How to Visit Facility

You can't just show up. Every visitor has to be on the approved visitor list first. To get on it, submit a Visitor Application Form to the Visitation Unit at ODOC headquarters. Paper applications are accepted by mail. Make sure the form is addressed to the Visitation Unit, not sent to the inmate.

If you're 18 or older, a background check is part of the approval process. ODOC says approval can take up to eight weeks, and your incarcerated loved one will be the one to notify you when it's complete. Planning around a birthday, court date, or holiday? Build in that lead time so you're not scrambling at the last minute.

Visitors 18 and older must bring photo identification. Show up without it and you'll be turned away, even if you're on the approved list.

There's a cap on how many people can be approved for one inmate: up to 20 visitors on the approved list. Children under 18 don't count toward that total.

Visitation isn't one-size-fits-all in ODOC. Hours and time allowed vary by the inmate's security level. Maximum security inmates, for example, get up to four hours per week (excluding holidays). Minimum-security inmates at Level 1 get one hour of non-contact visitation per week with people on the approved visiting list.

Video visits have their own scheduling rules. ODOC requires them to be booked at least 48 hours in advance, following the facility's posted visitation schedule. The same approval and conduct requirements that apply to in-person visits apply to video visits too.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Submit the Visitor Application Form to the Visitation Unit at ODOC headquarters (paper forms can be mailed).
• ✓ If you are 18+, apply early because the background check approval can take up to eight weeks.
• ✓ If you plan to do a video visit, schedule it at least 48 hours ahead and follow the facility’s posted schedule.
• ✓ If you are 18+, bring photo ID for the visit.

• ✓ Confirm you are on the inmate’s approved visitor list and that the list is within the 20-person limit (children under 18 do not count toward the 20).

• ✓ Verify visiting hours based on the inmate’s security level. Maximum security is up to four hours per week (excluding holidays), and minimum-security Level 1 is one hour of non-contact visiting per week.
• ✓ Do not assume the schedule is the same across facilities. Check the posted schedule for the location you are visiting.

Before you mail anything, confirm you have the current Visitor Application Form and the right submission instructions for the Visitation Unit. Processes and mailing details can change. An application sent to the wrong place will delay your approval.

ODOC notes that visitor approval for adults can take up to eight weeks. If your timing is tight, check on the current timeline and how you'll know the background check has cleared. Remember, the inmate is the one who gets notified when it's complete.

Verify which forms of photo ID are accepted for visitors 18 and older so you don't get turned away at check-in. If you're planning a video visit, confirm any facility-specific expectations ahead of time. ODOC applies the same rules to video visits as in-person ones.

Visitation schedules depend on security level, and small details can throw off your plans. Confirm the visiting schedule for the inmate's specific security level, check whether any holiday exceptions apply, and ask how the facility handles the 20-person approved visitor list limit (children under 18 don't count toward the 20).