Visiting in West Virginia (WV DCR)

Getting on the visiting list

The process starts with the inmate, who requests an Application to Visit and is responsible for mailing it to the prospective visitor. The visitor fills it out and mails it back (it is not submitted online), and it is approved after a background check by the facility’s security chief, with the check repeated every three years. An inmate may have up to six approved adult visitors at a time, and the list can be changed only once every three months; minor children do not count toward the six. A visitor must show a relationship that began before the current incarceration, and may be on only one inmate’s list unless they are an immediate family member of more than one.

A criminal record matters: a person with a felony record or a past incarceration is barred unless all three are true — they are an immediate family member, they are not a victim of the inmate’s crime, and they have been arrest- and incarceration-free for at least two years. Anyone with a pending charge, warrant, or detainer is ineligible.

Minors (under 18) must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult immediate-family member, and a birth certificate is required. If the accompanying adult is not the parent or guardian, they must bring a notarized Juvenile Visitation Form — and the facility’s own notary cannot notarize it, so have it done beforehand.

What to wear

West Virginia does not ban any clothing color for visitors — an unusual feature — but the dress code is built on modesty:

• A bra is required (but no underwire, which will not clear the metal detector), and male visitors must wear a shirt.
• No shorts, sleeveless tops, or tight, sheer, see-through, low-cut, or midriff-baring clothing, and no hats or head coverings.
• No steel- or composite-toe shoes; jewelry is limited to a wedding ring (no watches), and items with metal or metallic beads may not clear the detector.
• A complete set of undergarments is required, and the shift commander has the final say on whether an outfit is appropriate.

What you can bring

Every adult must show a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID — not a Social Security card, credit card, or self-printed ID). Almost nothing else comes into the visit room: no phones, purses, bags, or tobacco — secure them in your vehicle or a lobby locker (some facilities charge a refundable quarter). There is no visitor vending, and no food or drink in the visiting area. A parent may bring limited baby items — commonly one clear bottle or sippy cup, a few diapers, and a carrier — most of which go in the locker during the visit.

Scheduling and visit days

Prison visits are on Saturdays and Sundays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and each facility sets its own time slots within that window. Visits are scheduled in advance by the incarcerated person through the facility’s procedure — there is no walk-in visiting and no public online booking system, so confirm the facility’s specific process and times. A visit may include up to two adults and two minor children and can last up to four hours; a general-population inmate is allowed 10 to 16 hours of visiting a month.

Contact, non-contact, and video visits

At the state prisons, visits are contact visits by default — physical contact is allowed, and a barrier is used only for a documented security risk. At the regional jails, by contrast, all visits are non-contact (through glass). Visits for people in segregation or restrictive housing require a special request. Video visits are available through the GettingOut system, on-site and from home — see Phone & Video Calls.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Visiting Basics.