ACT photo maker
An ACT photo is a portrait-orientation, face-and-shoulders shot of only you on a plain background, at least 640 × 480 pixels (upright, so at least 480 pixels wide and 640 tall) and no larger than 5 MB, with no filters or enhancements. Without an acceptable photo by the deadline, ACT cancels the registration.
- Free, no watermark
- Photo stays on your device
- No retouching
- Rules checked 11 November 2026
ACT photo requirements
| Orientation | Portrait, not landscape, and the right way up |
|---|---|
| Framing | Full face-and-shoulders shot, squarely facing the camera |
| Background | Plain |
| People | A clear image of only you |
| Minimum size | At least 640 × 480 pixels |
| Maximum file size | 5 MB |
| File type | JPG, JPEG, PNG or BMP |
| Editing | No enhancement of any kind: no lenses, filters, text, emoji or stickers |
Checked against the official source on 11 November 2026. Source: ACT: Photo submission requirements. Rules change without notice, so read the official page before you submit.
What ACT rejects
- Photos that are too dark or too light.
- A background that is not plain.
- A face that is too small in the frame, or too close to the camera.
- Blurry, grainy or fuzzy images.
- A face hidden by hair or a hand.
- Dark glasses.
- A scan of a driver's licence or school ID, or a photo of another photo.
The deadline matters as much as the photo
ACT sets a photo upload deadline for every test date, at midnight Central time a few days before the test. For the 2026–2027 year these are 14 September, 12 October, 7 December, 22 February, 5 April, 7 June and 5 July. ACT's wording is blunt: “If you miss the deadline, your registration will be cancelled and you will NOT be admitted to test.” The registration fee is not refunded. Upload early so there is time to replace a rejected photo.
Head coverings
If you wear a head covering every day for religious reasons, ACT asks you to adjust it so your full face is visible. Students who need a religious exception to the photo rule should call ACT before the regular registration deadline for their test date.
How to avoid a rejected ACT photo
- Hold the phone upright. A landscape photo is refused even if everything else is right.
- Fill the frame with your face and shoulders, but leave space around your head. ACT rejects both “face too small” and “face too close”.
- Stand in front of a plain wall, away from posters, doors and furniture.
- Tie back or move hair that falls across your face, and keep your hands out of the picture.
- Take a new photo with a camera. Do not photograph or scan an existing ID.
✓ Good: plain background, even light, neutral face
✕ Shadow on the wall and face
✕ Busy background
✕ Glare on glasses
✕ Selfie taken too close
✕ Too dark, orange light
More on this in why ID photos get rejected. The examples use an off-white wall. The background row in the table above gives the exact colour this document asks for.
How to use this tool
- Ask someone to take the photo from about 1.5 m, at eye level, in even daylight in front of a plain wall.
- Add the photo above. The tool finds your face and frames it to the size on this page.
- Check the green lines: one on the top of your head, one on your chin. Drag or zoom to adjust.
- Read the automatic checks, then download. Nothing in the photo is retouched, only cropped and resized.
Questions about the ACT registration photo
What size does an ACT photo need to be?
ACT requires at least 640 × 480 pixels and a file no larger than 5 MB, in JPG, JPEG, PNG or BMP format. It must be in portrait orientation.
What happens if my ACT photo is rejected?
You need to upload an acceptable one before the photo deadline for your test date. If no acceptable photo is on file by then, ACT cancels the registration and you are not admitted to the test.
Can I use a filter or edit my ACT photo?
No. ACT says the photo cannot be enhanced in any way, and gives lenses, filters, text, emoji and stickers as examples.
Can I wear glasses in my ACT photo?
Ordinary glasses are not prohibited, but ACT says you cannot wear dark glasses, and your facial features must be clearly visible.
Guides for this photo
- Why passport and ID photos get rejectedThe reasons authorities list themselves, and how to avoid each
- How to take a passport photo at homeDistance, light, background and pose, step by step
- Are edited or AI passport photos allowed?What ten authorities say about retouching, filters and AI