LAC uses 5 different P.O. Boxes by housing facility, plus separate boxes for legal mail and money orders. Sending to the wrong one can delay delivery.
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California State Prison, Los Angeles County has one of the more complicated mail setups in the CDCR system. Instead of a single P.O. Box for the whole institution, LAC splits personal mail across 5 separate boxes depending on which housing facility the person is in, and it keeps completely separate boxes for legal mail and for money orders. Sending a birthday card to the money-order box, or a check to a housing box, is a common mistake that slows things down. Confirm the person’s exact housing facility on CIRIS or directly with them before you address anything.
LAC uses 3 categories of address, and mixing them up is the single biggest mail mistake families make at this facility:
Use the box that matches where the person is currently housed:
[Full Legal Name, CDCR Number]
California State Prison, Los Angeles County
[Housing facility's P.O. Box from the list above]
Lancaster, CA [matching ZIP]
Always include the person’s current housing (their facility letter) even though the box itself already tells LAC which building to route to. It helps if the letter gets rerouted after a transfer.
Legal mail is a separate box from every housing facility’s personal mail box: P.O. Box 8457, Lancaster, CA 93539-8457. This applies no matter which of the 5 housing facilities the person is currently in. Mark it clearly as legal mail on the outside, from an attorney, court, or public official. It’s opened only in the presence of the incarcerated person to check for contraband, not read.
If you’re mailing a check or money order instead of sending money electronically, it goes to yet another separate address: P.O. Box 8487, Lancaster, CA 93539-8487. This is different from all 5 housing boxes and from the legal mail box. Make the check or money order payable to CDCR, and write the person’s full name and CDCR number on it. See the full CDCR send-money guide for the electronic options and other details.
People move between LAC’s housing facilities, and using an outdated box number can delay a letter or send it to the wrong building. Ask the person directly, or check CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov, close to when you plan to mail, especially if it’s been a while since your last letter.
Standard letters, greeting cards, and photos are generally accepted. Keep to plain paper and cards without stickers, glitter, tape, or anything glued on, since those items get mail rejected.
Photos are generally allowed within CDCR’s limits: no Polaroids, since the backing can conceal contraband, and nothing larger than 8x10. Avoid nude or sexually explicit images, gang-related content, and anything depicting drugs or weapons, which will be rejected. There’s usually a limit on how many photos per envelope, so send a reasonable number and confirm current limits with the institution if you plan to send many. You can also send photos through Pigeonly without printing anything yourself. Upload the photos online and Pigeonly prints and mails them to CSP-LAC for you.
Incoming personal mail is opened and inspected for contraband before delivery. If a piece is rejected, the person is typically notified and told why, and the item may be returned to sender or held. Following the plain-paper, no-attachments rules is the best way to avoid a rejection.
You can’t mail a personal package straight to the person. Approved packages, including quarterly packages, come through CDCR’s contracted package vendor, which the person or an approved family member orders from. Contact the institution at (661) 729-2000 or check CDCR’s approved vendors page for the current process.
6 of 12 questions
It depends on their housing facility: Facility A/ASU uses P.O. Box 4430, Facility B uses P.O. Box 4490, Facility C uses P.O. Box 4610, Facility D uses P.O. Box 4670, and Minimum Support Facility uses P.O. Box 4730, all in Lancaster, CA. Confirm the person's current housing before you send anything.
MailLAC splits personal mail by housing facility instead of using one box for the whole institution. Sending to the wrong housing box can slow down delivery, so always confirm the person's current facility before mailing.
MailNo. Legal mail always goes to P.O. Box 8457, Lancaster, CA 93539-8457, regardless of which housing facility the person is in. This is completely separate from all 5 personal-mail housing boxes.
MailMoney orders and checks go to a third, separate address: P.O. Box 8487, Lancaster, CA 93539-8487. Don't send a check to a housing facility box or the legal mail box, since it can delay it reaching the person's trust account.
MailAsk them directly in a call or letter, or check CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov, since people move between LAC's housing facilities and the box number changes depending on where they are.
MailIt can take longer to reach the person, since LAC's boxes are sorted by housing facility rather than one shared address. If you're not sure of their current housing, confirm it before mailing rather than guessing.
MailYes, within CDCR's limits: no Polaroids and nothing larger than 8x10. Avoid nudity, gang references, and images of drugs or weapons, which get rejected. There's usually a per-envelope limit, so send a reasonable number. You can also send photos through Pigeonly, which prints and mails them for you.
MailNew books and magazines generally must come directly from an approved publisher or vendor, not mailed by you personally. Check CDCR's approved vendors and disapproved-publications rules before ordering.
MailNo. Personal packages aren't accepted directly. Approved packages come through CDCR's contracted package vendor, ordered by the person or an approved family member.
MailLegal mail marked from an attorney, court, or public official is opened only in front of the incarcerated person to check for contraband, and is not read. Mark it clearly on the outside and send it to P.O. Box 8457.
MailStickers, glitter, tape, glued-on items, cash, Polaroids, oversized photos, and any content seen as contraband, gang-related, or explicit. Stick to plain paper and cards.
MailNever send cash. Use an electronic deposit through GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, or Access Corrections, or mail a check or money order payable to CDCR to P.O. Box 8487. See the CDCR send-money guide for details.
MailConfirm the person's housing facility and CDCR number before you mail.
View ArticleGet approved with CDCR Form 106, then schedule through VSA.
View ArticleUse an EFT vendor or mail a check to LAC's dedicated money-order box.
View ArticleStay in touch between letters with free calls.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 20, 2026.