Penmate Inmate Support Guides
Visitation

How to Visit Facility

Visiting goes a lot smoother when you plan around check-in rules and timing. Use the guide below so you don't get turned away or lose your visit time.

• 3 min read Based on general VA policies
How to Visit Facility

What to Know First

  • ✓ If you are 18 or older, bring a valid government-issued photo ID for video visitation.
  • ✓ Visits run only for the exact time slot you scheduled. Fees are not refunded if you arrive late or miss the visit.

Timing rules depend on how you're visiting. For home internet video visitation, log into the GTL system 15 minutes before the visit starts. If you're using an AFOI Visitor Center, arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time. Either way, plan ahead. Your visit is tied to the exact scheduled time slot, and showing up late can cost you the whole session.

Update (effective June 1, 2023): Inmates are no longer required to complete and submit an Inmate Visiting List in January and July, and visitors are no longer required to be on an approved visiting list to be approved for in-person visitation.

  1. Confirm your ID is valid: If you are 18 or older, you will need a valid government-issued photo ID for video visitation.
  2. Use the right lead time for your visit type: Log into GTL 15 minutes before a home internet video visit, or arrive at an AFOI Visitor Center at least 20 minutes early.
  3. Protect your scheduled time (and your fees): Your visit only lasts for the exact time slot scheduled, and fees are not refunded for late arrivals or missed visits.

Planning an in-person visit? The approved visiting list requirement has changed. Effective June 1, 2023, visitors no longer need to be on an inmate's approved visiting list to be approved for in-person visitation. That extra step you may have seen in older guidance likely no longer applies.

How to Visit Facility

What to Verify

  • ✓ Confirm whether your visit is home internet (GTL) or at an AFOI Visitor Center.
  • ✓ Recheck the lead time you must follow: GTL requires you to be logged in 15 minutes early, and AFOI Visitor Center visits require arrival at least 20 minutes early.
  • ✓ Verify the no-refund rule for late arrivals or missed visits so you know the financial risk if anything delays you.
  • ✓ Confirm you have the required valid, government-issued photo ID if you are 18 or older (for video visitation).
  • ✓ If you are visiting in person, confirm the facility is following the updated rule that you do not have to be on an inmate’s approved visiting list to be approved.

Policy updates can take time to roll out in day-to-day practice. The visiting-list changes took effect June 1, 2023, but it's worth confirming that the old Inmate Visiting List process (the January and July submission) is no longer being used. Double-check that visitors aren't still being asked to prove they're on an approved visiting list for in-person visitation. If you get conflicting answers, ask specifically which current process replaced the older visiting-list requirement.

Reminder: Visiting procedures can change. Before you travel, confirm current requirements directly with the facility's official visitor information.

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