They take driver's license photos at the DMV... they don't even let you review them, they just snap them and that is what you get.

Until this law you could simply bring your own picture for German passport/ID and the clerc taking the application would maybe eyeball you for verification, unlikely to reject anything but the most obvious fakes. Handing in a picture of Mickey Mouse wouldn't just get rejected if they have a particularly bad day, but anything somewhat plausible would likely get through.

Driver's license is an even lower standard iirc, because it isn't abused as an ID in everything but name. Driver's licenses merely document qualification and most don't even expire so you will occasionally see some frail elderly person hand around their licence to show off how they were looking at 18 years old.

I wonder if they can equip the passport office with software that compares your face with the photo; software face recognition is based on measuring the geometry of the face, and if there are strange differences (that the human eye can't see), the software should flag it..

It was big surprise to me that in a lot of European countries, it is possible to apply for passport by post

Probably hinges on mandatory ID: once you have that, the passport is hardly more than a copy into a slightly different medium.

It's possible in Ireland, which doesn't have mandatory or even widespread government ID. You can even apply for it online.

Every dmv I have been to has always asked or offered an option to review my photo. It also helps to be appreciative of the plight of the person at the counter. It’s their daily job so they can bend a little when getting to the more exciting part of their work

In some states, the DMV uses the photo you took during your permit test. Clueless 15 year olds show up with messy hair to take the written test, get their photo taken and now that photo could be on your driver's license till your 30s. DMV lets you renew your license by mail without a new photo sometimes.

My license has a picture of a 15-year-old with the height and weight that's quite different from my current self..

I can't imagine any picture I'd care less about. The US CBP officer who took my picture for my Nexus card with a handheld webcam didn't even get my head entirely in frame.

I'd expect the passport agent to be empowered to say "no" to that.

That's why it is allowed to use a photo taken by a professional photographer.

Yes, I know that's why. If that's a security risk, though, I'm saying I don't really mind if it's an official passport agent who has to take the photo, and giving them to power to say "suck it up, it's not a fashion shoot" to avoid drawing things out.

DMVs already do this for drivers' licenses. It's odd that passports don't work the same way.