Who to Call When You Have Questions About Someone at Carteret County Detention Center

For most questions about someone at Carteret County Detention Center, start with the Carteret County Sheriff's Office: 252-504-4832. This is also the number if you're having trouble with the online inmate inquiry site or just need help figuring out who to contact. Want to add money for commissary in person? There's a deposit kiosk in the main lobby of the Carteret County Sheriff's Office at 304 Craven Street, Beaufort, NC 28516. It's open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed holidays). For help scheduling a video visit - or if you don't have the technology to set one up yourself - call 252-504-4832, option 6, and ask for First Sergeant Chadwick.

Right after an arrest, the person gets one free local phone call lasting one minute - so don't be surprised if that first call is short. If they aren't released, they should have ongoing phone access: up to twice daily, but at minimum once per week, as long as they follow detention center rules. Not sure what access looks like in your situation? Call the Sheriff's Office line. They can help you figure out whether the issue is policy, timing, or something you need to take up with the phone vendor.

Carteret County Detention Center uses PayTel for inmate phone service and messaging. That means most "the phone won't work" problems get handled through PayTel, not jail staff.

To set up a PayTel account so you can receive calls, the detention center recommends using PayTel's website or calling 1-800-PAY-TELL. PayTel contact info sometimes appears in different formats, so if you're unsure you have the right number, verify through the Sheriff's Office website or by calling 252-504-4832.

Want to block your number so you stop receiving calls from an inmate? Contact the detention center administrator or call PayTel Communications at 1-800-729-8355 to request the block. For vendor-side issues - call delivery problems, billing questions, or existing blocks - you'll usually get a faster answer starting with PayTel. Keep in mind that all inmate calls are recorded and may be monitored by detention facility staff, which is one reason some people choose to request blocking.

1. Plan for video visitation (not in-person) - Starting November 1, in-person inmate visits are no longer available; visitation moves to video visits through PayTel.
2. Schedule through PayTel - Use the PayTel website to set up the video visit.
3. Call for help if you’re stuck - If you need assistance or don’t have the required technology, call the jail at 252-504-4832 (option 6) and ask for First Sergeant Chadwick.

When to Call Which

• ✓ Call the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office at 252-504-4832 for general questions, including help with the online inmate inquiry/site.
• ✓ Call the jail at 252-504-4832 (option 6) and ask for First Sergeant Chadwick if you need help scheduling a video visit or you don’t have the required technology.
• ✓ Go to the deposit kiosk in the main lobby of the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, 304 Craven Street, Beaufort, NC 28516, if you need to deposit inmate funds in person (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays).
• ✓ Contact PayTel if you’re trying to set up an account (often listed as 1-800-PAY-TELL).
• ✓ Contact the detention center administrator or PayTel at 1-800-729-8355 if you want your number blocked from receiving inmate calls.

Before acting on a PayTel phone number, verify it through the Carteret County Sheriff's Office website or by calling 252-504-4832. The facility lists PayTel contact details in more than one format - 1-800-PAY-TELL for account setup and 1-800-729-8355 for blocking requests - so confirming the right one saves you wasted calls.