California inmate mail
Send a letter to an inmate in California
Write your letter online, choose the current California prison, and add the person's CDCR number. PieterPost prints, stamps, and mails it for you.
Enter the CDCR address and writeCalifornia state-prison addresses
Use the current CDCR correspondence address
CDCR institutions use their own correspondence addresses, and some use different P.O. boxes by housing area. Confirm the person’s current institution and copy its official inmate-mail block exactly.
The institution name alone may not be enough. Check for a housing-specific P.O. box.
Address format
Three simple steps
How to send a letter to an inmate in California
Choose the current facility and add the inmate's CDCR number. We help you carry the address into the letter flow.
- 1Choose their current facility
- 2Write and review your message
- 3We print, stamp, and mail it
Current California guidance
Helpful inmate-mail rules
- Letter length
- No single statewide page limit is published; check the institution before sending an unusually long letter
- Letter format
- Use plain white paper with clear blue or black ink; ordinary correspondence may be opened and inspected
- Envelope and address
- Include the full committed name, CDCR number, exact institution or housing address, and your full return address
- How it arrives
- Accepted correspondence is generally delivered as physical mail after inspection at the current CDCR institution
Bring the verified CDCR address; PieterPost mails the letter
Once you have the exact CDCR correspondence address, PieterPost can turn your message into a physical letter and mail it. Enter the institution's inmate-mail address rather than its general street address.
- Confirm the CDCR number and current institution with CIRIS
- Copy the correspondence P.O. box from the official institution page
- Enter that verified address in the PieterPost letter flow
- PieterPost handles the print, envelope, postage, and mailing
PieterPost takes care of the rest
You only need to write your message
No printer, paper, envelope, stamp, or trip to the post office. We prepare and mail the physical letter for you.
- Write your letter online from any device
- Check the finished letter before paying
- We format and print it for the facility
- We address, stamp, and mail the envelope
California local jail directory
Looking for a county or city jail?
This guide covers people in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) custody. County and city jails use their own addresses, which you can find on the map.
Is the person in federal prison?
Search the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator and continue with the federal letter flow.
Common questions
How do I send a letter to an inmate in California?
Find the person in the CDCR locator, confirm their CDCR number and current institution, then use that institution’s published correspondence address. Write online and PieterPost will format, print, add the envelope and postage, and mail your physical letter.
Which address should I use for California inmate mail?
California has no single statewide personal-mail address. Copy the current institution’s correspondence address, including any housing unit or institution-specific P.O. box. Do not substitute a visiting, money, delivery, or street address.
How do I find the CDCR number and current facility?
Use the CDCR incarcerated-person locator to confirm both the person’s current institution and CDCR number. Check again after a transfer because the correct correspondence address can change.
How many pages can I send to a California state prison?
CDCR does not publish one statewide page cap for every ordinary letter. Institutions can apply property, fire-safety, and content restrictions, so check before sending an unusually long letter.
Does this guide apply to California jails or federal prisons?
No. This guide is for adults in CDCR state prisons. County or city jails, federal facilities, juvenile facilities, and other detention settings can use different addresses and rules.