Bringing Kids to Visit in Oklahoma DOC Facilities: Documents & Practical Checklist
Planning to bring a child to an Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) visit? The quickest way to avoid a wasted trip is showing up with the right paperwork. This guide covers the documents ODOC expects when minors visit, plus a simple day-of checklist.
Bringing a minor to an ODOC facility? Be ready to prove your relationship. ODOC can ask for documentation like a birth certificate or court/adoption paperwork to verify that you're the parent or legal guardian of the child. One helpful detail for planning: ODOC allows up to 20 people on an incarcerated person's approved visitors list, and children under 18 don't count against that 20-person limit.
Reminder: ODOC requires a Visitor Application Form before anyone visits. This applies to the accompanying adult, and it also matters down the road if a child visitor turns 18 and needs to apply on their own.
Documents Checklist
- ✓ Child’s proof of relationship/guardianship paperwork (examples ODOC lists include a birth certificate, adoption papers, or court custody papers)
- ✓ Copies of the accompanying adult’s identification for the application packet: front and back of a driver’s license or state-issued ID
- ✓ Keep a set of copies of the child’s paperwork with you, so you can quickly show what you brought if staff asks to verify guardianship
Submitting a paper visitation application? ODOC still accepts them at headquarters. Address the form to the Visitation Unit (not the inmate): Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Attn: Visitation Unit, P.O. Box 11400, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-0400.
If your family situation involves custody or adoption paperwork, bring the most current documents you have. ODOC expects visitors bringing minors to provide documentation like birth certificates or court/adoption papers to verify guardianship. Having the right version of your paperwork is what keeps check-in from turning into a dead end.
Once a child turns 18, ODOC treats them like any other adult visitor. That means they need to complete a visitor application before they can visit. If your child is close to turning 18 and you want visits to continue without a long gap, plan ahead. Get the application submitted as early as possible.
Timing watch-out: ODOC runs background checks for visitors 18 and older, and approval can take up to eight weeks. The inmate gets notified when the process is complete, so you'll usually hear the decision through them.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Photo ID for every visitor age 18 and older (ODOC accepts a state driver’s license, and state, federal, military, or school ID)
- ✓ Child’s documentation to verify guardianship (examples ODOC lists include a birth certificate, adoption papers, or court custody papers)
- ✓ If you are still in the application stage, make sure the application packet includes a copy of the front and back of your driver’s license or state-issued ID
ODOC limits an inmate's approved visitors list to 20 people, but children under 18 don't count toward that total. If your family is juggling grandparents, siblings, and family friends, this gives you breathing room for kids. Still, be intentional about which adults make the approved list.
Paper option: ODOC accepts paper visitation application forms at headquarters. Address them to the Visitation Unit at P.O. Box 11400, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-0400.
Find an Inmate at John H. Lilley Correctional Center
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
