New Hanover County Detention, NC

Visitation at New Hanover County Detention is by appointment only, with visits available daily from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Each session lasts 45 minutes, and you'll need approved photo ID to get in. The weekly limits are a bit confusing across facility sources: one describes up to two 45-minute visits per week with up to two adult guests per visit, while a newer in-person rule states one visit per week per inmate. If the person you're visiting is housed in units Q, R, or T, only one visitor is allowed per time slot due to smaller visitation rooms. Make sure you're on the approved visitor list before scheduling your appointment.

New Hanover County Detention updated its mail rules effective December 1, 2025. Address mail to the facility P.O. Box and include the inmate's name and ID number on every piece. A return address is required. Only letter-size pages (8.5 × 11 inches) are accepted, and anything over five pages gets returned. Here's an important detail: mail is scanned on the front side only. Write on the back of a page, and it comes back to you. Photos are limited to one per mailing. Publications are less clear—one facility notice says books, magazines, and newspapers aren't accepted, while another says magazines and soft-cover books may be allowed if purchased directly from the publisher and delivered as a parcel.

New Hanover County Detention offers a few ways to fund an inmate account. By mail, send a money order made payable to New Hanover County with the inmate's name in the memo field—follow that payee instruction exactly. Bringing cash in person? Use the automated kiosk in the detention facility's front lobby rather than trying to hand cash to staff. There's also an online option through jailpackstore.com (McDaniel Supply Company), where you can create an account and add funds. When checking out online, follow the on-screen steps and don't hit back or close your browser until the transaction finishes.

New Hanover County Detention's contact information is published through the New Hanover County Government Center and includes the facility's main phone number. For emergencies or immediate threats to safety, call 911. For non-emergency questions about an incarcerated person, use the detention center's listed phone number or other county contact options. Before calling, have the person's full name ready—and their offender/booking ID if you have it—to help staff locate the right record faster. For case or court questions (charges, court dates, filings), contact the clerk of court in the county where the case is filed rather than the detention center. If you believe someone is missing or has escaped, contact local police immediately.