How to send messages, photos, and packages
Inmates at San Luis Obispo County Jail can only make outgoing collect calls or use NCIC's automated advance-pay calling. To set up advance-pay, register at https://account.ncic.com/Registration or call 1-800-943-2189. Phone access runs from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Need to block calls? Use the automated prompt (press 3) or contact NCIC at 1-800-943-2189 to add or remove a block. Remote video visits cost $0.19 per minute. You'll need either the NCIC Mobile Video Visitation app on your smartphone or a computer with a camera, speaker, microphone, and high-speed internet. Staff can't take messages by phone or at the reception window. Your options are visits, attorneys or bail agents, mail, NCIC messages, or the facility's inmate-mail email address listed on official channels. Set up and fund your account ahead of time.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Need to get a message to someone at San Luis Obispo County Jail? You can't just call or stop by the front desk—but there's a free email option that delivers same-day, plus a few other approved routes.
Mail is one of the easiest ways to stay connected with someone in jail—but mailrooms are strict. Here's how to format the address correctly, avoid rejected items, and handle denials if they happen.
Want your letter delivered faster at San Luis Obispo County Jail? You can email it for same-day delivery—just format it correctly and stay within the limits.
Register for automated advance-pay at https://account.ncic.com/Registration or call NCIC at 1-800-943-2189 to set up your account.
Remote video visits cost $0.19 per minute. You’ll need a smartphone with the NCIC Mobile Video Visitation app or a computer with a camera, speaker, microphone, and high-speed internet.
No. Staff aren’t allowed to take messages by phone or at the reception window; send messages during visits, through attorneys or bail agents, by mail, by NCIC message, or by email to the facility’s inmate mail address listed on official channels.
Email your letter to sh-inmatemail@co.slo.ca.us for same-day delivery. Attachments can be JPEG, GIF, BMP, PDF, TXT, or DOC/DOCX (no videos), and you’re limited to three emails per day with up to six pages per email; money orders must still be mailed via USPS.
Yes. You may send up to five books per inmate, and they must be paperback. Magazines, newspapers, and periodicals are allowed only if prepaid and mailed directly from the publisher or a non-retail distributor via USPS.
If your mail is rejected, the sender receives a rejection letter explaining why and how to appeal. The letter directs you to submit a denied-mail appeal form on the Sheriff’s website and includes the appeal deadline.
Trying to keep a loved one out of San Luis Obispo County Jail for a qualifying sentence? The county's Alternative Sentencing Unit (ASU) offers two main options: Home Detention (HDP) and the Alternative Work Program (AWP). Here's how they differ, what each requires, and how to apply on time.
Visiting San Luis Obispo County Jail? If you're over 18, bring a valid, government-issued photo ID. No acceptable ID means no visit—staff won't make exceptions.
Putting money on someone's account shouldn't be a guessing game. Here are the deposit options at San Luis Obispo County Jail, what they cost, and how to order pre-packaged commissary.
