Before you register to receive calls from a TDCJ inmate: a checklist
Registering for TDCJ inmate calls is quick — but it goes smoother when you have the right info ready. Here's what to gather before you start.
You'll need the inmate's TDCJ ID number to register. Don't have it? Look it up through the TDCJ online offender search, or call (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283. The enrollment system uses this number to match your registration to the right person, so get it first.
- ✓ Look up the inmate’s TDCJ ID number using the TDCJ online offender search
- ✓ If you can’t access the search, call (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283 to request the number
- ✓ Double-check the TDCJ ID number before you start registration so you don’t enroll under the wrong record
Register your phone through the Texas Inmate Telephone Friends & Family Enrollment online, or call (866) 806-7804 if you'd rather handle it by phone. Once you're set up, you'll choose how calls get paid for: Friends & Family Prepaid (you fund the account tied to your phone number) or an Inmate Telephone Prepaid Debit Account (Securus Debit Account), where money goes into the inmate's account instead.
Quick prep: Before you start the Texas Inmate Telephone Friends & Family Enrollment, have the inmate’s TDCJ ID number ready along with the phone number and any billing details you’ll be asked to confirm.
Registration isn't just entering a phone number. You'll confirm that you're the registered owner of the number, that you agree to let the inmate call it, and that you're at least 18. TDCJ also verifies identity: the name on your driver license or state ID must match the telephone listing or bill for the number you're registering.
- ✓ Use an allowed number type: home landline, post-paid cell phone, or pre-paid cell phone
- ✓ Don’t try to register or use numbers that aren’t allowed: internet services, 800 numbers, businesses, pay phones, international numbers
- ✓ Plan for the call cutoff: calls are limited to 30 minutes, with a warning one minute before disconnection
- ✓ Assume the call is recorded: all calls are subject to monitoring and recording except calls to the attorney of record
Privacy reminder: Calls are monitored and recorded unless it’s a call to the inmate’s attorney of record. Keep sensitive personal details off the phone.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Have the inmate’s TDCJ ID number in front of you before you start
- ✓ Make sure the name on your driver license/state ID matches what appears on the telephone listing or bill for the number you’re registering
- ✓ Register the number you actually control (you’ll be confirming you’re the registered owner)
- ✓ Keep your phone/billing information handy so you can finish in one sitting
Inmate phones are generally available from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., though conditions can change this - and tablet phone hours may differ. If you need to reach the Inmate Technology office, hours are Monday–Friday, but different TDCJ pages list different end times. Planning to deposit money for a prepaid debit account? Since September 1, 2020, only senders on the inmate's approved visitor list or Inmate Telephone List can deposit funds.
Hours can conflict: One TDCJ notice lists Inmate Technology office hours as Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (effective February 2, 2026); another says 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If timing matters, call ahead to confirm.
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