Where to Mail Letters to a TDCJ Inmate: The Digital Mail Processing Center and Exceptions
TDCJ now routes most incoming personal mail through a centralized digital scanning process. Send letters the old way, and they may never reach your loved one. Here's the address format you need, plus the exceptions that still go directly to the unit.
Since September 6, 2023, all incoming first-class mail for TDCJ inmates goes to a centralized Dallas PO Box, not the prison unit. Include your loved one's full first and last name along with their TDCJ number. That's how the system matches mail to the right person. Missing or unclear information can delay processing or get your letter rejected.
- ✓ Write the inmate’s full first and last name
- ✓ Include the inmate’s TDCJ number
- ✓ Address first-class personal mail to: PO Box 660400, Dallas, TX 75266-0400
Some items skip the centralized system entirely. Mail these directly to the inmate's unit: legal mail, media mail, and books, magazines, packages, or subscriptions from verified vendors or publishers. If your item falls into one of these categories, don't send it to the Dallas PO Box.
Heads up: If you mail an exception item (like legal mail or books from a publisher) to the Dallas processing center, it may not be handled the way you expect. When in doubt, confirm where it should go before you send it.
If your loved one does not have a tablet, they can still receive mail sent through the digital process. The facility will provide black-and-white printed copies of the scanned correspondence for inmates without tablets.
Before you drop that envelope in the mailbox, double-check two things. First, make sure the TDCJ number is clearly written next to the inmate's full name. Second, confirm you're not sending something that should go straight to the unit (legal mail, books from verified vendors or publishers). Getting these details right keeps your mail moving through the Dallas process instead of getting delayed or rejected.
- Call the unit - Get final confirmation of visitation before you travel.
- Confirm again if plans change - If your travel day or timing shifts, call the unit again for final confirmation.
- Travel only after confirmation - Make the trip once you have that final confirmation from the unit.
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