My photo is the worst. My license renewal came during covid so I didn't have to anything besides send in my money. They used the same horrible photo. It's just the worst. You are not alone.

Oh, wow … this just happened to me last week!!

My last one was in 2009 and looked really good. But this new one … oof.

I blamed it on the woman helping me — she kept making me laugh. We were having a good time, but my picture ended up with me grimacing (trying not to laugh), head pushed back, my neck looking like a linebacker. I was horrified. She was cracking up and offered to take it again, but people were waiting so I declined. It just came in the mail yesterday and It’s. So. Bad.

DH asked to see and I said NO.

One good thing: I will do my best to never get pulled over because I don’t want anyone seeing that picture of me.

I don't know anyone that has a flattering photo on their driver's license. What is with that? They're just the worst! You are definitely not alone.

Hate license photos, I had one for 15 years that was taken when I was not not feeling my best, due to allergies acting up on my appointnent day. Big mistake. Between my allergies and the DMV photo skills I looked 20 years older and just not myself. The photo was so bad that over the 15 years several agents at the local airport remarked on it in sympathy, they too suffered horrific photos at the hands of the CA DMV.

I just got one and it was "okay". When I went to get a new license in a different state I spruced myself up knowing I'd have the photo taken and it turned out pretty good. However a couple days later when I looked at the license it said I was M instead of F. As soon as I saw that I went back to get the problem corrected - not spruced up - and they had to take a new picture. It was okay but not as good as the first one. Interestingly in this state they produce your license on the spot while you wait. I thought that was pretty slick. In the past ours were always mailed out weeks later.

I'm the odd one out. I like mine. Whenever I take this photo, I style my hair and put on make up.

I make sure the corners of lips are turned up slightly do I don't have the perpetual frown.

I do the same for passport photos.

I learned long ago that it takes effort to take a good photo. I've taught both DD’s as well as my husband how to look the best you can by smiling, standing up straight etc.

Really, no need to be unhappy with having your picture taken.

Mine is atrocious. I styled my hair, put on extra makeup and made sure I had a pleasant expression on my face. The lighting completely washed me out.

I also had to unexpectedly have a new photo taken for Clear. I still had the remnants of my black eye. So, that's what I get to look at every time I use the Clear booths.

Eld, me too.

Well, I had some makeup on but apparently not enough. I stood up straight (resulting in no chin definition) and smiled happily, so now I look like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

? What is Clear? And why does Clear have booths?

”I also had to unexpectedly have a new photo taken for Clear. I still had the remnants of my black eye. So, that's what I get to look at every time I use the Clear booths.”

The NY DMV is a barrel of laughs too. My current photo was taken when I was getting my license upgraded to the enhanced ID and the clerk was adamant I couldn't smile.

I am well aware one can't show teeth for a passport/driver's license photo - but all I was doing was SLIGHTLY turning up the corners of my mouth. Nope. Clerkzilla was adamant it was not allowed. We did 3 photos and she refused each one because I was "smiling."

I was no longer smiling in the 4th one. I look like I'm contemplating homicide.

I only use that license when there are no other options.

I can relate. In my recent passport photo I bear more than a passing resemblance to Ma Joad. Womp Womp.

@maddielee We often fly out of the chaotic Denver airport so we paid for additional screening that helps us skip a lot of the TSA line. In the airport, you go to the Clear area and stand in front of a booth/kiosk that reads your eye scan or fingerprint. Your picture pops up, the employee verifies that your identity matches your boarding pass, and then you are ushered to a (usually) much shorter line.

My new picture prominently displays my black eye.

https://www.clearme.com/

I don't mind my driver's license and passport photos. I actually look pleasant in each. I recently got an international driver's permit, and the photo is meh. The horrific one is my Costco photo because I didn't realize when applying for the card several years ago, that a photo was required. I was in my "out running errands" attire, and I look every bit the part.

Ally De, is the enhanced ID you're referring to, the Real ID?

@deegw

Thanks dee! Clear is not used at our airport, yet.

Feathers, it's sort of an "enhanced" Real ID, if that makes any sense at all. I travel to Canada and this allows me to move back and forth w/o a passport. Only a few states have them so far, apparently...

