How Much Money Can You Bring Into the Visiting Room? (Oregon DOC FAQ)
Heading to an Oregon DOC visit? Bring only a small amount of change—but be warned, DOC's own pages list different limits. Here's what the guidance says and how to confirm the right amount before you make the drive.
Oregon DOC publishes two different limits for money in the visiting room. The Visiting Checklist says
Note: DOC guidance lists two different amounts. Don't assume you can bring the higher number - verify what your facility enforces before you show up.
Why does this matter? You're often expected to have quarters for vending machines during visits. Oregon DOC's Visiting Checklist tells visitors to bring quarters, but also says you can't bring cash beyond the allowed amount into the visiting room. Show up with too much money, and you may have to stash it before they let you in. Knowing the limit ahead of time saves you stress at the door.
- ✓ Bring quarters for your visit.
- ✓ Check the allowed amount of change for the facility you’re visiting before you enter.
- ✓ Keep any extra cash out of the visiting room (leave it at home, in your car, or wherever the facility directs).
- Check the Visiting Alerts Calendar - visits can be canceled, including at the last minute, so confirm you’re not driving into a closure.
- Review the facility’s visiting guidance - different facilities can enforce visiting-room rules differently, and you want the most current instructions for where you’re going.
- Ask DOC Visiting Services for confirmation - if you still see the $15-vs-$25 conflict, email DOC.Visitors@doc.oregon.gov or send a fax to (503) 373-1173 and ask what amount is currently allowed in the visiting room for your facility.
Tip: Even if you checked earlier in the week, confirm again before you leave - visiting cancellations can happen with little notice.
Can't get a clear answer before you travel? Play it safe. Bring only a small amount of quarters and leave other cash in your vehicle. This approach works under both DOC statements - you'll stay under the Visiting Checklist's "$15 in quarters" language while still being covered if the facility follows the "$25.00 in change" wording from the Visiting Guidelines.
- ✓ Bring quarters.
- ✓ Leave excess cash somewhere you won’t take into the visiting room.
- ✓ Bring your government-issued ID.
- ✓ If you have emergency medication (like an inhaler or nitro tablets), plan to leave it at the Sergeant’s desk for security during the visit.
Don't let the money question distract you from another common reason people get turned away: ID. For Oregon DOC visits, anyone 15 and older needs official identification - a driver's license, passport, state ID card, or military ID.
Find an Inmate at Two Rivers Correctional Inst., OR
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
