Why You Can't Add More Than 10 People to an Inmate's Visitor List at Hilltop

At the Hilltop Unit, visitation runs through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Visitors List. Each inmate can have a maximum of 10 names on that list. It's the official roster of people approved to visit during authorized hours, along with the contact information TDCJ keeps on file for each visitor.

That 10-name list also matters for scheduling. If you want to book a visit through the TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler, you'll need to create your own scheduler account. TDCJ staff can't create visitor accounts for you. Once your account exists, staff may be able to help update information in the system, but you have to set up the account yourself.

Here's what catches families off guard: how often the list can be changed. For institutional inmates (which includes people housed at units like Hilltop), adding or removing names counts as a Visitors List change. That can only happen once every six months. If someone gets left off, you can't just swap names next week. Choose the ten people carefully.

Some other types of TDCJ custody follow a shorter timeline. State jail, Intermediate Sanction Facility (ISF), and Substance Abuse Felony Punishment (SAFP) inmates can make Visitors List changes once every 60 days. If you're unsure which category your loved one falls into, confirm their custody type before assuming the six-month rule applies.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Pick the people who are most likely to visit regularly, not just the people who want to be included “someday.”
• ✓ Talk as a family and decide who will be on the list now, and who will be rotated in at the next allowed change period.
• ✓ Coordinate visit plans so the same one or two people are not the only visitors making the trip.
• ✓ Make sure the contact details the inmate is using for visitors are accurate (names, phone numbers, and physical addresses), so approvals and scheduling do not get held up by outdated information.
• ✓ If you are trying to include minors, plan ahead with the adults who will actually bring them, so you do not burn a spot on someone who cannot attend.

1. Create your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account. Visitors have to create their own accounts, staff cannot do it for you.
2. Confirm you are on the inmate’s approved Visitors List before you plan around a date. If you are not on the list, you typically will not be able to move forward with a visit the way you expect.
3. Coordinate with the other nine people. With only ten spots available, planning together helps you avoid overlaps and makes it easier to use the limited slots in a way that actually gets your loved one visits.