How to mail a PDF to someone in a South Carolina prison

Quick facts

System

South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC)

Inmate ID

SCDC number (inmate number)

General mail goes to

The incarcerated person’s institution mailing address

Recipient receives

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

Page limit

No published cap on a personal letter; clippings/internet printouts limited to 5 pages per envelope

Photos

Up to 10 photographs per envelope (not allowed in RHU or R&E)

Addressing

Name, SCDC number, dorm/living unit, and full institution name required

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Use the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search for the SCDC number, institution, and dorm/living unit, then the institution’s mailing address from doc.sc.gov/institutions. Put your complete return address in the upper-left corner of the envelope.

[Inmate Legal Name]
[SCDC Number]
[Living / Dorm Unit]
[Full Institution Name]
[Institution Street Address]
[City, SC ZIP]

Send elsewhere or use different channels

• Books → Approved vendors only — shipped to the inmate at the institution

  Since October 1, 2025, paperback books must come directly from an approved vendor (e.g. Books N Things Warehouse, SureShot Books, Barnes & Noble online, Books-A-Million online) with a paid invoice. Do not pack books into a personal letter envelope.

• Magazines, newspapers, and other publications → Publisher or verified online subscription source

  Must be paid in advance and addressed to the inmate. Inmates in intake (R&E) or restrictive housing (RHU) may not receive publications.

• Legal / privileged mail → Institution — under legal-mail procedures

  Legal mail is opened and inspected in the inmate’s presence. Do not mix privileged legal documents with routine personal correspondence.

• Cooper Trust Fund deposits → ViaPath/GTL money-order address — not the inmate’s dorm

  Do not mail cash, checks, or money orders directly to an inmate. Use approved deposit channels (online, phone, or the designated money-order mailing address on doc.sc.gov/family).

Format & content rules

• There is no published statewide page-count cap on an ordinary personal letter. PS-10.08 and the SCDC family mail FAQ limit newspaper/magazine clippings, crossword pages, and information printed from the internet (except SCDC’s own website) to five (5) pages per envelope — treat that as a cap on enclosures, not on the main letter itself.
• Mail must include the inmate’s legal name, SCDC number, living/dorm unit, full institution name, and complete institution street address, plus your complete return address.
• All general mail is opened and inspected for contraband before delivery. Non-privileged mail may be read if staff have reason to believe it violates agency rules.
• Up to 10 photographs per envelope are allowed (SCDC mailroom FAQ). Inmates in Restrictive Housing (RHU) or Reception and Evaluation (R&E) cannot receive photos. No nude or sexually explicit images.
• Do not enclose cash, postage stamps, writing materials, food, drink, tobacco, or blank/pre-stamped envelopes. Material printed from the SCDC website is prohibited.
• Greeting cards must be commercially produced. Musical/audible cards, blank greeting cards, and cards larger than 8″ × 10″ are not allowed. Polaroid photos are allowed only if the entire backing is removed.
• Rejected or questionable mail may be delayed, returned at the inmate’s expense, or forwarded to the Correspondence Review Committee. Allow about two weeks for processing if mail seems missing.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in SCDC custody and look up their SCDC number, institution, and dorm/living unit.
2. Look up the institution mailing address on doc.sc.gov/institutions (not the visit-only address if different).
3. Address the envelope with name, SCDC number, dorm unit, institution name, and full street address; include your return address.
4. Keep clippings or internet printouts (if any) to five pages or fewer per envelope; do not enclose books, cash, or stamps.

Look up an SCDC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select South Carolina, you pick the institution from our list, enter the required dorm/living unit, and we enforce the 5-page PS-10.08 printout limit.
• We do not review PDFs — SCDC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• SCDC — Family (sending mail, mailroom FAQ)
• PS-10.08 — Inmate Correspondence Privileges (PDF)
• SCDC — Institutions and mailing addresses
• SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search