To send photos to someone at Shelby County Jail in Memphis, mail them to the jail at 201 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38103, with the person's full name and booking number on the envelope and your full return address. Women are generally held at the Jail East Women's Facility on Haley Road, which has its own address.
This guide walks through the address, the booking number, the photo rules to follow and how to keep your envelope from coming back. Rules change, so we also keep our Shelby County Jail facility page up to date.
Mailing address for photos
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office says letters to the main jail should carry the person's full name, their booking number, and the floor and pod where they're housed if you know it. Here is the format we use:
[Full name] [Booking Number]
SHELBY COUNTY JAIL
201 POPLAR AVE
MEMPHIS TN 38103
If your loved one is at the women's facility, the sheriff's office gives a separate address. Use their full name, booking number and housing location if known:
[Full name] [Booking Number]
SHELBY COUNTY JAIL WOMEN'S FACILITY
6201 HALEY RD
MEMPHIS TN 38134
You'll find that one on our Jail East Women's Facility page.
The sheriff's office also says every letter must have a complete return address. Mail without one is an easy reason for a mailroom to set it aside.
Some people in Shelby County custody are held at other sites, such as the Shelby County Correctional Center on Mullins Station Road. If you're not sure where your loved one is, check before you mail. All Memphis-area facilities are listed on our Tennessee page.
The ID number you need
Shelby County uses a booking number to match mail to the right person. Put it right after their name on the first line of the address.
To find it:
- Use the sheriff's Who's in Jail search. Search by the person's first and last name and note the booking number shown.
- Ask your loved one during a call or visit. They'll know their own number.
- If the person is moved, released and booked again, they may get a new number. Check it again before each order.
A wrong or missing booking number is one of the most common reasons jail mail is delayed or returned. For more help, see our post on how to find someone's inmate ID number.
Photo rules
The sheriff's office's public mail guidance covers addressing and return addresses, and says soft-back books and magazines must come straight from the publisher. It doesn't publish a detailed photo policy on that page, so here is how we send to Shelby County Jail and what mailrooms there and almost everywhere else reject:
- Size: we print standard 4x6 photos.
- Number: we put up to 10 photos in each envelope and split bigger orders into more envelopes.
- Content that gets rejected: nudity or sexual content, gang signs or hand signs, weapons, drugs and money.
A few extra habits help too:
- Send real photo prints, not pictures printed on plain paper.
- Skip Polaroids and instant photos. Many facilities ban them.
- Don't add stickers, glitter, tape or anything glued to the photo.
- Avoid photos where people are throwing up hand gestures, even playful ones. Mailroom staff can't always tell the difference.
Our guide on what photos are allowed in prison and jail explains these rules in more detail.
What your loved one receives
Many jails across the country now scan or photocopy incoming mail instead of handing over the originals. We haven't yet confirmed how Shelby County handles photos, and the sheriff's public page doesn't say. Our facility page will show the answer once it's confirmed.
When you order with InmatePics, you see what the person will actually receive (real prints, a photocopy or a tablet scan) before you pay. If anything about Shelby County Jail's rules changes, we update the facility page and adjust how we send.
Step by step
- Confirm where your loved one is. Use the sheriff's jail lookup to check they're still at 201 Poplar or the women's facility, and note their booking number.
- Choose your photos. Pick clear, recent pictures that follow the content rules above. Faces of family, kids, pets, celebrations and everyday moments are all good choices.
- Order on InmatePics. Go to inmatepics.com/send, upload your photos, crop each one to a 4x6 print and choose Shelby County Jail.
- Add their name and booking number. We put them on the envelope the way the jail asks.
- Check what they'll receive and pay. Prints are $0.99 each plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription. Ten photos in one envelope come to $14.89.
- We print and mail it. Our printing and mailing partners print real 4x6 photos and mail them to the jail.
We remove location data from your photos and delete them after your order is done.
Tips to avoid returned mail
- Use the full legal name the person was booked under, not a nickname.
- Double-check the booking number against the sheriff's lookup right before you send.
- Add the floor and pod if you know them. The sheriff's office asks for this on letters to the main jail.
- Always include a complete return address. The sheriff's office requires one on every letter.
- Send to the right building. Women generally go to the Haley Road facility, not 201 Poplar.
- Don't send anything extra. Books and magazines must come from the publisher, so don't tuck them in with photos.
- Recheck after a court date. People in jail are often released, transferred or moved to another facility.
Our post on why prison mail gets returned covers more of the common mistakes.
If the jail returns your InmatePics order, you get a full refund or a free reprint, your choice.
Frequently asked questions
Can you send photos to an inmate at Shelby County Jail?
Yes. You can mail photos to someone at Shelby County Jail as long as they follow the jail's content rules. Address them to the person's full name and booking number at 201 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38103, and include your full return address.
What is the address for Shelby County Jail mail?
The sheriff's office lists 201 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 for the main jail, and 6201 Haley Rd., Memphis, TN 38134 for the Jail East Women's Facility. Add the person's full name, booking number, and their floor and pod or housing location if you know it.
How many photos can I send to Shelby County Jail?
We send up to 10 photos in each envelope and split larger orders into extra envelopes. The sheriff's office doesn't publish a photo limit on its contact page, so check our facility page before a big order. We keep it current as rules change.
Where do I find a Shelby County booking number?
Search the person's name in the sheriff's Who's in Jail search on shelby-sheriff.org. The booking number is shown in the results. You can also ask your loved one directly.
Will my loved one get the actual photo prints?
That depends on how the jail handles incoming mail, which hasn't been confirmed for Shelby County yet. InmatePics shows you whether they'll get prints, a copy or a tablet scan before you pay.
Ready to send? Check the latest rules on our Shelby County Jail page, then send your photos in a few minutes. For the basics that apply everywhere, read how to send photos to an inmate.
