Close and minimum security (men) · State Prison · NCDAC

Pasquotank Correctional Institution

Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, North Carolina

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: 252-331-4881 Info last verified: June 2026

A close- and minimum-security state prison for men in Elizabeth City, in northeastern North Carolina.

Statewide rules that apply at every NCDAC prison

These rules are set by NCDAC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in North Carolina.

Dress code

Dress modestly — no halter, tube, strapless, tank, sleeveless, or underwear-style tops, no bare midriffs, and no spandex; shorts and skirts must be no more than about three inches above the knee.
Cell phones, smartwatches, cameras, and recording devices are not allowed inside, and each prison may turn away a visitor who is dressed out of code, so confirm the facility's rules before traveling.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the offender's visiting list before visiting — the incarcerated person mails an application to each prospective visitor; applicants 16 and older attach a copy of a government photo ID (minors under 16 a birth certificate), and the completed form goes to the prison where the person is housed. Visitors 16 and older show photo ID at the visit.
What to bring: Bring only what the facility allows — phones, smartwatches, cameras, bags, and most personal items are not permitted in the visiting room. Money for the person's trust account is sent through ViaPath (ConnectNetwork) or TouchPay, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Visits are by appointment only — call or email the specific prison to schedule; there is no statewide online scheduler, and visitation status should be confirmed the day before. Visits are generally limited to one per week, up to two hours, with up to three approved visitors. Women enter the system through the diagnostic center at the NC Correctional Institution for Women (Raleigh); men are received at several prisons, including Craven and Piedmont.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in North Carolina

Overview

Pasquotank Correctional Institution is a state prison for men operated by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC). It is in Elizabeth City, in Pasquotank County in the northeastern corner of the state. The facility holds men in close and minimum custody.

People housed at Pasquotank are identified by an OPUS number, the seven-digit identifier NCDAC assigns to each incarcerated person. The OPUS number is required to look someone up on the offender locator, to address mail correctly, and to send money. Routine transfers between facilities are not announced to families, so the locator is the way to confirm where a person is currently held.

What Makes Pasquotank Different

Pasquotank combines close-custody and minimum-custody housing on one campus, so the units and the visiting arrangements that apply to a given person depend on that person’s custody class. Contact and non-contact visiting status is tied to custody level and disciplinary status, which is set facility by facility.

Because it sits in Elizabeth City near the Albemarle Sound, Pasquotank is one of the more remote prisons relative to North Carolina’s larger population centers; the nearest metropolitan area is the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia, across the state line.

Visiting

The statewide NCDAC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Pasquotank Correctional Institution. The facility’s own arrangements:

Approved list first: Before any visit, the incarcerated person mails a visitor application to each prospective visitor (up to 18 applications). Applicants 16 and older attach a copy of a government photo ID; minors under 16 attach a copy of a birth certificate. The completed form goes to Pasquotank.
Scheduling: By appointment only. Call 252-331-4881 to arrange a visit; there is no statewide online scheduler. Confirm the facility’s visitation status the day before.
Limits: Generally one visit per week, up to two hours, with up to three approved visitors. Whether a visit is contact or non-contact depends on the person’s custody class and disciplinary status.
ID and dress: Visitors 16 and older bring a government photo ID. The dress code prohibits halter, tube, strapless, tank, sleeveless, or underwear-type tops, bare midriffs, spandex, and shorts or skirts more than about three inches above the knee. Phones, smartwatches, cameras, and recording devices are not allowed inside.
Legal visits: Attorneys arrange legal visits by emailing the facility at pasquotankvisitation@dac.nc.gov.

Getting There and Parking

Pasquotank Correctional Institution is at 527 Commerce Drive in Elizabeth City, the seat of Pasquotank County, in northeastern North Carolina near the Virginia line and the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. Elizabeth City sits along the Pasquotank River off the Albemarle Sound. The main routes into the area are U.S. Highway 17 and U.S. Highway 158.

Parking and the visitor-entrance location are set by the facility. Confirm parking, the entrance, and any check-in time when scheduling a visit by phone.

Nearby Services

Elizabeth City has lodging, restaurants, and fuel along the U.S. 17 corridor. The nearest hospital emergency room is in the Elizabeth City area. Larger hospitals and a wider range of services are in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of southeastern Virginia, to the north across the state line.

Mail

Incoming personal mail does not go to the prison. North Carolina sends personal mail to an off-site vendor, TextBehind, which opens and scans it and delivers a digital copy to the incarcerated person’s tablet; original letters, cards, and packages are returned to the sender. Address personal mail with the person’s full name and OPUS number and the full (unabbreviated) prison name to: TextBehind, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131 — and include the sender’s full first and last name in the return address. Legal mail is exempt and goes directly to the facility. Books and publications must come from a publisher or online retailer, shipped to the prison’s street address, not the TextBehind box. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a North Carolina state prison:

Visiting in North Carolina — the approved visitor list, the application, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the TextBehind mail-scanning process and what still goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath calls, tablets, and GettingOut video visits
Sending Money — depositing through ViaPath/ConnectNetwork and TouchPay
Medical & Mental Health — sick-call co-pays, mental health, and the grievance board
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, the locator, and transfers

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.