Can I Get Passport Photos At Costco Without A Membership? | Options

No, U.S. Costco stores no longer take passport photos, so a membership will not get you passport pictures there.

If you searched “Can I Get Passport Photos At Costco Without A Membership?”, the plain answer is no for a simpler reason than most people expect. In the United States, Costco shut down its in-store photo centers years ago, and passport photos went with them. So this is not just a membership issue anymore. It is a service issue.

That changes the real question. You are not deciding whether to borrow a friend’s card or walk in without one. You are deciding where to get a compliant passport photo today, how to avoid a rejected shot, and whether any Costco-related photo option still helps. That’s where people get tripped up.

Costco still has a photo-related offer for members through Shutterfly, yet that is not the same thing as a walk-up passport photo counter. If you need a U.S. passport photo for an application, renewal packet, or child passport form, the safer move is to use a place that actually handles passport-sized photos or to take one yourself and match the federal rules before printing it.

Why The old Costco answer no longer works

For years, Costco was known as a cheap place to get passport pictures. Plenty of older posts still mention that version of Costco, and that old advice keeps floating around in search results. That is why this topic still causes confusion.

Today, Costco’s own customer service pages point members to Shutterfly for photo printing instead of an in-store photo counter. You can see that shift in Costco’s page on photo printing service, which sends members to its Shutterfly arrangement instead of listing warehouse passport photo service.

That means two things for U.S. shoppers. One, you cannot walk into Costco and get a passport picture taken, member or not. Two, even if you use Costco’s member photo discount for general printing, you still need a passport-ready image first. Costco is no longer the place that creates the photo for you.

Passport photos at Costco without a membership today

Right now, the membership part is almost beside the point. A non-member cannot get U.S. passport photos at Costco because U.S. Costco warehouses do not offer that service. A member cannot get them there either. The old “membership required” angle mattered back when Costco still had active photo counters. In current practice, there is no in-store passport photo desk waiting on either person.

That matters if you are trying to save time. Plenty of people still drive to Costco based on stale blog posts, then learn they need a different stop the same day. If your passport application deadline is tight, skipping that wasted trip can save more than the small price gap you may have been chasing.

There is still one narrow Costco-related path: a member can use Costco’s Shutterfly discount for prints. Yet that route works only if you already have a correctly cropped passport-photo file and only if the print output meets the rules for size, clarity, and paper quality. So it is not a plug-and-play answer for most travelers.

What You need for a valid U.S. passport photo

Before you pick a replacement, know what the photo has to look like. The U.S. Department of State says the photo must be in color, taken within the last six months, printed at 2 x 2 inches, and shot against a plain white or off-white background. The face must be fully visible, and glasses are not allowed in most cases. The State Department’s page on U.S. passport photos lays out the full rule set.

Those details sound small until one of them is off. A shadow on the wall, a smile that is too broad, a low-resolution print, or a crop that cuts head space too tight can slow your application. If you are mailing papers, that delay gets even more annoying because you may not know about the problem right away.

This is why the cheapest route is not always the one with the lowest sticker price. A photo that has to be redone costs more in time, shipping, and stress than a photo done right on the first try.

Where Costco still fits in the photo process

Costco is not fully out of the picture. It still has a member photo-printing relationship through Shutterfly. So if you already created a passport-ready template elsewhere, you may be able to use that discount for printing other photo items. Still, for a passport application, the bigger task is accuracy, not just printing access.

That is why many travelers split the job into two parts. First, get a digital image that matches passport rules. Next, print it on proper photo paper at a place that can handle exact dimensions. Costco’s current role, if any, sits on the printing side and only for members. It does not replace a passport photo service.

If you do try a print-only route, inspect the final photo before you send anything. Check the size with a ruler. Make sure the image is sharp, the background looks plain, and the face is centered. Do not trust the thumbnail on your phone and assume the print will match.

