# How to Send Photos to Maricopa County Jails in Phoenix > How to send photos to Maricopa County jails in Phoenix: the Lower Buckeye central mailroom address, the 5-photo limit, and how to label each photo. Published October 10, 2026 in Mail & Facility Rules To send photos to someone in a Maricopa County jail, mail up to 5 photos, no larger than 4x6, in an envelope marked "PHOTOGRAPHS" to the central mailroom at Lower Buckeye Jail, 3250 West Lower Buckeye Road, Phoenix, AZ 85009. Write the person's name and booking number on the back of each photo, and put nothing else in the envelope. Those rules are specific, and they apply no matter which Maricopa County jail your loved one is in, whether that's Lower Buckeye, 4th Avenue, Estrella or another facility. Here's what the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) asks for and how to get it right the first time. ## Mailing address for photos The MCSO uses a **central mailroom located at the Lower Buckeye Jail**. Its [Information for Families](https://www.mcso.org/InmateInfo/InformationforFamilies) page says all incoming mail must be addressed this way, regardless of which jail the person is housed in: ``` [Full name] [Booking Number] LOWER BUCKEYE JAIL 3250 WEST LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD PHOENIX AZ 85009 ``` So even if your loved one is at the 4th Avenue Jail downtown or at Estrella, photos still go to the Lower Buckeye address. Don't mail them to the street address of the jail where the person is staying. We have pages for each of the main Maricopa County jails: - [Lower Buckeye Jail](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona/maricopa-county-jail-lower-buckeye-jail) - [4th Avenue Jail](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona/maricopa-county-jail-4th-avenue-jail) - [Estrella Jail](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona/maricopa-county-jail-estrella-jail) - [Towers Jail](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona/maricopa-county-jail-towers-jail) ## The ID number you need Maricopa County uses a **booking number** for each person in custody. You need it in two places: on the envelope after the person's name, and **on the back of every photo**. You can look up a booking number with the MCSO's [Find an Inmate](https://www.mcso.org/InmateInfo) search. The MCSO's Sheriff's Information Management Services (SIMS) line is 602-876-0322. If you call without a booking number, have the person's full name and date of birth ready. Booking numbers belong to a single jail stay, so a new arrest means a new number. Our post on [how to find an inmate ID number](https://inmatepics.com/blog/how-to-find-an-inmate-id-number) covers this in more detail. ## Photo rules According to the MCSO's Information for Families page: - **Only 5 photographs at a time.** Send no more than 5 in each envelope. - **Mark the envelope "PHOTOGRAPHS."** It has to be clearly labeled. - **Photos only.** The envelope can't contain anything other than the photographs, or it will be rejected. No letter, no card, no note. - **No larger than 4x6 inches.** - **Name and booking number on the back of each photo.** Nothing else may be written on the photos, and they must be otherwise completely unaltered. - **No nudity, weapons, criminal activity or gang references.** Why no letter? Because the MCSO requires that all incoming mail other than legal mail be **standard postcards**. Photos are the exception, and they have to travel on their own in a marked envelope. If you want to write too, send a separate postcard that follows the MCSO's postcard rules: a standard postcard between 3.5 x 4.25 inches and 4.25 x 6 inches, written in blue or black ink only, with no stickers, labels, stains or perfume. Our post on [how many photos you can send to an inmate](https://inmatepics.com/blog/how-many-photos-can-you-send-to-an-inmate) explains how per-envelope limits like this one work. ## What your loved one receives The MCSO's rules describe people in custody keeping the photographs themselves. It says they may possess an unlimited number of photographs, unless having too many creates a safety or security risk, and that they can send photos home through the U.S. Mail. In other words, your loved one gets the printed photos. If a photo is rejected, the MCSO says the person in custody is given a Rejection Notification for items that are unacceptable, prohibited, or over the limit. Before you pay, we show you exactly what the person will receive at the jail you choose. ## Step by step 1. **Find the booking number** using the MCSO's Find an Inmate search. 2. **Pick 5 photos per envelope.** If you have more, plan on more than one envelope. 3. **Check the content.** No nudity, weapons, gang signs or anything that could look like criminal activity. 4. **Print them at 4x6 or smaller** on real photo paper. 5. **Label the back of each photo** with your loved one's name and booking number, and nothing else. 6. **Mark the envelope "PHOTOGRAPHS"** and address it to the Lower Buckeye Jail central mailroom, with your return address. 7. **Or send through InmatePics.** [Start an order](https://inmatepics.com/send), choose the Maricopa County jail, enter the booking number, and we print real 4x6 photos and pack and address them the way the facility requires. You'll see the number of envelopes and the total before you pay. ## Tips to avoid returned mail - **Never add a letter to the photo envelope.** It's an easy mistake to make. Anything besides photos gets the envelope rejected. - **Count to 5.** The MCSO rejects items that exceed the maximum limit. - **Don't decorate or write messages on photos.** Only the name and booking number belong on the back. - **Use the Lower Buckeye address for every Maricopa jail.** The central mailroom handles mail for all of them. - **Look at the background.** Photos showing anything that might look like a weapon, drugs, gang signs or illegal activity will be rejected. For more on this, see [why prison mail gets returned](https://inmatepics.com/blog/why-prison-mail-gets-returned). ## Frequently asked questions ### Where do I mail photos for the 4th Avenue Jail or Estrella Jail? To the MCSO central mailroom: the person's name and booking number, Lower Buckeye Jail, 3250 West Lower Buckeye Road, Phoenix, AZ 85009. The MCSO uses this address for all of its jails. ### How many photos can I send to an inmate in Maricopa County Jail? Up to 5 photographs at a time, in an envelope clearly marked "PHOTOGRAPHS." People in custody can keep an unlimited number of photos unless it becomes a safety or security risk. ### Can I put a letter in with the photos? No. The MCSO says the photo envelope can't contain anything other than the photographs. Personal messages must go on a separate standard postcard. ### What size photos does Maricopa County Jail accept? No larger than 4x6 inches, with the person's name and booking number written on the back of each one. ### How much does it cost to send photos with InmatePics? $0.99 per 4x6 print plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription. We split larger orders into envelopes the facility will accept, and you see the exact number of envelopes and the total before you pay. If the facility returns your photos, you get a full refund or a free reprint. Browse our [Arizona facilities](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona), check our [Lower Buckeye Jail page](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/arizona/maricopa-county-jail-lower-buckeye-jail), or [send photos now](https://inmatepics.com/send).