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Visit-day checklist: North Carolina prisons
What to wear, which ID to bring and what you can carry in, from NC DAC's official rules. Pick a prison to add its address, phone and hours. Print it or keep it on your phone.
Before visit day
- ☐ You must have an approved application before any visit. The incarcerated person mails you a blank application; you return the completed original to the prison where they are housed. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Attach a copy of an approved photo ID (16 and older) or a birth certificate (under 16). Incomplete or copied forms are not approved. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Each person can have up to 18 approved visitors. Once the list is full, it can only change during an open-enrollment period every six months. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ A criminal record, recent release or current probation/parole may be grounds for denial; exceptions may apply for immediate family. NC DAC does not publish a typical approval wait time. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Check for lockdowns or cancelled visits: North Carolina facility status.
What to wear
- ☐ Appropriate attire is required. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Please note that shoes with metal shanks, belts with metal buckles and underwire bras may set off the metal detector. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Dresses or skirts may not be more than three inches above the kneecap. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Slits in skirts and dresses may not be more than three inches above the kneecap. (official source) (opens in new tab)
ID to bring
- NC DAC's ID rule isn't on the official pages we could read. Check the official visiting page (opens in new tab) or call the prison before you go.
What you can bring, what stays in the car
- ☐ Cell phones are considered contraband and are prohibited from all prison facilities. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ All visitors must pass through, and clear, a metal detector search. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ People with metal artificial joints must present their implant ID card and expect to be searched with a hand wand metal detector. (official source) (opens in new tab)
More from NC DAC on visiting
- ☐ In-person visits are by appointment only. Call or email the prison to schedule, and call the day before to confirm the facility's visiting status. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Visitors 16 and older are pat-searched and scanned. Refusing a search means you can't enter. Cell phones are not allowed. Dress rules apply. (official source) (opens in new tab)
- ☐ Questions about visiting policy (D.0200) go to the warden of that prison. (official source) (opens in new tab)
Rules can differ by prison and change without notice; the prison's posted rules win. Quoted or summarized from official NC DAC pages, each linked. Not legal advice. No sponsors or affiliate links. Last checked .
Sources: How we source and verify · Last verified: · Corrections