How to mail a PDF to someone in a California prison

Quick facts

System

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)

Inmate ID

CDCR number

General mail goes to

The person’s yard / housing PO Box at their CDCR institution (not always the institution admin box)

Recipient receives

Actual mail (inspected; not a statewide digital-mail center)

Page limit

None in Title 15 — First-Class correspondence is weight-capped

Weight (First-Class)

Maximum 13 ounces per First-Class letter (CCR § 3133)

Delivery timing

As soon as possible, and no later than 7 calendar days after the mailroom receives it (unless disapproved)

Where to send mail

General / First-Class correspondence

Include the person’s full name and CDCR number. CDCR prefers the housing / yard P.O. Box over the institution admin address — many prisons (e.g. Calipatria, Kern Valley, Centinela, CSP-LAC) publish a different inmate PO Box per Facility A/B/C/…. Bed/housing number on the envelope helps further. Confirm the current box on the CDCR Facility Locator page for that prison.

[Full Name] [CDCR Number]
[Facility / yard letter if known]
[Housing / bed number if known]
[Institution Name]
[Yard / housing P.O. Box]
[City, CA ZIP]

Special cases

• Books, periodicals, vendor packages → Approved vendors / publishers per CDCR rules

  Personal correspondents cannot send everything — publications and packages use separate channels and property limits (§§ 3133, 3147).

• Marketing / bulk solicitations → Marketing Mail (max 16 oz)

  Different category from personal First-Class correspondence (§ 3133).

• Legal / confidential mail → Facility, following confidential-mail procedures

  Handled under separate CDCR rules from general correspondence.

Format & content rules

• First-Class may include written, typed, or printed communications on paper — including photocopies of articles and internet printouts when otherwise allowed (§ 3134).
• First-Class does not include boxes or padded envelopes where padding cannot be removed before delivery.
• Stay at or under 13 ounces for First-Class letters.
• Include a complete return address and the incarcerated person’s name and CDCR number on the envelope.
• Stationery rules: writing/typing paper must not be cotton paper; writing tablets are white or yellow lined only (§ 3134). Standard copy paper is fine for printed PDFs.
• Photos (if enclosed): no Polaroids, negatives, slides, framed photos, or photos with attached backing that cannot be searched.
• Mail that is disturbing, threatens safety, or contains prohibited content (including sexually explicit images as defined by CDCR) can be disapproved (§ 3135).

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in CDCR custody and look up their CDCR number, institution, and yard/facility.
2. Use the yard / housing P.O. Box from that prison’s CDCR Facility Locator page (not the institution-only box when both are listed).
3. Include housing/bed number on the address if you have it.
4. Print the PDF on ordinary (non-cotton) paper and keep the packet under 13 oz — split into multiple mailings if needed.
5. Mail First Class.

Look up a CDCR number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• California has no hard page cap in our product config — the practical limit is First-Class weight (13 oz).
• You pick the institution from our list (and optional yard when CDCR publishes a separate PO Box); optional bed/housing when you know it. We do not review PDFs, and CDCR may still reject mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• CCR Title 15 § 3133 — Definitions and Disposition of Mail
• CCR Title 15 § 3134 — General Mail Regulations
• CCR Title 15 § 3135 — Disturbing or Offensive Mail
• CDCR Inmate Locator (CIRIS)
• CDCR — How to Contact an Incarcerated Person
• CDCR Facility Locator (per-prison mailing addresses)