Can I take my driver's license photo myself?
3 Answers
You can take your driver's license photo yourself as long as it meets the requirements for ID photos. Here is some information about driver's license photos: 1. Source: The origin of the photos used on driver's licenses varies by region. In some places, the photo is taken during the medical examination, while in others, it is provided at the time of application, or submitted by the applicant themselves after passing the fourth subject test. 2. Requirements: The photo must be a recent (within the last six months), color, front-facing photo with a white background. You cannot wear white clothing or uniforms. The photo does not need to include an ID number and should be one inch in size. Those who require vision correction must wear glasses. The head should occupy about two-thirds of the photo's length, and the photo must be clear and recognizable.
I once considered taking my driver's license photo myself to save money and for convenience. I tried taking selfies several times against a white wall in my living room with my phone, but the uneven lighting always resulted in facial shadows or blurriness. The official standards require a pure white background, a full-face shot without a hat, eyes level with the camera, and the head occupying a certain proportion of the photo. It's really not easy to get all these details right with home equipment. Later, I paid out of pocket to go to a professional ID photo studio, where the photographer used professional lighting and a camera to instantly produce a compliant photo. The key issue is that self-taken photos uploaded to the traffic management platform are often automatically rejected by the system due to minor issues, which can delay registration or annual inspection. It's more reliable to go through the standard channels and get it right the first time.
I'm quite familiar with driver's license photo requirements. I once tried taking photos at home to save a few bucks, but kept making mistakes. The photo must have light blue background, even lighting, clear facial features without obstructions - these strict standards are hard to meet DIY, especially getting the head size proportion right. Some apps claim to help with cropping, but still require professional approval with low pass rates and high risks. I recommend going directly to officially designated photo shops - it's faster and guaranteed compliant. Don't risk multiple application rejections by trying to save small money, which ends up costing more and causing frustration.
