Why your TDCJ visit request is still 'Pending' (Relationship Requests explained)

When you add an inmate and click Request Approval, you'll see a confirmation message. Click Ok, and your request gets sent to the inmate's unit of assignment - it doesn't approve instantly. TDCJ staff at that unit verify the visitor/inmate relationship before anything moves forward in the scheduler.

While verification is happening, the request stays visible in your visitor account. Look for it on your home page under

Why Takes Time

• ✓ Double-check the inmate’s TDCJ/SID number you entered - it must be 8 digits long.

The key thing to know is that “Pending” isn’t a separate approval you missed - it’s just the system showing you that staff verification hasn’t been completed yet. Until staff approve the Relationship Request, it will continue to sit in the Relation Requests Pending Approval section on your home page. If your request has been pending for longer than you expected, start by confirming the information you submitted is correct. From there, you may need to give the unit time to complete the verification step, since the request has to be reviewed by staff at the inmate’s unit of assignment.

Once TDCJ staff confirm the relationship, it won’t be “pending” anymore - it moves out of the pending area and into your verified relationships. That’s the point where scheduling becomes possible if the Schedule Visit button is available by the inmate’s name. One other outcome can confuse people: even after the relationship is confirmed, you might not be able to schedule. If the inmate’s visitation privileges have been removed, the scheduler will show “Not Approved for Visits” instead of the Schedule Visit button.