# How to Send Photos to Someone in a California State Prison (CDCR) > How to send photos to a California state prison (CDCR): finding each prison's P.O. box, the CDCR number, Polaroid and photo rules, and what gets delivered. Published October 10, 2026 in Mail & Facility Rules To send photos to someone in a California state prison, mail real photo prints to that prison's own inmate mailing address, which is usually a P.O. box, with the person's full name and CDCR number. Unlike Texas or Florida, California has no central mail center, and CDCR says incoming letters are inspected and then passed on to the person, so the photos themselves are generally what your loved one gets. The catch is that every California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prison has its own mailing address, and some have several, depending on where in the prison the person lives. Getting the address right is most of the job. ## Mailing address for photos CDCR asks that mail include the person's full name and CDCR number, the institution name, the prison's P.O. box (CDCR says the P.O. box address is preferred), and the city and ZIP. Here's the format: ``` [Full name], [CDCR Number] [Institution name] P.O. BOX [Box number] [City] CA [ZIP] ``` The mailing address is often **not** the prison's street address. A few examples from CDCR's own facility pages show how much they vary: - **Folsom State Prison** lists a single inmate mailing box for all of its facilities, separate from its general mailing address. - **Central California Women's Facility** in Chowchilla has one P.O. box for the institution and a different one for incarcerated people. - **California State Prison, Corcoran** has a separate P.O. box for each housing facility (3A, 3B, 4A and so on), so you need to know which yard the person is on. - **San Quentin**, now called San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, asks for the institution name, full legal name, CDCR number and last known housing and bed number, with a San Quentin, CA 94974 address. Because of this, always check the current mailing address on the prison's page in CDCR's [list of adult institutions](https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/adult-institutions/). CDCR says the mailing addresses are listed at the top of each prison's page. Then look at our page for the same prison: - [San Quentin State Prison](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california/san-quentin-state-prison-sq) - [Folsom State Prison](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california/folsom-state-prison-fsp) - [California State Prison, Corcoran](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california/california-state-prison-corcoran-cor) - [Central California Women's Facility](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california/central-california-womens-facility-ccfw) Our facility pages say clearly when we haven't yet confirmed a prison's mailing address. Where CDCR's page and ours differ, go with CDCR. Every California prison, jail and detention center we serve is on our [California facilities page](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california). ## The ID number you need Everyone in CDCR custody has a **CDCR number**, usually a letter followed by digits (for example H32632). It goes right after the person's name on the envelope. To find it, search the [California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS)](https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/). It shows the CDCR number and the prison where the person is housed. If you can't find someone, CDCR suggests calling its ID Unit or the prison's Public Information Officer. At prisons that ask for it, like San Quentin and Corcoran, you'll also need the person's housing assignment. The easiest way to get it is to ask your loved one in a letter or call. ## Photo rules California's regulations, [Title 15, section 3134](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/15-CCR-3134), allow photographs in first-class mail, with these exceptions: - **No Polaroids** - **No photos with an attached backing** - **No framed photos** that can't be properly searched - **No negatives or slides** CDCR's operations manual adds that the number and size of photos a person can have are limited by its property rules. The rules we follow for California prisons: - **Size:** 4x6 prints - **Limit:** up to 10 photos per envelope - **Not allowed:** nudity, sexual content, gang signs, weapons, drugs or money Plain 4x6 prints, with nothing stuck to the back and no frames, are the safest choice. For help picking photos, see [what photos are allowed in prison](https://inmatepics.com/blog/what-photos-are-allowed-in-prison) and [why Polaroids are banned in prison](https://inmatepics.com/blog/why-polaroids-are-banned-in-prison). ## What your loved one receives CDCR says incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband and then forwarded to the person. In practice that means your loved one generally receives the **actual photo prints**, something they can hold and keep. We haven't yet confirmed this for every prison, and our facility pages note that. CDCR also says that where tablets are active, people can receive emails and photos from friends and family electronically. Printed photos sent by mail are separate from that, and you can use both. ## Step by step 1. **Find them in [CIRIS](https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/)** and note their CDCR number and prison. 2. **Open that prison's page** in CDCR's list of adult institutions and copy the inmate mailing address. 3. **Check whether the prison wants a housing unit or yard**, and get it from your loved one if so. 4. **Choose your photos.** Clear, recent pictures with nothing on the not-allowed list. 5. **Print them as plain 4x6 photo prints.** No Polaroids, backing or frames. 6. **Keep each envelope to 10 photos or fewer.** 7. **Address the envelope** in the format above, with your full return address. 8. **Mail it by USPS.** Or let us do the printing and addressing: on [InmatePics](https://inmatepics.com/send), choose the prison, enter the CDCR number and upload your photos. We print real 4x6 photo prints, address them the way the prison requires and split them into envelopes it accepts. You see what your loved one will receive before you pay. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription. ## Tips to avoid returned mail - **Don't use the street address by default.** Many California prisons use a P.O. box for inmate mail. - **Match the P.O. box to the housing unit** at prisons that split mail by facility. - **Always include the CDCR number.** - **Leave out Polaroids, backed or framed photos, negatives and slides.** - **Re-check CIRIS after a transfer.** People move between prisons, and each prison's address is different. - **County jail isn't CDCR.** If your loved one hasn't been transferred yet, the county's rules apply. For example, see our post on [Los Angeles County Jail](https://inmatepics.com/blog/send-photos-to-los-angeles-county-jail). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there one address for all California prisons? No. CDCR has no central mail address for personal mail. Each prison has its own inmate mailing address, and some prisons use different P.O. boxes for different housing facilities. ### Do California inmates receive the actual photos? Generally, yes. CDCR inspects incoming mail for contraband and then forwards it to the person, so they usually get the prints themselves. ### Can I send Polaroids to a California prison? No. California's regulations exclude Polaroids, as well as photos with attached backing, framed photos that can't be searched, negatives and slides. ### How many photos can I send to a CDCR prison? We send up to 10 photos per envelope. CDCR's property rules also limit how many photos a person can keep, so it's worth asking your loved one how many more they can keep before sending a big batch. ### What if my photos come back? With InmatePics, if your order is returned for any reason other than banned content, you get a full refund or a free reprint, your choice. Rules change, so check the prison's page on CDCR's site and ours before you mail. Start with our [California facilities page](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/california) or our [guide to sending photos to an inmate](https://inmatepics.com/guides/how-to-send-photos-to-an-inmate), then [send your photos](https://inmatepics.com/send).