How to Get on the Visitor List at Gaston Correctional Center (Step-by-Step)
Before you can visit someone at Gaston Correctional Center, you need to be on their approved visitor list. Here's exactly how the NC DAC approval process works—and what tends to slow things down.
You can't just show up at Gaston Correctional Center and ask to visit. Every visitor needs to be approved in advance through a visitor application. Here's something to know early: each incarcerated person is limited to 18 approved visitors total, including both adults and minors. If their list is already full, someone has to be removed before you can be added.
Note: Legal, law enforcement, consular officials, and local/state Family Services and Juvenile Court officials must register with the facility before visiting - and they do not count toward the 18 approved visitors.
The visitor application form comes directly from the facility. Under NC DAC rules, your loved one has to get the blank form from Gaston Correctional Center - then you fill it out and submit it yourself. Keep in mind there's a cap of 18 applications per offender.
- ✓ If you’re 16 or older, pick one of the approved picture IDs and attach a copy of it to your visitation application.
- ✓ A driver’s license or state-issued ID needs to be issued by a state Division of Motor Vehicles.
Two issues kill applications before they ever reach approval. First, the prison won't accept applications submitted by the incarcerated person - your paperwork has to come from you. Second, incomplete applications get rejected. This usually means missing attachments, blank sections, or forms that don't match facility requirements. The form also needs to be an original - photocopies can be denied.
- ✓ The application form was copied and not an original
- ✓ The application was incomplete or missing proper attachments
- ✓ The application contained false information
- ✓ The visitor has a prior criminal record
- ✓ The visitor was a participant in the criminal activity for which the offender is incarcerated
- ✓ The visitor is an ex-offender who has been released less than 12 months
- ✓ The visitor is on probation/parole/supervised release, or has not been off probation or supervised release for at least 6 months
Filling everything out correctly doesn't mean you're done. Gaston Correctional Center staff still need to approve your application before you can visit. Don't plan a trip until you've confirmed you're on the approved list.
- Complete your visitor application and include attachments - Make sure every section is filled out and any required ID copy (for visitors age 16+) is included.
- Submit the application and wait for facility approval - Visiting can’t happen until staff approve your completed application.
- Schedule your visit by appointment - Visits are by appointment only, so you’ll need to call or email the prison to schedule.
- Confirm the day before you go - Call the prison the day before your scheduled visit to confirm the facility’s visitation status.
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Don’t have the offender submit your application - applications won’t be accepted from offenders
- ✓ If you’re 16+, attach a copy of an approved picture ID
- ✓ Use an original form (not a copied application)
- ✓ Fill it out completely and be truthful - incomplete applications aren’t approved, and false information can lead to disapproval
- ✓ If any disqualifiers apply (recent release, supervision status, involvement in the case, certain criminal history), expect extra scrutiny or a possible denial
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