Visiting in North Carolina (NCDAC)
How to get on a North Carolina prison's approved visitor list, why visits are by appointment with each prison, the dress code and ID rules, and video visits through GettingOut.
Getting on the approved visitor list
No one may visit until they are an approved visitor, and the incarcerated person starts the process. The incarcerated person mails an application to each prospective visitor — up to 18 applications. Each prospective visitor completes the form and returns it to the prison where the incarcerated person is housed.
Documentation is attached with the application:
- Applicants 16 and older attach a copy of a government photo ID.
- A minor under 16 attaches a copy of a birth certificate.
The prison reviews the applications and sets the approved list.
Scheduling a visit
North Carolina does not use a statewide online scheduler. Visits are by appointment only, arranged with the specific prison.
- Confirm the visitor is on the incarcerated person’s approved list.
- Call or email the prison where the person is housed to schedule an appointment. Each prison sets its own visiting days and hours.
- Confirm the facility’s visitation status the day before the scheduled visit.
Visit limits
Visits are generally limited to:
- One visit per week.
- Up to two hours.
- Up to three approved visitors.
Whether a visit is contact or non-contact depends on the incarcerated person’s custody class and disciplinary status. Confirm the type of visit with the prison when scheduling.
ID for visitors
Every visitor 16 and older must show a government photo ID at the visit.
Dress code
A statewide dress code applies to all visitors. The following are not permitted:
Video visits
North Carolina offers video visits through the GettingOut Visits app (ViaPath), on demand or scheduled. The cost is not published — confirm pricing in the app. See Phone & Video Calls.
Reception and where someone enters the system
Where a person first enters the North Carolina prison system depends on their gender:
- Women: all women enter through the diagnostic center at the NC Correctional Institution for Women (NCCIW) in Raleigh.
- Men: North Carolina uses a distributed reception model across several prisons. Craven CI (Vanceboro) is a major processing center, Piedmont CI (Salisbury) receives western men age 22 and older with sentences under ten years, and Central Prison (Raleigh) runs a special-population diagnostic.
Families are not notified of routine transfers. The NCDAC inmate locator shows a person’s current location. See Transfers & Finding Someone.
Verify Before Acting
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.