CDCR-sourced visiting logistics for California state prisons — confirm live status before travel.

Pelican Bay State Prison

(707) 465-1000 ext. 5425

Open for in-person visiting

CDCR page date · 2026-06-12 | BTB checked · 2026-06-30

Tablet & phone provider transition — ViaPath → Securus

Tablet switch scheduled: phones Aug 3, tablets Aug 4–7 (2026)

CDCR has scheduled Pelican Bay State Prison to switch from ViaPath to Securus — phones on Aug 3, 2026, tablet exchange Aug 4–7, 2026 (dates tentative, per CDCR). Photos, e-messages, and media on ViaPath tablets will NOT transfer. Before the switch date, your loved one should print any photos or messages they want to keep from their tablet or kiosk — family members cannot request prints on their behalf. After the phone switch, the caller ID your loved one calls from will change — answer unknown numbers that week. Expect intermittent outages during transition days. Families can request refunds of unused ViaPath balances through the ViaPath call center after the switch.

Full details: Phone & Tablet guide · CDCR tablet transition page ↗ · BTB checked 2026-07-05

Verify morning-of before travel

Do not drive on this page alone.

CDCR visiting rules, walk-ins, housing-unit access, dress-code enforcement, and processing cutoffs can change with little notice. Use this page to prepare, then check CDCR live status and call the facility visiting contact the morning of your trip.

Open this facility’s CDCR visiting page · Visiting contact: (707) 465-1000 ext. 5425

Do this first

1. Check live CDCR status

Open the official CDCR page the day before and again the morning you leave.

2. Call before driving

Ask about housing-unit restrictions, walk-ins, dress colors, cash/items, and processing cutoff.

3. Confirm approval

Make sure every visitor is approved and every adult has valid government photo ID.

4. Pack conservative

Bring only allowed items and a backup outfit in the car if possible.

Copy call script

Hi, I’m calling before traveling to visit someone at Pelican Bay State Prison. Can you please confirm whether in-person visiting is open today, whether my loved one’s housing unit or yard has any restrictions, whether walk-ins are accepted, the processing cutoff time, current dress-code color restrictions, and the exact cash/items allowed in the visiting room? I also need to confirm where CDCR Form 106 should be mailed for this facility.

Getting approved / CDCR Form 106

Mail CDCR Form 106 to Attn: Visiting at this facility’s staff/institution mailing address. Exact staff-mail address is NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE in this starter data — requires facility-page verification or phone confirmation before publishing.

The incarcerated person must initiate CDCR Form 106 by sending the signed Visitor Questionnaire to the prospective visitor. If the exact staff-mail address is not published for this facility, confirm it with visiting staff before mailing legal or approval paperwork.

Sending packages to Pelican Bay State Prison

! You cannot mail packages or clothing directly to Pelican Bay State Prison. Quarterly packages must be ordered through a CDCR-approved vendor, and the vendor will ask for the person's full name, CDCR number, privilege group, and current housing location. If they were recently transferred, confirm the new housing location first — packages sent to the old facility are refused and refunds may lose restocking fees.

Full walkthrough and current approved vendor list: Sending Packages & Clothing guide · CDCR approved vendors ↗

Medical information about someone at Pelican Bay State Prison

! For an urgent change in someone’s medical condition, call this facility’s Patient Health Care Inquiry (PHCI) line: 916-478-8772. This line is for urgent updates only and will not call back for non-urgent questions or unauthorized callers. Staff cannot share anything without a signed CDCR 7385 on file first. For imminent danger — suicide, homicide, or risk of serious injury — do not use PHCI; call the facility's main line and ask for the Watch Office instead.

The 7385 form, the checkbox families miss, and where non-urgent questions go: Getting Medical Information guide

Unit-specific visiting

Unit-specific visiting

This facility publishes different visiting details for certain housing units, yards, or visiting areas. Confirm the exact housing/unit schedule before traveling.

Open alert/source page · BTB alert checked 2026-07-02

Visiting hours

In-person visitingFri 12:30pm-6:45pm; Sat/Sun 8:45am-2:45pm; RHU separate: Fri 12:00pm-3:00pm, Sat/Sun 8:15am-11:15am (RHU is scheduled-only, no walk-ins)

Before you go — checklist

Dress code

No blue denim/chambray, no exposed breast/genitals/buttocks, no sheer/transparent/tight, no more than 2in above knee, no strapless/spaghetti straps, no shower shoes/house slippers, no sleeveless exposing undergarments, no offensive graphics

Cash

CDCR statewide visitor-items page lists $100/adult and $50/minor in dollar bills, dollar coins, and quarters. Facility-specific exceptions are not published here — confirm before travel.

Valid government photo ID for every adult. Includes state driver's license, passport, ICE ID, or Mexican Consulate ID.

Walk-ins

Fri 2:30pm-5:45pm; Sat/Sun 10:00am-1:45pm

Know before you go

! Document scanning (AB134) live since 10/1/2024 but visitors told to keep physical copies on hand in case of power/SOMS outages - if outage occurs and no physical docs, visit denied; family visiting now uses Walmart Delivery (since April 1); closed statewide Fri 6/26/26 training; closed Aug 8-9 for 'Get on the Bus' event, open Aug 7

Contacts

Visiting sergeant(707) 465-1000 ext. 5425

EmailPBSPVideoVisiting@cdcr.ca.gov; M_PBSPFamilyVisiting@cdcr.ca.gov; pbspifccouncil@gmail.com (Inmate Family Council)

Friends Outside visitor center

HoursThu 8:00am-12:00pm (Admin Day); Fri 11:00am-7:00pm; Sat/Sun/Holidays 7:30am-3:30pm

Phone(707) 465-6269

Provides childcare, clothing if you're out of dress code, transportation from nearby transit, and a place to wait before your visit.

Legal document service & notary

Litigation Coordinator Office(707) 465-9095

Fax(707) 465-9099

EmailCDCRPBSPLitigationCoordinator@cdcr.ca.gov

Office contact published by CDCR for attorney visits, notary services, and legal document service. Individual coordinator name is not publicly listed by CDCR.

Facility size & crowding

People housed here~2,164

Designed for1,804

Occupancy120.0% · Over capacity

CDCR population report · 2026-06-03. Crowding can affect how quickly visiting slots fill.

Related family survival guides

More statewide rules

Full dress code

What you can bring

Getting approved to visit

Source details

Facility visiting statusCDCR facility page

Cash/items allowedCDCR items page

Dress codeCDCR attire page

Visitor approval / Form 106CDCR approval page

Legal / notary office contactsCDCR litigation list

Requires phone confirmation

! Call the Visiting Sergeant before publishing or traveling for facility-specific clothing colors, yard/housing-unit restrictions, walk-in availability, holiday changes, cash exceptions, construction access, or parking issues not shown on the live CDCR page.

Status can change without notice — always confirm the day of your visit.

Check live status on CDCR →