Quick facts

System

Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC)

Inmate ID

7-digit State ID number (DOC ID #)

General mail goes to

The incarcerated person’s facility mailing address

Recipient receives

Black-and-white photocopies (originals are shredded)

Page limit

3 photocopied 8½″ × 11″ pages max per mailing (envelope counts as 1)

Double-sided

Photocopy pages may be front and back; each enclosed item counts toward the limit

Photos

Up to 5 photographs per envelope (each counts as a photocopy item)

Ordinary letter timing

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

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Use the Inmate & Supervisee Locator for the 7-digit State ID number and current facility, then the Facilities & Offices directory for that site’s mailing address. Include the person’s first and last name, State ID number, facility name, and your complete return address on the envelope.

[First and Last Name] [7-digit State ID #]
[Facility Name]
[Facility PO Box or street address]
[City, VA ZIP]

Send elsewhere instead

• Legal correspondence (attorneys, courts) → VADOC Centralized Mail Distribution Center — not the facility

  Legal mail from attorneys, courts, and court entities must go to 3521 Woods Way, State Farm, VA 23160 for screening. Civil process that must be served on the person at the facility is an exception — send that to the facility where they are housed.

• Religious correspondence and publications → Centralized Mail Distribution Center (3521 Woods Way, State Farm, VA 23160)

  Religious mail, books, newspapers, magazines, vendor-purchased photographs, and photobooks must be screened at the Central Mail Distribution Center before delivery — not mailed as a personal letter to the facility.

• Books, magazines, and vendor publications → Centralized Mail Distribution Center or approved vendor channels

  Publications purchased or donated for an incarcerated person are not handled like personal correspondence at the facility mailroom. See OP 803.4.

• Funds → JPay or other approved deposit channels — not in the envelope

  Cash, checks, money orders, postage stamps, and prepaid postage envelopes/postcards are not allowed in personal mail.

Format & content rules

• All incoming general correspondence — including printed PDF pages — is opened, inspected, and photocopied at the facility mailroom. Only black-and-white photocopies are delivered; originals (including personal photos) are shredded and not returned.
• Maximum three 8½″ × 11″ photocopied pages front and back per mailing. The envelope photocopy counts as one page. Each enclosed item (letter, photograph, greeting card, drawing, printed material, clipping) counts as one photocopy; staff will not fit multiple items onto a single page. Mail that exceeds the limit is returned to the sender.
• For practical PDF mailings: treat the envelope as one page and keep printed content to about two letter-size pages (double-sided is allowed on those photocopy pages). Split longer documents into separate envelopes.
• Up to five photographs per envelope from individuals; nude or semi-nude images (including swimwear, lingerie, or diapers) are prohibited. Printed pages from known VADOC websites are also prohibited.
• Accepted: letters, greeting cards, postcards, and appropriate photos. Not accepted: cash, checks, money orders, postage stamps, or prepaid postage envelopes/postcards.
• Always include your full return address and the person’s name, 7-digit State ID number, and facility on the envelope. Mail may be read for security; content can be rejected if it threatens facility order or security.
• Color printing is wasted for general correspondence — VADOC delivers black-and-white photocopies only.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in VADOC custody and look up their 7-digit State ID number and current facility.
2. Look up the facility mailing address (PO Box or street) in the Facilities & Offices directory.
3. Keep the packet within the three-page photocopy limit (envelope counts as one — plan for ~2 pages of content). Split longer PDFs into multiple mailings.
4. Print on ordinary letter-size paper; do not enclose stamps, money, or prepaid reply envelopes.
5. Address to the facility with name + State ID + facility name and your return address, then mail as personal correspondence.

Look up a State ID number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Virginia, we enforce the strict three-page photocopy limit and print in black and white.
• You provide the facility mailing address from the locator and directory — we do not review PDFs; VADOC may still reject mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• VADOC — Sending Mail
• VADOC OP 803.1 — Correspondence (PDF)
• VADOC — Legal Correspondence
• VADOC — Inmate & Supervisee Locator
• VADOC — Facilities & Offices