Question	Current answer	What it means for you
Can a non-member get passport photos at Costco?	No.	U.S. Costco warehouses do not offer passport photo service now.
Can a member get passport photos at Costco?	No.	A paid membership does not reopen a discontinued service.
Does Costco still have in-store photo centers?	No in the U.S.	Older articles that mention the photo counter are outdated.
Does Costco still do photo printing in some form?	Yes, through Shutterfly offers for members.	That is a print benefit, not a passport photo booth.
Can Costco take your passport picture?	No.	You need another store, a passport acceptance location, or a self-shot setup.
Can Costco’s current photo offer help with passport pictures?	Only in a limited print-only way.	You would need a compliant image before printing.
Is the membership issue still the main thing to worry about?	No.	The service itself is the real blocker.
Should you go to Costco for a same-day passport photo?	No.	Choose a place that actively offers passport photos.

Better Places To get passport pictures

If you need a passport photo today, your best bet is a place that still runs the service as a core task. That usually means a pharmacy chain, a shipping store, a camera shop, a passport acceptance facility that offers photos, or a local print shop that knows passport sizing. The best choice depends on what you value most: speed, low cost, or having someone else handle the rules.

Drugstores And big-box counters

These are popular because they are easy to find and often offer same-day service. A staff member takes the photo, checks framing, and prints it on the spot. That convenience can beat the old Costco price edge if you need the photo right away.

The tradeoff is consistency. One location may do a clean job, while another may rush it. Before you leave the counter, look at the print. If the background looks gray, the lighting is uneven, or your face looks soft or blurry, ask for another shot.

Passport acceptance locations

Some acceptance sites offer photo service along with application intake. That can cut down on errands. You get the photo and submit your paperwork in one place, which is handy if you are applying for a first passport or for a child.

Not every site offers photos, so check before you go. If the location does both, bring everything you need so you do not lose your slot over a missing document or payment issue.

Take It yourself

A self-shot passport photo can work if you pay close attention to the rules. Use even light, a plain white or off-white background, and a camera that produces a sharp image. Stand straight, face the lens, and leave enough room around the head for proper cropping.

This route costs less, yet the margin for error is wider. If you are not comfortable measuring, cropping, and checking print quality, paying a store to do it may be the smoother move.

How To avoid a rejected passport photo

Most photo problems are boring little mistakes. That is good news because boring mistakes are easy to dodge once you know them.

• Use a recent photo that matches your current look.
• Stick with a plain white or off-white background.
• Take off glasses unless you have a rare approved exception.
• Keep the image sharp, not grainy or dark.
• Print at the required 2 x 2 inch size.
• Do not use filters, heavy edits, or beauty effects.
• Check that the final print is clean, not creased, marked, or smudged.

If you are using a phone, watch out for portrait mode blur around the ears or hair. That soft edge can make an otherwise decent image look edited. Also turn off filters buried in the camera app. A passport photo needs to look plain and true to life.

Photo mistake	Why it causes trouble	Safer move
Wrong print size	The application calls for 2 x 2 inches.	Measure the print before mailing.
Busy or shadowed background	The face does not stand out cleanly.	Use a plain wall with even light.
Glasses in the photo	Most applicants cannot wear them.	Remove them for the shot.
Old photo	The image must reflect current appearance.	Use a photo taken within the last six months.
Blurry or low-quality print	Poor detail can lead to rejection.	Use a sharp image and proper photo paper.
Bad crop	Head size and spacing can fall outside the rule.	Check the crop before printing.

When A Costco-related print route still makes sense

A Costco member might still use the Shutterfly discount if all the hard parts are already done. Say you took a correct digital passport photo elsewhere, verified the crop, and only want a print order tied to a member perk. In that narrow case, Costco’s current photo arrangement may still have some value.

Even then, it is smart to treat it as a print order, not a passport-photo service. You are still the one checking that the image file is ready, the crop is right, and the final print meets the federal rule. If any one of those steps is off, the discount does not save the application.

That is why many travelers skip the patchwork route and go straight to a place that offers passport photos start to finish. It cuts down on the chance that you will end up with a print that looks fine to the eye but misses a size or composition rule.

What To do right now

If you need an answer you can act on in the next ten minutes, use this. Do not go to Costco expecting a passport photo counter. Pick a live passport-photo provider near you or take the photo yourself and match the federal standards before printing. If you already have a compliant digital image and you are a Costco member, the current Costco-Shutterfly setup may still help on the print side, yet it will not take the photo for you.

That is the whole thing in one line: no membership workaround exists for a U.S. Costco passport photo because the warehouse service is gone. Your real job is finding the fastest valid replacement.