Applying for an Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card from the Illinois State Police (ISP)? The application is made online, and you upload a color, head-and-shoulders photo taken within the last 30 days. Below are the FOID card photo requirements, what ISP does not specify, and how to prepare your photo.
Free Illinois FOID Card Photo Online — a Head-and-Shoulders JPEG for Your Application
Free preview · Download for $9
Upload a recent photo and IDPhotoBy crops it to a head-and-shoulders portrait, with the FOID card already selected. You get a JPEG to upload in your online FOID application and a print-ready sheet. The preview is free — you pay only to download the finished photo.
Photo size: 32×38 mm · Background: white · Accepted for online submission
Official source: isp.illinois.gov, ispfsb.com, ilga.gov, ilga.gov, ilga.gov, youtube.com
Specifications verified: October 4, 2026
Our photos meet international government standards.
Photo for FOID card: what the Illinois State Police requires
Illinois law requires every FOID applicant to furnish a photograph. ISP’s FOID FAQ and its FOID application tutorial list these requirements:
| Requirement | What ISP states |
|---|---|
| Color and likeness | Full color photo, a good likeness of you |
| Framing | Head and shoulders: facial view from the shoulders up, properly centered and in focus |
| How recent | Taken within the last 30 days |
| Edits | No digital alterations |
| Face | No obstruction of the facial features; no hats, sunglasses or other accessories that obscure your face |
| Expression | Eyes open, mouth closed, neutral expression |
| Background | A light solid color |
| Other people | No one else in the photo |
| Upload file | JPG, PNG or GIF |
If your photo does not meet these FOID picture requirements, your application will be delayed and you will have to resubmit.
FOID photo size: what ISP states and what we use
ISP does not state a print size, pixel dimensions or an aspect ratio for the FOID photo. Its application tutorial asks for a head-and-shoulders photo of yourself similar to a driver’s license photo. IDPhotoBy frames your photo as a head-and-shoulders portrait on a 1.25 × 1.5 in canvas (about 32 × 38 mm). That canvas is our format, not an ISP requirement.
How the photo is submitted: online upload or paper application
Online application. Under ISP’s rules, the FOID application is made electronically through ISP’s online application portal, and you upload your photo there. The upload accepts JPG, PNG and GIF files, and the digital file from IDPhotoBy is a JPEG.
Paper application. Paper applications, obtained by calling ISP’s Firearms Services Bureau, are accepted only from applicants with proof of a religious exemption or a disability. With a paper application, attach the color photo to the front of the form with clear tape.
Religious exemption. Under Illinois law, an applicant seeking a religious exemption from the photo requirement submits fingerprints instead of a photograph.
Your driver’s license photo and the FOID card
Before you apply, you need a valid driver’s license or state identification card. Under Illinois law (430 ILCS 65/6), ISP uses the digital photograph from your Illinois driver’s license or Illinois ID card on the FOID card if available, and applicants consent to that use. The application still asks for your own photo, and ISP’s FAQ says not to send a picture of your driver’s license or state ID.
How to make a FOID card photo online with a free preview
- Take a photo of your head and shoulders with your phone or a camera; ISP asks for one taken within the last 30 days. Face the camera in even light with your eyes open, your mouth closed and a neutral expression, without a hat or sunglasses, and with no one else in the frame.
- Upload the photo with the tool on this page; the FOID card is already selected.
- IDPhotoBy crops your photo to a head-and-shoulders portrait on a 1.25 × 1.5 in canvas. The finished photo has a plain white background, and white is a light solid color.
- Check the watermarked preview: your face should be clear, unobstructed and in focus.
- Download the JPEG for your online FOID application, plus a print-ready sheet if you apply on paper.
What IDPhotoBy does, and what stays ISP’s decision
IDPhotoBy crops and frames the photo you upload and saves it as a JPEG; it does not retouch your face. The decision on your application is ISP’s, so no online tool can promise that your photo will be accepted.
For other U.S. documents, see all U.S. document photos, or ATF Form 1 and Form 4 photos for federal NFA forms. ISP’s FOID information is on the Illinois State Police FOID page. Check the official application portal before submitting.