Starting Nov 1st, 2016 if you are renewing or applying for a new US Passport, you will be required to leave your glasses off for your passport photo.
According to the U.S. State Department, eyewear can cause glare or can obscure parts of the face in photos. This can make it more difficult in processing photos or when going through immigration at the border.
An official notice regarding exceptions to the rule has not been released. However, some sources are stating that there might be an exclusion to the rule for those who have certain medical conditions. In these cases, a signed document from your doctor will be required with your application. As we find out more information we will update our US Passport Photo Guidelines page regarding these exclusions.
Those with existing passports that have photos containing eyewear will not be required to replace their currently valid passport.
If you are preparing your new passport photo in advance of the change, you can use our Free Passport Photo Creator to instantly create standard printable photo files.