How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visiting at Rensselaer County Jail takes some planning. Check in 60 minutes before your scheduled visit—show up late and you won't be admitted for that period. Store personal items like money, wallets, and purses in the public lockers in the Visitation Lobby, then go through electronic screening. Staff may require a pat-down frisk if they have legitimate suspicion. The dress code is strict: no short shorts, mini-skirts, tube tops, tank tops, low-cut or see-through tops, hats/headgear, hooded clothing, coats/jackets, or swimwear. Bringing a minor? You'll need a signed, notarized Minor Consent Form, and the child must be accompanied by an authorized adult. During your visit, stay seated, sign the visitors log when entering and exiting, don't pass items to the inmate, and leave your camera at home—photos aren't allowed.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Bringing a child or teen to visit at Rensselaer County Jail means extra paperwork. Show up without the right form or proof of age, and you'll be turned away at the door. Get this sorted before you go.
Your first visit goes a lot smoother when you plan for check-in, screening, and what you can (and can’t) bring into the visitation area. Use this 60‑minute checklist to avoid getting turned away for something preventable.
Your first visit runs smoother when you plan for check-in, screening, and the dress code ahead of time. This checklist covers the most common reasons people get turned away—and how to avoid them.
Visits go more smoothly when you know the contact and movement rules ahead of time. Here’s what Rensselaer County Jail allows during a visit—and what will get stopped quickly.
Check in 60 minutes before your scheduled visit. If you’re late, you won’t be admitted for that visitation period. Build in extra time for ID checks and screening.
The dress code prohibits short shorts, mini-skirts, tube tops, tank tops, low-cut or see-through tops, hats/headgear, hooded clothing, coats/jackets, and swimwear. Dress conservatively so you don’t get turned away.
Personal items like money, wallets, and purses must go into the public lockers in the Visitation Lobby, and electronic devices aren’t allowed in the visitation area. You can’t pass items to an inmate during a visit, and photos aren’t allowed in the visitation area.
Need to add money to someone's account fast? Rensselaer County Jail has an automated KIOSK in the lobby of the Public Safety Building that accepts cash deposits 24 hours a day. It's a solid option if you can't make it during regular hours or need funds posted the same day.
Rensselaer County Jail stopped accepting inmate property at the front window back on March 25, 2020. You can't drop anything off in person—everything has to be shipped through approved vendors.
Trying to send property, books, or other packages to someone at Rensselaer County Jail? The most important thing to know: drop-offs at the front window are no longer accepted. Shipping rules matter too—packages that don't come from the right kind of seller get sent back.