Here is Homeland Security's explanation:

https://www.dhs.gov/enhanced-drivers-licenses-what-are-they

My latest one is awful. I always take time to fix my hair, do my makeup, etc etc. This time I set my bag on the floor and as I looked up he snapped my picture. I look kind of startled. I really should have asked him to retake it but he was an unpleasant person and I just wanted out of there.

I want to go for my Real ID and Im hoping they retake the photo.

I have save all my drivers licenses and it is interesting to watch me age. Interesting, not fun.

You know the old saying: if you look anything like your passport photo, you’re not healthy enough to travel.

Once when I was getting my photo, which can take hours here, there was a woman who occupied her time removing her extensions and unbraiding her hair.

She was half done when they called her, half braids half natural.

She got her picture taken.

My latest one is also horrible. I got pulled over by a city cop because my drivers license was supposed to have been renewed on my birthday and I completely forgot. He guessed by the license tag on my license plate. Apparently he noticed I had a recent birthday and it is common for people to forget about the driver's license renewal as well.

Anyway, he just gave me a warning and I left to go directly to the DMV. Of course my hair was a mess, between perms, no makeup, ect. The photo is terrible. I also look twice my age, so many wrinkles! Where did they come from??

As a side note, I went clothes shopping this morning. What is maybe worse than the license photo session? Your reflection in the dressing room mirror! UGH. Do I really look like that? I thought I lost weight. I thought my hair looked good - not so frizzy. lol

I look like a recently released convict in both my most recent driver’s license and passport photos. Whois that person????

My condolences to you, and all who are so afflicted. Me too. I went from supermodel momma in my DL photo, screaming toddler attached to my knees pining to be picked up, just out of frame, super hot day, extra long line and wait time (pro-tip everyone, these factors seem to increase chances of decent DL/Passport photo), to superugly baglady in my DL photo.

Got my passport photo done and agent was retaking my photo several times. I said to her, I suppose I actually look like the photos as it's not getting better. haha She said, but you don't. You do not look like these photos. I said thanks, but we can't seem to prove otherwise, ehh? haha She was cute and said, it's ok. The only people who will see this photo will never see you again, so there's that!

On my approx 10 year old DL photo, I used to tell people when having to show it, now don't laugh, it's really bad lol. So bad, that if I ever go missing, I'm gone for good!, because this photo will be the one the news outlets use and show, and no one will ever recognize me! I'll be a gonner!

DMV finally required me to get a new photo (about time!). I thought this is my chance. No more horrid DL photo for me! Yay! I took a bad photo again, just in a different way this time. I'm smiling in this one, not that it helped! haha My hair and make-up were done, so I have no excuse, other than we might actually look like this. I have suspected for a long time that we have kind mirrors at home that don't reveal how we really look. ; )

Eld6161 -I am NOT photogenic - I look fine (only ”fine”- not ”good”) in about 1 out of 20 photos. My ex-husband isn’t photogenic either. HOWEVER - both of our daughters are extremely photogenic.

I need someone to teach me how to take a good photo!!

I get nervous every time I have one taken simply because I know that I’m not photogenic - which makes it worse. I think part of the reason that my daughters are so photogenic is because they have grown up having so many more photos taken (digital cameras + phone cameras = many more photos than back in the ”old days” when we had cameras with film).

My SIL is extremely photogenic also - and my youngest daughter’s boyfriend is photogenic too.

My oldest daughter tries to ”coerce” me into taking photos with my grandson - I acquiesce some of the time. I tell myself that everyone will be looking at how adorable he is - and won’t notice how awful I look! 😂

Mine is really bad. I'm so grateful I rarely have reason to show it. We'd gone to the next largest city to buy enhanced type, they weren't processing those locally that year. Waiting area full, long lines. The person helping me kept telling me not to smile and more than once asked I push my hair back away from my face. I don't wear my hair back away from my face and I had no way to make it stay back...

My worst photo ID though? My Costco card. I could frighten a child. I would never have left the house looking so haggard so the processor somehow just caught a very bad angle at precisely the worst possible moment.

I make sure the corners of lips are turned up slightly do I don't have the perpetual frown.- eld

This. I try to turn the corners of my lips up slightly but not so much that I'm told "no smiling". My DL photos are usually barely acceptable but at least I don't view them as being cringe-worthy.

Mine is more like this with a white bob.

