No, Staples does not accept passport applications, but it can take passport photos and help you get renewal materials ready before you file through an approved facility.
If you’re standing in Staples with a passport form in hand, the easy guess is that the store might handle the whole thing. That part trips people up. Staples can help with pieces of the process, but it is not a passport acceptance facility for new U.S. passport applications.
That distinction matters because the wrong stop can cost you a day, an appointment slot, or a rushed trip across town. If you need a first passport, a child passport, or a passport that must be filed in person, you’ll still need an approved government location. Staples fits earlier in the errand list: photos, printing, copies, and in some cases renewal help through a partner service.
What Staples Can And Cannot Do For Passport Tasks
Staples does offer passport and visa photos at its stores, and the company says the photos are available with no appointment needed. That makes it handy when you need a compliant photo fast and don’t want to hunt down a dedicated photo shop.
What Staples does not do is act as the official place where most people submit a new passport application. The U.S. government routes in-person submissions through passport acceptance facilities and passport agencies, not office supply stores. You can check the official Where to Apply for a U.S. Passport page to see which locations are approved for that step.
So the clean answer is this: Staples is useful for prep work, not for the final handoff of a new passport application.
When Staples Makes Sense
Staples is a decent stop when you need to knock out the small but annoying parts in one place. You can get passport photos, print forms, copy identity documents, and grab mailing supplies if your renewal can be sent by mail.
That setup is handy for renewals because renewals often feel less like an office visit and more like a checklist. You gather the right form, attach a compliant photo, add payment, and mail the packet when your case qualifies.
When Staples Is The Wrong Stop
If this is your first U.S. passport, if the applicant is under 16, if the old passport was issued before age 16, or if the passport was lost, stolen, or badly damaged, Staples won’t finish the job. In those cases, filing usually must happen in person through an authorized facility or agency.
USAGov’s page on applying for a new adult passport spells out that the DS-11 form must be submitted at the proper location and signed in front of the acceptance official. That one rule alone tells you why Staples cannot replace a passport office.
Applying For A Passport At Staples Vs. At An Acceptance Facility
The fastest way to avoid a wasted trip is to separate “prep” from “submit.” Staples sits in the prep lane. Acceptance facilities sit in the submit lane. Once you view it that way, the process gets a lot less murky.
For many people, the confusion starts with the phrase “passport service.” Retail stores use that phrase for photos or partner-assisted renewal help. The government uses different terms for locations that can legally take your application, verify identity, witness signatures, and send the packet through the official channel.
Here’s the side-by-side breakdown.
| Task | Staples | Acceptance Facility Or Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Take passport photos | Yes, available in store | Sometimes, not at every location |
| Print passport forms | Yes | Sometimes forms are available on site |
| Copy identity or citizenship documents | Yes | Not the main purpose |
| Accept a first-time adult passport application | No | Yes |
| Accept a child passport application | No | Yes |
| Witness the DS-11 signature | No | Yes |
| Verify identity in an official filing appointment | No | Yes |
| Handle mailed renewal prep | Yes, through photos, printing, and supplies | No, unless you are filing in person for a case that needs it |
| Offer urgent passport issuance | No direct government issuance | Regional agencies handle urgent cases by appointment |
What To Do Instead If You Need A New Passport
If you need a first passport or any case that must be filed in person, start with the government process, not the store run. Fill out the right form, gather proof of citizenship and ID, then book or find an acceptance facility near you. Post offices, clerks of court, libraries, and other local government offices often fill that role.
The order matters. Don’t sign a DS-11 before the appointment. Don’t assume a photo taken anywhere will pass if it doesn’t meet the size and composition rules. Don’t leave document copies until the last minute if your appointment is tight.
A Simple Order That Saves Time
- Get your photo taken first.
- Print and fill out the correct form.
- Gather citizenship proof and photo ID.
- Make copies of the documents you need to copy.
- Book an acceptance facility appointment if your case needs in-person filing.
- Bring payment in the form the location accepts.
That order lets Staples do the errands it handles well, while the passport office does the legal filing work it alone can handle.
Where Staples Fits Best In A Passport Renewal
Renewals are the one area where Staples can feel a lot more helpful. Many renewal applicants don’t need an in-person acceptance facility visit. They need a compliant photo, a printed form, a steady hand on the checklist, and a mailing packet that is ready to go.
Staples has a passport photo page that says photos are offered at every location and that expedited passport renewals are available through a partner service. You can see that on the official Staples passport and visa photo services page.
That still does not turn Staples into the place where a new passport application gets accepted. It just means the store can help with more of the renewal legwork than many people expect.
Renewal Cases That Still Need Extra Care
Not every renewal is a plain mail-in packet. A damaged passport, a lost passport, name-change questions, travel in the near term, or an expired document that falls outside the usual renewal rules can push you back into a more formal process. That’s where it pays to read the government instructions line by line before you buy photos or postage.
A lot of frustration comes from treating every expired passport as a standard renewal. Some are. Some aren’t. Staples can help with the store tasks either way, but it can’t make a non-routine case routine.
| If Your Situation Is | Best First Stop | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First adult passport | Acceptance facility | You must file in person |
| Child passport | Acceptance facility | Child applications require in-person filing |
| Routine eligible renewal | Staples, then mail | Photo, printing, and packet prep can be done there |
| Lost, stolen, or damaged passport | Government instructions first | The filing path can change |
| Urgent travel soon | Passport agency process | Urgent cases follow a different channel |
Mistakes People Make When They Try To Use Staples For Passport Filing
The biggest mistake is assuming “passport photos” and “passport applications” are the same service. They aren’t. One is retail. The other is official government intake.
The next mistake is bringing the wrong expectation into the store. A clerk can help you get a photo taken or point you to printing and mailing supplies. A clerk cannot witness your DS-11, approve your identity documents, or accept government fees on behalf of a passport office.
Then there’s timing. People who are racing to travel often try to compress every step into one stop. That works only for some renewals. If your case needs an appointment, you still need one. If your local acceptance facility is booked out, a photo from Staples won’t solve that bottleneck by itself.
The Best Practical Answer
If you need passport photos, copies, printed forms, or help getting a renewal packet ready, Staples is a handy stop. If you need to file a new passport application or any case that must be handled in person, go straight to an approved acceptance facility or passport agency process.
That split is the cleanest way to plan it: use Staples for prep, use government-approved locations for submission. Do that, and the whole passport errand feels a lot less messy.
References & Sources
- U.S. Department of State.“Where to Apply for a U.S. Passport.”Lists the official locations that accept passport applications, including acceptance facilities and agencies.
- USAGov.“Apply for a New Adult Passport.”Explains when Form DS-11 must be submitted in person and signed before an acceptance official.
- Staples.“Passport & Visa Photos.”Shows that Staples offers passport photo services and renewal-related help, rather than acting as a passport acceptance facility.