Your First Visit to NLCI: Step-by-Step Check‑In from Parking Lot to Visiting Room

Anyone 16 or older needs a valid photo ID for every visit. NLCI accepts a state driver's license or picture ID, a Department of Transportation ID, a county welfare department ID, a military ID, a passport, or a visa. Make sure your ID photo matches how you look today. If staff can't identify you from the photo, you'll be denied entry.

Bringing a minor (under 18)? Plan to arrive together. NLCI requires minors to be accompanied by an approved adult visitor who has proper identification. Don't send a child ahead or assume another family member can swap in at the door.

Time your arrival carefully. Visitors aren't allowed on NLCI grounds until 15 minutes before visiting hours, so showing up very early can leave you waiting off-property. There are also cutoffs at the end of the day. NLCI won't admit visitors within one hour before visiting hours end (for example, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Sunday). Even if you're already on-site, entry into the visiting area isn't permitted within the last 30 minutes of a scheduled visit.

Before you walk away from your car, lock it up completely. NLCI requires vehicles to be secured (windows rolled up, doors locked). If your vehicle is found unsecured, your visit may be terminated. Don't leave a vehicle on state property longer than necessary. Vehicles left on NLCI state property for over 48 hours will be towed at the owner's expense.

Lobby Procedures

• ✓ Use the lobby lockers for your personal property.
• ✓ Bring a quarter. Lockers cost 25 cents, and the 25 cents is refundable at the end of the visit.

During lobby processing, you'll get a hand stamp. Control staff checks that stamp when you enter the visiting room and again when you leave, so don't scrub it off while you're waiting.

Every visitor must pass through the metal detector to access the visiting room. NLCI enforces a three-attempt rule: if you can't clear the metal detector after three tries, you'll be denied entry.

Most first-visit problems come down to what you're wearing. NLCI specifically warns visitors to avoid clothing with metal and excessive jewelry. Keep it simple, and you're far less likely to burn through your three attempts.

1. Prep before you step up - Avoid excessive jewelry and clothing with metal attached so you are not fighting the detector right away.
2. Clear the metal detector - Follow staff instructions and complete your first attempt.
3. Try again if you alarm - You may attempt up to three times total, making any changes staff directs between attempts.
4. Plan for a denial after three failed attempts - If you cannot clear the detector after three tries, you will be denied entry to the visiting room for that visit.

If a medical appliance or assistive device prevents you from walking through the metal detector, you'll need advance approval. Submit form DOC-2424 to the security director and get approval before your visit. This isn't something you can handle at the door, so start the process early if this applies to you.

Need a wheelchair? NLCI provides an institution wheelchair. Personal wheelchairs are not permitted.

Run into a problem in the visiting area? Start by asking the Visiting Room Sergeant. NLCI's visiting-area chain of command also includes the Visiting Room Security Liaison, the Visiting List Unit Social Worker/Visiting Clerk, and the Unit Manager as additional points of contact.

If you're denied entry, the visit is done for the day. Be ready to leave the property. For follow-up questions, work through the visiting-area chain of command next time you come: start with the Visiting Room Sergeant, then the Visiting Room Security Liaison, the Visiting List Unit Social Worker/Visiting Clerk, and the Unit Manager as needed.