How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Start by creating your own TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account. Lopez Unit staff cannot create it for you. After registering, you'll receive an email with a link and a 7-digit validation code to finish setup. When building your profile, enter phone numbers in the required space-delimited format (XXX XXX XXXX), then add the inmate using their 8-digit TDCJ or SID number. The scheduler may show Regular, Contact, and Video/Tablet visit types, but what you can book depends on the inmate's privileges and the unit's layout. Contact visits allow limited physical contact: an embrace and one kiss at the start, one at the end, with hands held only on the table in staff view. Relationship Requests stay pending until staff verify them, so call the unit before traveling.
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Planning a visit at the Lopez Unit? The biggest question is usually simple: will you be allowed any physical contact, and how much? Here's what TDCJ allows during contact visits—and how to avoid losing your visit over a contact-rule violation.
Your first online visit request can go smoothly if you gather the right details beforehand. Watch for two common hang-ups: email validation and relationship approval.
Visiting at the Lopez Unit starts online. Get your account setup and visit type right the first time, and the rest of the process goes smoothly.
Visiting someone at Lopez Unit goes much smoother when you show up with the right ID and leave prohibited items behind. This checklist helps you avoid delays, confiscated belongings, or getting turned away at the gate.
A few everyday items can get you turned away at the Lopez Unit gate. This quick checklist covers what TDCJ allows inside the secured perimeter.
Create your own account in the TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler. The unit cannot set it up for you. You'll receive a link and a 7-digit validation code by email to complete registration. Use the required phone format (XXX XXX XXXX) and the inmate's 8-digit TDCJ/SID number to add them to your profile.
The scheduler can show Regular, Contact, and Video/Tablet visit types, though not every option is available for every inmate. What you see depends on the inmate's privileges and the unit's design. Video/Tablet visits are scheduled through the approved remote visitation system.
Contact visits allow an embrace and one kiss at the beginning and one kiss at the end of each visit. Holding hands is allowed only if your hands stay on the table in view of staff.
Some inmates are restricted from having visitors age 17 or under. Children under 17 may visit only if a Non-Victim Child Affidavit is on file, as required by TDCJ procedures.
A long drive is hard enough without getting turned away at the gate. Before heading to Lopez Unit, confirm these five things so your visit goes smoothly.
A long drive is hard enough without getting turned away at the door. Before heading to Lopez Unit, run through these five checks to make sure a visit is actually possible that day.
Staying in touch with someone at the Lopez Unit means scheduled visits and phone calls. Both require using TDCJ's systems, so confirm the details before you make the trip.
