Sonoma County Jail Mail Changes: Transition to Pigeonly for Non-Privileged Mail (Sept–Oct 2025)
Sonoma County is changing how regular mail works at its detention facilities this fall. Starting September 1, 2025, all non-privileged mail must go through Pigeonly - you can no longer send it directly to the jail. After October 1, 2025, any non-privileged mail that still shows up at the facility gets returned to sender.
- ✓ Set up and plan to use Pigeonly for non-privileged mail before September 1, 2025.
- ✓ Don’t send non-privileged mail directly to the facility once the September 1 change starts.
- ✓ If you mail non-privileged items to the facility after October 1, 2025, expect it to be returned to you.
Not everything goes through Pigeonly. Privileged mail and official or legal documents bypass the new system entirely - send those directly to the facility (Main Adult Detention Facility or North County Detention Facility). Magazines and newspapers also skip Pigeonly, but only when they come straight from a publisher or distributor to a specific incarcerated person. Those still go directly to the jail.
Remember: Privileged mail, legal documents, and publisher-sent magazines or newspapers are exceptions. Send those directly to the facility, not through Pigeonly.
Always include the booking number on your mail - no exceptions. Not sure you have the right one? Confirm it through the facility's booking-number lookup before you send anything.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office says incarcerated people will still have plenty of opportunity to send and receive mail, though restrictions can apply when there's a legitimate government interest. Bottom line: follow the new process carefully - especially the Pigeonly routing and booking-number requirement - so your mail actually gets through.
Gaps and Verification
- ✓ The official notices don’t lay out step-by-step Pigeonly setup instructions.
- ✓ They don’t provide a confirmed “exact format” example for how to address envelopes through Pigeonly.
- ✓ They don’t include sample envelope layouts or mailing examples you can copy.
- ✓ Before you send anything, double-check the current Pigeonly instructions and the jail’s mail page so your mail doesn’t get returned.
Tip: Double-check Pigeonly's current mailing instructions and address format before you send anything. A small formatting mistake can mean the difference between delivery and a return-to-sender.
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