Photos You Can't Leave Home Without: $10-$15

Piedmonters planning to travel out of the country may need new passports, or renewals of their old ones. That means providing a current passport photo. All prices below include the two copies of a photo required for passport applications.

The , one of the public agencies that accept passport applications, takes passport photos for $15. Elsewhere, local camera shops and shipping companies charge between $10 and $15 to take a U.S. passport photo.

At Montclair Photo, 6170 Antioch St., in Montclair Village, U.S. passport photos are $12.99, while most international passport photos (for non-U.S. citizens) are $25.99. Canadian passport photos are $27.49. An additional set of U.S. passport photos (for visas and other uses) is $9.99. The shop offers the walk-in photo service every day and the photos are taken in about 10 minutes, said shop employee Melanie Peterson. A few pictures are taken and the customer has a choice of what photo to use. One passport set includes three photos.  

At Sarber’s Cameras, 1958 Mountain Blvd., also in Montclair Village, two passport photos are $15 and it’s an additional $8 for a second set. European passports cost $25 for two photos. The shop takes passport photos for infants and babies but does not do Canadian photos, said sales associate Holly Healy.

At Abby Photo, 6212 Claremont Ave., just off College Avenue, it’s $12.99 for two passport photos, which are ready while the customer waits, said owner Minu Paul. The shop can also handle Canadian, European and Mexican passport photos.

At the , 4096 Piedmont Ave., passport photos are $13.95, said manager Hiten Patel. The photos are taken in about five minutes.

The Oakland City Clerk’s office takes passport photos and it’s the cheapest option at $10, said public service representative Tina Aranda. The office also processes passport applications, though, due to city budget cuts, both those services will end July 31.

Passport application forms can be processed at the . and at the North Oakland Post Office, 4900 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. The cost to process passport applications is the same everywhere — $135 for those age 16 and over and $105 for those under 16, according to the United States Postal Service. The costs to renew passports are $110 and $80 respectively.

Those with limited travel plans who will re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry can save money by acquiring a U.S. passport card, instead of a passport book. The cost for a card is $55 for those 16 and over and $40 for those under 16.