To send photos to someone in King County Jail, whether they're at the downtown Seattle jail or the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, mail them to the county's digital mail center in Tampa, Florida, with the person's full name and 10-digit booking number. King County scans incoming letters and photos and delivers them to the person's tablet or a kiosk, or prints them out if they don't have tablet or kiosk access.
This guide covers both King County jails: the address, the booking number, the photo rules, and what your loved one will actually see. Rules change, so we also keep our facility pages current.
Mailing address for photos
King County's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) says all letters to adults in its jails, at both the Seattle and Kent facilities, must go to one address:
[Full name] [Booking Number]
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center-King County
P.O. Box 20245
Tampa, FL 33622
That's the address on the county's mail page for adults in jail. A few things to know:
- The full, 10-digit booking number must be on the envelope, or the county says the mail will be returned.
- Use a white envelope with your name and return address clearly written.
- Send it by U.S. Postal Service only. King County denies and returns items delivered by UPS, FedEx or Amazon.
- Don't send personal mail to the jail buildings. The street addresses for the King County Correctional Facility at 500 Fifth Ave. in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center at 620 W. James St. in Kent are for legal mail and publications.
You can see every Washington facility we serve on our Washington page.
The ID number you need
King County uses a 10-digit booking number, which the county also calls a B/A (book of arrest) number. It must be written in full on the envelope.
To find it:
- Use the county's Subject Lookup Tool, linked from the DAJD mail page, to check whether a person is in a King County jail and to get their B/A number.
- Ask your loved one. They'll have their number.
- Check again after any release and rebooking, since a new booking can mean a new number.
King County is clear on this point: without the full 10-digit booking number on the envelope, your mail comes back.
Photo rules
King County allows photographs as long as they don't include nude or semi-nude subjects or any other prohibited content. According to DAJD, mail is returned or rejected if it includes:
- Nudity or partial nudity, including nude or semi-nude photos of babies and children
- Sexual, sexually suggestive or sexually explicit content, and R- or X-rated material
- Gang symbols or any type of hand gestures
- Suspected illegal or criminal activity
- Acts of violence, or how to make or use a weapon
- Racist or inflammatory content, or content targeting a protected class
- Tattooing procedures
Some format rules matter too:
- Paper only, and no bigger than 8.5 x 11 inches. The county says items that can't be scanned, including paper larger than 8.5 x 11 and all non-paper items, are returned to sender.
- Only letters and photographs. No money orders, pages torn from books, clothing, food or phone cards.
- No packages or certified mail. The county returns them.
A standard 4x6 print fits well within the size rule. For more on content rules, see what photos are allowed in prison and jail.
What your loved one receives
King County scans incoming mail. Once your envelope reaches the Securus Digital Mail Center, it's scanned and uploaded to the person's tablet, or sent to a kiosk for them to read, depending on their housing and privileges. If they don't have a tablet or kiosk access, the county prints the mail and hands it to them.
So in most cases your loved one sees your photos as digital images on a screen, not as the original prints. A few more points from the county:
- Physical mail is destroyed 60 days after it's scanned. If you want the originals back, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
- After release, the person has 60 days to log in to Securus's reentry site to review or print the mail they received in custody.
King County also offers Securus eMessaging, where you can attach photos to a message sent to the person's tablet. That's a separate, prepaid service set up through Securus.
With InmatePics, you see what the person will receive before you pay. Clear, well-lit photos tend to look best when they're viewed on a tablet.
Step by step
- Look up the booking number with the Subject Lookup Tool, or ask your loved one.
- Choose your photos. Skip anything with hand gestures, revealing clothing, weapons or anything that could look like illegal activity.
- Start your order at inmatepics.com/send. Upload and crop each photo to a 4x6 print.
- Pick the right facility, King County Correctional Facility in Seattle or the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, and enter the full name and 10-digit booking number.
- Review and pay. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription. Ten photos in one envelope cost $14.89.
- We print and mail it through our printing and mailing partners, addressed the way the facility requires.
We remove location data from your photos and delete them after your order is done.
Tips to avoid returned mail
- Write all 10 digits of the booking number. King County returns mail without it.
- Use the Tampa P.O. box, not the Seattle or Kent street address.
- Use USPS only. Other carriers' deliveries are denied.
- Stick to paper photos no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches.
- Don't relay messages between people in custody. King County bans mail that forwards correspondence between incarcerated people, even through a family member.
- Check custody before each order. People in county jail are often released or transferred.
For more, read why prison mail gets returned. If the facility returns your InmatePics order, you get a full refund or a free reprint, your choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the mailing address for King County Jail in Seattle?
Personal mail for adults at both King County jails goes to: [Full name + 10-digit booking number], C/O Securus Digital Mail Center-King County, P.O. Box 20245, Tampa, FL 33622. The Seattle and Kent street addresses are for legal mail and publications.
Can I send photos to King County Jail?
Yes. King County allows photographs that don't show nude or semi-nude subjects or other prohibited content, such as hand gestures, gang symbols or illegal activity.
Will they get the actual photos?
Usually not. King County scans incoming mail to the person's tablet or a kiosk. If they don't have tablet or kiosk access, staff print the scan and hand-deliver it.
Can I get my original photos back?
The county says physical mail is destroyed 60 days after scanning. To get originals back, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your mail.
Is mail for the Kent jail different from Seattle?
Not for personal mail. Letters and photos for both the Seattle jail and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent go to the same Tampa P.O. box. Only legal mail and publications go to each jail's street address.
Ready to send? Check the latest on our King County Correctional Facility page, learn more about how prison mail scanning works, then send your photos.
