How to mail an inmate in North Carolina
To write to someone in North Carolina state custody, address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and register number, then the facility’s own mailing address. Each facility has its own mailing address, listed below. Run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The mailing address
[Inmate's full committed name] [register number] [Facility name] [Facility mailing address — see the facility page]
Replace the bracketed lines with the person's details and their facility (pick it below for the exact wording).
How North Carolina inmate mail works
- Federal mail goes to each institution's own P.O. box, not a central address. Address it to the person's full committed name and 8-digit register number, then the institution's name, then its P.O. box.
- Money is the one exception: funds for a federal inmate's commissary account do NOT go to the institution. They go to a separate national processing center — Federal Bureau of Prisons, PO Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001 — regardless of which facility the person is in.
- Incoming mail is opened and inspected for contraband before delivery; legal mail is opened only in the inmate's presence.
- Confirm the person's current institution on the BOP's online inmate locator before mailing — federal inmates are transferred between facilities, sometimes with little notice.
What you can't send
- Cash, personal checks, or postage stamps sent as enclosures
- Any item other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures)
- Nude, sexually explicit, or contraband-promoting content
- Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, perfume, lipstick, or crayon/marker
Photos: Standard photo prints are generally accepted; polaroids typically are not.
All 4 North Carolina facilities
Common questions
What is the mailing address for an inmate in North Carolina?
Address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and register number, then the facility’s own mailing address. Use the specific facility’s mailing address, listed on its page below.
Is inmate mail in North Carolina opened or scanned?
Incoming personal mail is opened and inspected for contraband and can be read under the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)'s rules.
What can't I send to a North Carolina inmate?
Do not send: Cash, personal checks, or postage stamps sent as enclosures; Any item other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures); Nude, sexually explicit, or contraband-promoting content; Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, perfume, lipstick, or crayon/marker. Prohibited items get the letter rejected.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)'s official inmate locator, then open that facility's page below for the exact addressing. People are transferred without notice, so confirm before mailing anything important.
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