One time I handed my passport to the stern-faced Immigration officer and said ”it is not a good photo.” He opened it and gasped. 😂

Ok, if we’re doing The Shining, this is mine (except my lips were closed in a bizarre kind of smile I didn’t even know I was capable of):

As soon as she saw it on the computer, she starting laughing. 😂

Mine is hideous and I'm stuck with it for EIGHT YEARS! It's one of those real IDs and it's very light and washed out looking and in black and white. Can't they do better than this?! UGH!

My DH moved his license to another state where he had lived before, more than 25 years ago. The DMV lady pulled up the old license on the screen and said "ooh you were a snack!" And then "you still are. " LOL can you imagine.

Honestly, mtn, no. DH is still very cute into his 60s but he's never come near a snackable license photo.

arkansas girl, ikwym. I've stopped dyeing my hair since my last license but my eyebrows are still dark which makes The Shining reference even more apropos. Why did I smile? (Going to blame eid.)

Skipped down to say I've never had one I liked either, and there was one time when it was so bad the DMV photographer made me do it over - now you know that means it HAD to be horrible 😄

The one I have now is really, really old, and it doesn't expire until next year. It's not too bad, considering.

OK, after reading all the above comments, I will remind everyone, they are not the ones taking the pictures - it's the people operating the camera who are responsible for such unfortunate results. I recall once being told 'smile' before the pic was snapped, which totally discombobulated me. IOW, there are good moments and there are bad moments for taking a photo, and not everybody knows how to capture the good moments.

Oh - and one way to have better photo results is to practice in a mirror, and try to memorize how your face and body feels when you like the expression.

I've never had a photo I was happy with until my last birthday, when I had to renew. I had been dreaading it for years -- long waits and the worst photo of me EVER getting replaced by one even worse. I had to make a second trip (they wanted more documents to prove I was me for a renewal) and was a bit agitated. I figured it was just part of the conspiracy of man and nature (waiting lines, delays, forms, standing outdoors in hot & sticky, cold & windy or even raining weather) to assure that you were at your worst when they take your photo from the least possible flattering angle.

In addition to the usual, I had to explain that they had taken it upon themselves to change my name with my last renewal by dropping my maiden name and that NOWHERE have I ever used my middle name and married name without my maiden name between them. I wanted my name back iin a form I actually use. They have the records of all the documents -- birth certificate, marriage license and driver's license for most of the 50 years since I got my permit. They wanted 2 forms of proof of ID for the renewal plus my marriage certificate. I did not take my marriage certificate with me after 30+ years, so that was the reason for a second trop (half an hour drive each way each time).

I was prepared for the new worst ever photo of myself. I got something I am not embarrassed to pull out of my wallet when I have to show it. I won't say it's great, but it SOOOOO much better than what it was. I know that's rare and I'm grateful.

When I renewed in my old state, I tried to keep my eyes wide open becuase I always blink with a flash. The instructions also said to not smile. So, the guy took the picture and looked at it oddly. I asked if my eyes had closed. He stated, no, they are open…he then ran off. I heard giggling in the distance and the he came back straight faced with my picture on the temporary license. I looked like an insane axe murderer with bulging eyes! It was horrible.

Thankfully, my current license has a true neutral expression. It isn’t great, but at least I don’t look crazy.

The DMV lady pulled up the old license on the screen and said "ooh you were a snack!" And then "you still are. "

Your poor DH, mine would have melted into a puddle of embarrassment at that remark!

I used to have really good photos of myself on my driver's licenses, but then I used to be photogenic enough to do fashion modeling. I had good photos on my passports also, but not for the last 15 years or so.

I've had people tell me when I was in my 20s and 30s that my driver's license photos looked better than I did, but I realize that I was probably an exception.

Because of this thread, I pulled out my DL and looked at my picture. While it isn’t great, it’s not terrible either. I guess I lucked out.

KSWL, He did not respond but when he told me, ever the lawyer, his focus was how inappropriate it was, and can you imagine if a male DMV employee said that to a female applicant? In re "snackiness," my DDs, after five straight minutes of guffawing over his plaid jacket and uber wide necktie, thought DH looked like a snack in his HS graduation photo. As for the present, while marital bliss could cloud my judgment, I think being relatively tall and relatively fit goes a long way once you are in your 60s!

Lars, I think I look better in photos than IRL too.

It was a snowy day and when I took my knit hat off...my hair stuck to it...and stuck out, then sort of sagged down.