New Mail Rules at USCF (effective Jan 5, 2026): Letter Limits, Photos, Privileged Mail, and Where Not to Send Money
USCF's mail rules changed on January 5, 2026. Here's what matters: personal mail must go to the USCF PO Box, letters have strict formatting and a five-page limit, photos must be sent through approved vendors, and money should never be sent to Pigeonly in Las Vegas.
As of January 5, 2026, all personal (non-legal) mail for the Utah State Correctional Facility goes through UDC mail processing centers. You can't mail letters directly to the facility anymore. Instead, address personal mail to the USCF PO Box: Utah State Correctional Facility, Incarcerated Person's Name – Inmate ID #, PO Box 165300, Salt Lake City, UT 84116.
Getting your letter accepted comes down to following the formatting rules exactly. Use 8.5 x 11-inch paper and write on one side only - typed or handwritten, either works. Put it in a standard #10 envelope. Don't try a different size. USCF rejects other envelope sizes, and postcards and greeting cards won't be accepted either.
Page limit: USCF will process no more than five pages per mailing. If you send more than five pages, the mail is denied, a denial slip is sent to the incarcerated person, and the envelope is returned to you.
Want to send photos? Don't include them in your letter. USCF doesn't accept printed photographs in direct mail. Instead, use one of the approved photo vendors: Pelipost, Ameelio, or Flikshop.
Tip: Use Pelipost, Ameelio, or Flikshop for photos. Follow the vendor's ordering steps carefully - pictures sent the wrong way get rejected.
Legal mail works differently. Attorneys should continue sending privileged legal mail directly to the UDC facility for delivery to their incarcerated clients.
- Register for Privileged Mail by Pigeonly - attorneys must register using the provided “Privileged Mail by Pigeonly” registration link.
- Create a one-time QR code sticker - once registered, generate a one-time-use QR code sticker.
- Affix the QR sticker to the envelope - the QR code sticker must be placed on the privileged-mail envelope before it’s sent.
Do not send money to Pigeonly: To avoid delays or loss of funds, do not send any funds to Pigeonly in Las Vegas, Nevada.
People incarcerated at USCF can't keep money on them. Funds go into an inmate account, which is set up when they arrive at the prison.
Sending books or magazines? UDC maintains a "Prohibited & Denied Publication" list that identifies specific titles not allowed in inmate mail. Check it before you send anything.
Practical Steps
- ✓ Address personal (non-legal) mail to the USCF PO Box: Incarcerated Person’s Name – Inmate ID #, PO Box 165300, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
- ✓ Write letters on 8.5 x 11-inch paper and use only one side of each page
- ✓ Use a standard #10 envelope - no other envelope sizes
- ✓ Don’t send postcards, greeting cards, or similar items
- ✓ Keep each mailing to five pages or fewer (over five pages will be denied and returned)
- ✓ Send photographs only through Pelipost, Ameelio, or Flikshop (no photos inside regular letters)
- ✓ Do not send any funds to Pigeonly in Las Vegas, Nevada
If you want to help with expenses, keep in mind that people inside USCF can't physically hold cash. Funds go into an inmate account that's opened when they arrive. Anything you send should be intended for that account - not as cash "to the person."
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