Quick facts

System

Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC)

Inmate ID

Six-digit DOC number

General mail goes to

The incarcerated person’s facility mailing address

Recipient receives

Actual mail after inspection (not a statewide digital-mail center)

Page limit

No statewide page cap — superintendent may limit volume or length

Carriers

USPS, UPS, and FedEx

Ordinary letter timing

Generally processed within 2 business days (excluding weekends/holidays)

Photos

Up to 25 per mailing; each 3″ × 5″ to 8½″ × 11″

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Look up the person’s six-digit DOC number and current facility via DOC’s incarcerated search, then use Contact Prisons for that site’s incarcerated-individual mail address. Include the person’s full legal name and DOC number on the envelope. Unit/bed is helpful but not required for delivery. Letters inside must be addressed to the same person named on the envelope.

[Your full name and return address]
[Full Name] [DOC Number] [Unit/bed if known]
[Facility Name]
[Facility incarcerated-individual mail address]
[City, WA ZIP]

Send elsewhere or use different rules

• Legal / privileged mail → Same facility — marked and handled as legal mail

  Envelope must be clearly marked “Legal Mail,” “Attorney/Client,” “Confidential,” or similar, and must be to/from an entity listed in DOC 450.100 Attachment 1 (courts, attorneys of record, ACLU-type groups, legislators, etc.). Legal mail is opened in the person’s presence and inspected; paper documents only.

• Books, magazines, publications → Facility — per Publication Guidelines (Attachment 3)

  Publications follow separate rules from personal correspondence. Do not assume a printed PDF packet counts as a “publication.”

• Packages → Facility — per DOC 450.120

  Personal correspondence in a standard envelope is not a package. Do not pad or laminate mail.

• Money for stamps or commissary → Approved deposit channels — not inside a letter

  Do not send cash, personal checks, or stamps in mail. Cashier’s checks and money orders require the person’s name and DOC number on the instrument and follow separate deposit rules (DOC 200.000).

Format & content rules

• Envelope must include the incarcerated individual’s full legal name, six-digit DOC number, correct facility address, and a USPS-compliant return address with an identifiable last name.
• Mail may be sent via USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Content must be for the addressed individual only — correspondence or property for a third party is not permitted.
• Do not send cash, personal checks, or stamps. Rejected mail with these items may be returned at the incarcerated person’s expense.
• All incoming mail is subject to inspection. Staff may provide photocopies of the envelope and/or contents in lieu of originals for safety and security; photocopies of photographs on photo paper are not made.
• Photographs (if enclosed): up to 25 per mailing, each at least 3″ × 5″ and no larger than 8½″ × 11″; no Polaroids, stickers, or layered photos. Vendor photo books (e.g., Shutterfly) may contain up to 20 bound pages when sent directly from the vendor.
• Rejected content includes padded, laminated/layered, or musical items; blank greeting cards/postcards; items exceeding 12″ × 18″ storage dimensions unless folded; stickers/labels inside the envelope; and copies of copyrighted material (single clippings from public-domain websites are allowed).
• Individuals at a Reception Diagnostic Center may have additional restrictions on internet printouts and photocopies not specifically relevant to them (Attachment 4).
• Outgoing mail from the facility is stamped to indicate it was mailed from a DOC facility; incoming mail you send is not pre-screened by a third-party contractor.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in DOC custody and look up their six-digit DOC number and current facility.
2. Find the facility’s incarcerated-individual mail address on DOC’s Contact Prisons page (some sites have separate addresses by unit).
3. Print the PDF on ordinary paper; avoid padded envelopes, lamination, staples through padding, perfume, glitter, or other substances that interfere with inspection.
4. Address the envelope with name + DOC number + facility mail address and your return address, then mail via USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

Look up a DOC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• Washington has no statewide page cap in our product config — you provide the facility address from DOC’s locator.
• We do not review PDFs — DOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• DOC — Send Mail
• DOC Policy 450.100 — Mail for Individuals in Prison
• DOC 450.100 — Unauthorized Mail (Attachment 4)
• DOC — Contact Prisons (facility mail addresses)
• DOC Incarcerated Search