What to Bring (and What to Leave Behind) When Visiting Someone in an Illinois DOC Facility
A smooth visit starts with packing light. Illinois DOC visiting rooms allow only a handful of items—your ID and a few approved essentials—while everything else stays in a locker, your car, or at home.
Your ID is the make-or-break item. Adult visitors must bring two forms of identification, and one needs to be a current state-issued photo ID. Handle the paperwork before you show up. Most adults (18 and older) must complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) before visiting. Legal visitors and government officials are exempt, but everyone else should plan on it - getting it done ahead of time speeds up your first visit.
- ✓ Two forms of identification (one must be a current state-issued photo ID)
- ✓ A completed Prospective Visitor’s Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) if you’re an adult visitor (18+)
- ✓ (Exception) Legal visitors and government officials are not required to complete the PVI
Illinois DOC visiting rooms are strict. For most adult visitors, you can have one ID card, a single key fob or car door key without a remote attachment, and one locker key. A weather-appropriate jacket or coat is allowed if issued. ADA-approved accommodation items are permitted when pre-approved through a reasonable accommodation request. Everything else - especially electronics, bags, and personal items - stays in your vehicle or gets stored before you enter.
- ✓ One identification card
- ✓ One key fob or car door key without a remote attachment
- ✓ One locker key
- ✓ If issued: one jacket or coat appropriate for the weather
- ✓ Any item approved for an ADA reasonable accommodation request
- ✓ Use the small lockers in the Visiting Center for personal items you can’t take into the Visiting Room
When in doubt, leave it behind. Electronics are banned from the Visiting Room - that includes cell phones, tablets, and smart watches. Same goes for purses, bags, packages, books, magazines, and sunglasses. Food, drinks, smoking materials, and currency aren't allowed either. Personal keys trip people up often - bring only the single key fob or car door key without a remote attachment that's permitted. Small lockers may be available in the Visiting Center, but the easiest approach is to bring as little as possible. Otherwise, you'll end up walking back to your car - or getting turned away.
Warning: Leave your phone, bags/purse, food and drink, currency, books/magazines, sunglasses, and personal keys in your car or at home - those items aren’t allowed inside the Visiting Room.
Medication catches many visitors off guard. No pills or medication of any type are permitted in the Visiting Room. The narrow exceptions: physician-prescribed heart medication (in a properly labeled container) and an asthma pump (inhaler). If you need lifesaving medication, it won't stay with you - staff will hold it at the officer's station in the visiting room.
- Bring only the approved exception - Heart medication or an asthma inhaler must be physician-prescribed; other pills/medication aren’t allowed in the Visiting Room.
- Keep heart medication properly labeled - Heart medication has to be in a properly labeled container.
- Turn over lifesaving medication at check-in - Any required lifesaving medication must be delivered to and held in the officer’s station in the visiting room.
Expect a health check before you go in. All visitors undergo COVID-19 symptom and temperature screening prior to entering. No need to bring a mask - the facility provides a surgical mask to everyone over age two. If you arrive wearing a face covering, be ready to lower it briefly for ID verification when entering and exiting.
Tip: Expect symptom and temperature screening. You'll be given a surgical mask if you're over age two, and you may need to briefly lower any face covering for ID checks.
Practical Tips Lockers Clearbags
- ✓ Bring only what you’re allowed to possess: one ID, one locker key, and one key fob/car door key without a remote attachment
- ✓ Leave electronics (phones, tablets, smart watches) in your car
- ✓ Don’t bring purses, bags, packages, books, magazines, sunglasses, food, drink, smoking materials, currency, or personal keys
- ✓ Plan to use the small lockers available in the Visiting Center for personal items you can’t take into the Visiting Room
Reminder: ADA-approved accommodation items are permitted when they’ve been approved as a reasonable accommodation.
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