promo code; on October 6 it showed none. Promotions come and go, so check the page before you go.

## The digital copy is the differentiator

Of the big chains, this is the detail that makes Walgreens stand out: the emailed digital copy is included rather than sold as an add-on. If you are [renewing a US passport online](/us-passport-photo), the State Department requires a digital file you upload — a print does not help you. Walgreens' $16.99 covers both the prints and the file in one visit.

For comparison, CVS listed the emailed copy at $3.99 extra ($21.98 total) when we read its page on September 16, 2026, and FedEx Office listed $15.95 with printed or digital options on September 20, 2026. USPS offers a digital photo on a USB drive at many passport locations but does not print the price on its page. Our full list is in [passport photo cost](/blog/passport-photo-cost), and we have read the other chains' pages the same way: [CVS](/blog/cvs-passport-photo), [FedEx Office](/blog/fedex-passport-photo), [The UPS Store](/blog/ups-passport-photo) and [AAA](/blog/aaa-passport-photo).

## Walgreens vs doing it at home

| | Walgreens | At home with our tool |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $16.99, prints plus digital file | Free to check; $4.99 file or $6.99 with a 4 x 6 print sheet |
| Digital for online renewal | Included by email | The $4.99 file |
| Who takes it | A trained associate | You, against a plain wall |
| Check | Store's compliance analysis | Checked against the published requirements before you pay |
| Time | Drive plus a few minutes | As long as the photo takes |

The case for Walgreens is the same case for any store photo: a fixed backdrop, store lighting, and a person who sees the glasses on your head or the shadow behind your ear before the shutter clicks. The State Department's background rule — plain white or off-white, no shadows, textures or objects — is the rule most home photos fail. If your home has no clean wall, the store's backdrop is what you are paying for.

The case for home is price and control. The State Department accepts a photo taken by "a friend or family member," and the rules are identical wherever the photo comes from — they are all in our [US passport photo requirements](/blog/us-passport-photo-requirements) guide. Our tool crops your photo to 2 x 2 inches, checks head size, tilt, background brightness and evenness, sharpness and exposure, and shows you the result before you pay anything. It does not detect glasses or hands, and it will not repaint your background — the State Department checks for AI edits, so neither should anyone.

For babies, the trade is timing versus backdrop. Walgreens will photograph infants, and the associate handles the camera; at home, you can wait for the calm, alert minute that makes the photo work, using the [white-sheet setup](/blog/baby-passport-photo) the State Department suggests.

<ToolCTA document="us-passport" title="Check your photo free before paying $16.99" text="Take the photo at home against a plain white wall and upload it. We crop it to 2 x 2 inches and check it against the State Department's published requirements before you pay. $4.99 for the digital file — the same file Walgreens includes — or $6.99 with a 4 x 6 print sheet. No subscription; pay only at download." />

## Who should still go to Walgreens

- **You need both prints and a digital file in one trip.** At $16.99 with the email copy included, it beat the $21.98 CVS charged for the same combination when we last read CVS's page (September 16, 2026).
- **You have no plain wall or decent light.** The store backdrop removes the biggest source of rejections.
- **You want it done in minutes.** Walk in, walk out with prints.
- **A squirmy toddler you would rather hand to a professional.** A fixed setup and an experienced associate can be worth the difference.
- **You are going to Walgreens anyway.** If the trip is free, the premium over home shrinks to the difference in effort.

And the case where neither option works alone: **Canada**. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires passport photos taken in person by a commercial photographer or studio, stamped on the back, and does not accept photos printed at home. A store photo or a studio satisfies that; our tool cannot supply the stamp. See [Canada passport photo requirements](/blog/canada-passport-photo-requirements).

One boundary applies to both routes: the State Department decides, not the seller. It calls unacceptable photos "the number one reason why we put passport applications on hold." Walgreens guarantees compliance with the rules; we check against the published requirements; neither of us makes the government's decision. Our refund: email hello@thepassportphotomaker.com within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full, whatever the reason. If the office handling your application rejects the photo later for something we measure (size, head height, background, file format), send us the notice and we refund it then too, even after 14 days ([refund terms](/terms#refunds)). We are an independent service, not affiliated with the Department of State or Walgreens.

To test the home route on a photo you already have, [upload it here](/photo) — the check is free, and more of the trade-offs are in [passport photo app vs pharmacy](/blog/passport-photo-app-vs-pharmacy).

## Frequently asked questions

### How much is a passport photo at Walgreens?

Walgreens lists $16.99 for two 2 x 2 inch printed photos taken by a trained store associate, on its passport photo page read October 6, 2026, before tax. A digital copy sent by email is included at no extra charge, and a copy on a USB drive costs extra. The page showed no promotion that day.

### Do I need an appointment at Walgreens for a passport photo?

No. Walgreens says no appointment is needed: walk up to the photo counter and ask a staff member. The service is available in store only, at most Walgreens locations, and a printed photo is typically ready a few minutes after it is taken.

### Does Walgreens give you a digital copy for online renewal?

Yes. Walgreens says the $16.99 purchase includes a free digital copy sent by email, and a digital copy on a USB drive is offered for an additional fee. A digital file, not a print, is what you need to renew a US passport online, so this inclusion is the detail that matters for online renewal.

### Is the Walgreens passport photo guaranteed to be accepted?

Walgreens says its photos are guaranteed to be government compliant and are printed and analyzed using advanced tools for size, background, head position and placement. That is a promise about the photo's compliance with the rules, not a promise about the State Department's decision, and the page does not describe a refund if the government rejects it.

### Is it cheaper to take a passport photo at home?

Usually. Our check is free, the digital file is $4.99, and a file plus a 4 x 6 print sheet is $6.99, against Walgreens' $16.99. The trade is that a Walgreens associate takes the photo under store lighting and a fixed backdrop, while at home the wall and the light are your responsibility.

### Can Walgreens take a baby's passport photo?

Yes, Walgreens says it offers passport photos for all ages including babies and children. The State Department allows an infant's eyes to be not fully open and a plain white sheet as the background. At home you can wait for the baby's calm moment; at the store you get a fixed backdrop and an associate holding the camera.

<Sources items={[
  { label: "Walgreens Photo - Passport Photos (price read October 6, 2026)", href: "https://photo.walgreens.com/store/passport-photos" },
  { label: "CVS Photo - Passport Photos (price read September 16, 2026; not readable on October 6, 2026)", href: "https://www.cvs.com/photo/passport-photos" },
  { label: "USPS - Passports: photo and acceptance fees, digital photos (read October 6, 2026)", href: "https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm" },
  { label: "U.S. Department of State - Passport Photos (adoption.state.gov mirror)", href: "https://adoption.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/photos.html" },
  { label: "Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - Passport photo requirements", href: "https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/photos.html" }
]} />