Quick facts

System

Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC)

Inmate ID

DOC Number (DOC#)

General mail goes to

The person’s assigned facility mailing address

Recipient receives

Photocopy of non-legal mail (original destroyed) — statewide as of Aug 2026

Page limit

None published when the sender pays postage (AR 300-38 IV.A.6)

Address must include

Commitment name, DOC#, facility name, valid return address

Stickers / labels

Prohibited — adhesive labels, stickers, and stamps are removed

Timing

Generally held no more than 48 hours (excluding weekends/holidays)

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Look up the person’s DOC number and current facility on the CDOC inmate locator, then use that facility’s mailing address from its facility page. Use the person’s commitment name (legally changed name may appear after the commitment name). Mail without a valid return address may be rejected.

[Commitment Name] [DOC#]
[Facility Name]
[Facility Street / PO Box]
[City, CO ZIP]

Send elsewhere or use different rules

• Legal / privileged mail → Same facility address — restricted inspection handling

  Attorney mail must be marked “PRIVILEGED” or “CONFIDENTIAL” and include the attorney’s name, bar/license number, and complete business address (AR 300-38 IV.B). At designated facilities, legal mail is also photocopied under an OIG pilot program. Mail that fails legal-mail requirements may be returned or processed as ordinary mail.

• Books, magazines, and bound publications → Approved publisher / retailer only — shipped direct to facility

  Must come from an approved source of supply (verifiable retailer or publisher), be new (no used books), and comply with AR 300-26. A printed e-book of ten or more continuous pages is treated as a book (AR 300-38). Do not tuck bound publications into a personal letter.

• Commercially produced photos → Approved photo vendor (direct to facility)

  Photos from an approved vendor shipped directly are processed as publications and are not subject to the photocopy requirement. Personal photos enclosed in a letter are photocopied like other non-legal mail.

• Packages and merchandise → Approved source of supply only

  Items of value must be purchased and shipped by an approved vendor per AR 850-06 — not mailed as personal correspondence.

• Electronic messages (optional) → Securus eMessaging

  One-way electronic messages reviewed by staff and delivered to the person’s tablet. Requires the person’s DOC number. Not a substitute for physical mail rules above.

Format & content rules

• Non-restricted personal mail — including printed PDF pages mailed as correspondence — may be opened, read, and inspected for contraband. CDOC currently photocopies all non-legal incoming mail at every state and private DOC facility; the copy is delivered and the original is destroyed (Contact an Inmate OIG notice, Aug 2026).
• When the sender pays postage, AR 300-38 sets no limit on the volume, length, language, or source of letters or publications, except where security requires otherwise. Loose-leaf (unbound) pages printed from the internet — including pamphlets and legal materials — are explicitly allowed; a printed e-book of ten or more continuous pages counts as a book.
• Required on the envelope: commitment name, DOC number, facility and/or PO Box, and a valid return address. Missing information → rejection or return to sender.
• No stickers: adhesive labels, stickers, and stamps on contents or envelopes are removed (information on labels may be provided to the person separately).
• Rejected envelope types include padded, cloth, plastic, and cardboard envelopes, and envelopes with decorative stamps or stickers or contents that cannot easily be removed and searched.
• No Polaroid photos. Personal checks, cash, and paper money orders are not accepted in mail — use approved electronic deposit channels (AR 200-02).
• Content can still be censored or rejected under AR 300-26 (Publications) and AR 300-38 rejection criteria if it threatens security or violates policy.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in CDOC custody and look up their DOC number and current facility on the inmate locator.
2. Find the facility mailing address on that facility’s CDOC webpage.
3. Print your PDF on ordinary paper in a standard envelope — no stickers, padded mailers, or cardboard packaging.
4. Address with commitment name + DOC# + facility name + your return address, then mail as personal correspondence.

Look up a DOC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Colorado, we collect the facility mailing address and format the envelope with name, DOC number, and return address.
• We do not review PDFs — CDOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• CDOC — Contact an Inmate (mail & OIG photocopy notice)
• CDOC — Department Policies (AR 300-38 Offender Mail, AR 300-26 Publications)
• CDOC — FAQ (publications & approved vendors)
• CDOC Inmate Locator