How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at MCF Moose Lake: Step-by-Step

Don't show up until you've been notified that your application is approved. This is strictly enforced - arriving before approval wastes your trip and won't speed up the process.

You'll hear back by email - the same address you put on your application. That's where they'll send your approval or denial, so double-check what you enter.

The DOC Visiting Privilege Application is how the facility decides whether to let you in. You're not legally required to answer every question, but skipping information gives them grounds to deny you entry. Take your time and fill it out completely.

• ✓ Your visitor information, including a working email address
• ✓ The incarcerated person’s OID number
• ✓ Your contact details and current address
• ✓ If any visitors are under 18: a copy of each minor’s state/county birth certificate sent in with the application (not brought later)
• ✓ If any visitors are under 18: make sure the minor will be escorted by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized escort

Address mismatches are one of the fastest ways to get denied. The address on your application must match the address on your ID exactly - if they don't line up, your application will be rejected.

Your ID has to be valid. An expired or canceled driver’s license does not qualify as valid ID for visiting purposes.

• ✓ Check your driver’s license for expiration (expired or canceled won’t qualify)
• ✓ Compare the address on your ID to the address you plan to enter on the application - they must match
• ✓ If your ID address is outdated, update your ID/address first so your application doesn’t get denied

Once you apply, the facility runs a criminal background check through law enforcement. This is standard - they use the results to help decide whether to approve you.

Certain situations mean automatic denial. You'll be turned down if there's an active no-contact order between you and the incarcerated person, if you're a co-defendant or accomplice in an active case involving them, if you have any pending or open criminal cases, or if you've been on probation for less than one year and/or had probation violations within the last year.

A note on privacy: your visiting application stays on file regardless of the outcome. The criminal history check results, however, are destroyed.

Expect a wait. Applications can take several weeks to process, so apply as early as possible.

1. Don’t try to visit yet - wait until you’re notified that your application is approved.
2. Watch the email you listed - approval or denial is sent to the email address you provided.
3. Stay ready to respond - if you realize you left something out (like a key detail in your application), fix it as soon as you can so you’re not stuck waiting longer than necessary.

Pre Submission Checklist

• ✓ Make sure the address on your application matches the address on your ID
• ✓ Confirm your driver’s license isn’t expired or canceled
• ✓ If a minor will visit: include a copy of each minor’s state/county birth certificate with the application (birth certificates won’t be accepted at the time of the visit)
• ✓ If a minor will visit: confirm they will be escorted by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized escort
• ✓ Enter an email address you actually check (that’s where approval/denial is sent)
• ✓ Before you submit, think through the common denial reasons: active no-contact order, co-defendant/accomplice in an active case, any pending/open criminal cases, or probation less than one year and/or violations within the last year