# How to Send Photos to Miami-Dade County Jails > How to send photos to Miami-Dade County jails like TGK and Metro West: the digital mail center address, booking number, photo rules and what gets rejected. Published October 10, 2026 in Mail & Facility Rules To send photos to someone in a Miami-Dade County jail, mail them to the county's digital mail center, **PO Box 20527, Tampa, FL 33622**, not to the jail itself. Address the envelope with the person's full name, booking number (jail number) and "Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department," and leave out Polaroids and any revealing photos. The same address works whether your loved one is at Turner Guilford Knight, Metro West or the Pre-Trial Detention Center. Here's the format, the ID number you need, the county's photo rules and how to keep your envelope from coming back. ## Mailing address for photos Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation (MDCR) asks families to include the person's full name, booking number, the agency name and the digital mail center address. Use this format: ``` [Full name] #[Booking Number] Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department PO BOX 20527 TAMPA FL 33622 ``` Your return address, with your first and last name, street address, city, state and ZIP code, must be on **both the envelope and the letter**, according to the [MDCR Inmate Contact & Visitation page](https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1479236266010643). Mail must also come through the U.S. Postal Service; the county says mail from other couriers isn't accepted. Older guides list each jail's street address. Use the Tampa PO box for personal mail instead. Our facility pages for the main Miami-Dade jails show the latest details we have: - [Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/turner-guilford-knight-correctional-center) (TGK), which also holds some people detained by ICE - [Metro West Detention Center](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/miami-dade-county-metro-west-detention-center) - [Pre-Trial Detention Center](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/pre-trial-detention-center) (PTDC) For every other facility in the state, including state prisons and federal facilities in Miami, see our [Florida page](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida). ## The ID number you need Miami-Dade calls it the **booking number** or **jail number**. The county's own example puts it right after the name, with a pound sign. The county's list of unauthorized mail says incoming mail can be refused if it doesn't include the person's name as jailed, their jail number or the facility address. So the number isn't optional. To find it: - Use the county's [inmate in-custody search](https://www.miamidade.gov/Apps/mdcr/InmateSearch/#/) with your loved one's full legal name. - Write the name exactly as the search shows it. - If your loved one has been booked more than once, use the current booking number. Our guide on [how to find an inmate ID number](https://inmatepics.com/blog/how-to-find-an-inmate-id-number) explains official searches in more detail. ## Photo rules MDCR's published rules mention photos in a few places: - **No Polaroids.** Instant photos are on the county's list of unauthorized mail. - **No oversized photos.** The list includes photographs larger than 8x10 inches. A standard 4x6 print is well within that. - **No inappropriate photos.** Mail containing nudity or sexually oriented material isn't allowed. The county's unauthorized mail list goes further and includes partially nude, sexually suggestive and **swimsuit photos**, so leave out beach and pool pictures. - **Nothing attached.** Items that are glued, taped, stapled or otherwise attached to a page are refused, along with stickers, labels and laminated materials. The county is also strict about everything around the photos: - Letters must be on **plain white, lined paper**, such as loose-leaf notebook or legal pad paper. - **Colored paper and colored envelopes** aren't allowed. - **Greeting cards and postcards** aren't allowed. - The envelope can't have artwork, extra lettering or designs beyond the addresses. - No stamps, blank envelopes or paper, pens, plastic cards, lipstick marks or padded mailers. When in doubt, choose everyday pictures: kids at school, family dinners, pets, birthdays, the view from home. ## What your loved one receives Miami-Dade routes personal mail to what it calls a **digital mail center**, so plan on your photos being processed digitally rather than handed over as the original prints. The county's page doesn't spell out exactly how photos are shown to the person. Before you pay, our checkout shows what your loved one will receive at their facility, based on what we have on file, and we update our facility pages as we confirm more. Our post on [prison mail scanning](https://inmatepics.com/blog/prison-mail-scanning-explained) explains how digital mail usually works. The county also offers electronic messages through its phone and messaging provider, which lets you attach up to five photos per message. Those photos are reviewed by the department too. ## Step by step 1. **Find the booking number** with the county's inmate search, and confirm your loved one is still in custody. 2. **Choose your photos.** Clear, appropriate pictures of family, kids, pets and everyday life. 3. **Check for problems.** No swimwear, no revealing clothes, no money, weapons, drugs or gang signs. 4. **Address the envelope** to the person's name and booking number, the department's name and PO Box 20527, Tampa, FL 33622. 5. **Add your full return address** on the envelope and on your letter. 6. **Mail it with USPS** in a plain white envelope. Or let us do it. With [InmatePics](https://inmatepics.com/send), you upload photos from your phone, choose your loved one's Miami-Dade facility and enter their booking number. Our printing and mailing partners print real 4x6 photos, and every order is addressed and packed the way the facility requires and split into envelopes it accepts. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription: 10 photos in one envelope cost $14.89. We remove location data from your photos and delete them after your order is done. ## Tips to avoid returned mail - **Don't mail personal letters and photos to the jail's street address.** Use the Tampa digital mail center. - **Always include the booking number.** Missing it is a listed reason for refusal. - **Leave out swimsuit photos.** They're specifically named as not allowed. - **No Polaroids or instant prints.** - **Plain envelope, no decorations.** Artwork, stickers and labels on the envelope can get it refused. - **Return address on the letter too,** not just the envelope. Our post on [why prison mail gets returned](https://inmatepics.com/blog/why-prison-mail-gets-returned) covers more common mistakes. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you send pictures to someone in Miami-Dade County jail? Yes. Photos can be mailed to the county's digital mail center at PO Box 20527, Tampa, FL 33622, addressed with the person's name, booking number and the department's name. Polaroids, photos larger than 8x10 and nude, sexually suggestive or swimsuit photos aren't allowed. ### Do I send mail to TGK, Metro West or the Pre-Trial Detention Center directly? Not for personal mail. The county's instructions give one digital mail center address in Tampa for mail to people in its custody. Use the person's booking number so it reaches the right person at the right jail. ### Can I send a birthday card to someone in Miami-Dade jail? No. Greeting cards and postcards are on the county's list of items not allowed. Send photos and a letter on plain white lined paper instead. ### What if my photos are rejected? The county says that when incoming mail is disapproved, the mailroom makes a copy before returning it to the sender. If you send with InmatePics and the facility returns your order, you get a full refund or a free reprint, your choice. Ready to send? Check the latest details on our [Turner Guilford Knight](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/turner-guilford-knight-correctional-center), [Metro West](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/miami-dade-county-metro-west-detention-center) and [Pre-Trial Detention Center](https://inmatepics.com/facilities/florida/pre-trial-detention-center) pages, then [send your photos with InmatePics](https://inmatepics.com/send).