Penmate Inmate Support Guides
Visitation

Setting Up Your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler Account: a first-timer’s step-by-step guide

Setting up your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account is fairly straightforward, but a few small details can trip up first-timers. Here's how to get your account created, verified, and ready to book a visit.

• 3 min read Verified from official sources

Before you start, check that you're eligible to use the TDCJ visitation portal. Access is restricted to residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. If you live outside those areas, you'll need to find an alternate way to coordinate visitation.

  • ✓ An email address you can reliably access (use one you plan to keep long-term)
  • ✓ A government-issued photo ID (for your visitor profile details)
  • ✓ The inmate’s TDCJ or SID number (exactly 8 digits)
  • ✓ A phone number, entered in the exact format the portal requests
  1. Start account creation with your email: Enter the email address you want tied to your scheduler account.
  2. Watch for the validation message: The portal will send an email to the address you entered.
  3. Get the verification code from your inbox: Open the message and copy the code.
  4. Enter the code back in the portal: Submit the code to finish validating your email. If you end up back on the login page, return to the email-entry step and try again.

Warning: Once an account is created for an email address, it cannot be deleted, and the email address cannot be changed.

Once your email is verified, you'll fill out a background questionnaire and build your visitor profile. Answer every required field honestly and completely. Skipping questions or leaving fields blank can lock you out of the next step, forcing you to backtrack.

Tip: Enter your phone number exactly the way the on-screen prompt asks for it. If the format doesn't match what the system expects, it will reject the entry.

Note: You must create your own TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account. TDCJ staff cannot create visitor accounts for you.

  1. Open the inmate search/add screen: Use the scheduler option to search for the inmate to add to your profile.
  2. Choose the number type you are using: Search using either the TDCJ number or the SID number.
  3. Enter the number as exactly 8 digits: The inmate TDCJ or SID number must be 8 digits in length. Double-check for missing digits or extra digits before you submit.
  4. Confirm you found the correct person: When the search returns a match, verify it is the person you intend to visit before moving forward.

Not sure of the inmate's TDCJ or SID number? Use the Offender Search feature on the TDCJ website to look it up. Once you have it, count the digits before entering them into the scheduler. The most common mistake is typing the right number with one digit missing or one extra digit tacked on.

Common pitfall: Pick an email address you plan to keep. Once an account is created for an email address, it cannot be deleted, and the email address cannot be changed.

Common pitfall: If the inmate search isn't working, check the number length first. The TDCJ or SID number must be exactly 8 digits.

Reminder: Stuck at the account setup stage? Staff still cannot create the account for you. You'll need to complete account creation yourself.

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