Marin states it plainly: walk up visits are not accepted, and a visit has to be booked at least 24 hours ahead. Connect with your loved one in minutes.
Connect with your loved one in minutes
Marin County publishes more detail about visiting than most California jails, and the detail is worth reading before you drive to San Rafael. Every visit is booked at least 24 hours ahead through a vendor portal, an app, the lobby kiosk or a phone line. Walk-ins are refused outright. A person gets one 30-minute on-site visit and one 25-minute video visit a day, and the on-site visit is non-contact, with attorneys on capital cases the only stated exception. There are published time slots, a published attire list and a published ID rule.
Four routes to the same booking, all at least 24 hours before the visit:
There is no fifth route and no exception published. Turning up hoping for a cancellation is not a plan at this jail.
One on-site visit of 30 minutes and one video visit of 25 minutes per person per day. The two are separate allowances rather than alternatives.
Marin publishes actual times, which is rare enough to be worth reproducing.
Weekdays: 9:00am, 9:40am, 10:20am, 1:00pm, 1:40pm, 2:20pm, 5:45pm, 7:00pm, 7:40pm, 8:20pm, 9:00pm
Weekends: 9:00am, 9:40am, 10:20am, 2:00pm, 2:40pm, 3:20pm, 5:45pm
Two honest caveats. The county does not state which days it counts as weekend, so a Friday evening or a public holiday is an open question. And this copy is undated and describes itself as new procedures, wording that predates the Sheriff’s 2026 website rebuild. The booking system will show you live availability, which is the safer source on the day.
The Sheriff’s Custody Manual, policy 1009.10, permits contact visits only for attorneys representing someone in a capital case, and states that no other contact visits shall be allowed. The 2021 PREA audit describes visiting as non-contact and held within the pods.
So plan for a visit through a barrier. This is the single most important thing to explain to a child before you bring them, because the expectation of a hug is what turns a 30-minute visit into a bad memory.
Accepted, in the county’s own list: a valid US driver’s license or ID, a US passport, a US military ID, a foreign passport, or a US-issued consular or matricular card. A recent DMV receipt together with an old photo ID is also accepted.
Expired ID is valid for 90 days past expiry, provided you have renewed it and can show proof. That is Custody Manual policy 1009.3.1, and it is a genuinely useful allowance that few counties publish.
Minors must be with a parent or legal guardian, and must have a valid school ID, state ID or passport of their own. Minors cannot be left unattended in the lobby at any time.
Two official Marin sources disagree, and we are showing you both rather than picking one.
The public visiting rules state a maximum of 3 people per visit.
The Custody Manual, policy 1009.7, states a maximum of two adults and two children at any one time.
Both are published by the Sheriff’s Office. Call 415-473-6655 and confirm which applies before you organise a group, particularly if the difference decides whether a grandparent comes.
Every visitor passes through a metal detector. Nothing goes into the visiting room except one key. Lockers in the lobby take a 25 cent coin.
The county lists what is refused: gang affiliated clothing or colours, low hanging pants, revealing clothing such as short shorts or miniskirts, and low cut or revealing tops, tube tops, halter tops or crop tops.
The Sheriff adds, in capitals on its own page, that failure to comply with these rules may result in a loss of visiting privileges. That is a stated consequence rather than a warning about being sent home to change.
Custody Manual policy 1009.6 lists the grounds: a visitor under the influence, a visitor refusing to be searched, a visitor violating the posted rules, a visitor failing to supervise a minor, and anyone attempting to enter with contraband.
Marin publishes a dedicated line for this, which very few counties do. Prisoner Services, 415-473-7268, is listed for anyone who needs assistance visiting a person with a mental illness. If the visit is likely to be difficult, that is a better first call than the general jail number.
6 of 9 questions
No. The Sheriff's Office states directly that walk up visits are not accepted. Every visit must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance through marincountyca.gtlvisitme.com, the GTL VisitMe app on Android, the kiosk in the jail lobby, or by calling 855-208-7349.
VisitationOne on-site visit of 30 minutes and one video visit of 25 minutes per person per day. Those are separate allowances rather than a choice between the two, so a person can have both on the same day if both are booked.
VisitationNo. The Sheriff's Custody Manual permits contact visits only for attorneys representing someone in a capital case and states that no other contact visits shall be allowed. The 2021 PREA audit describes visiting as non-contact within the pods. Tell a child this before the visit rather than at the glass.
VisitationMarin publishes eleven weekday slots, from 9:00am through to 9:00pm, and seven weekend slots ending at 5:45pm. The county does not state which days it treats as weekend days, and the published copy is undated. The booking system shows live availability, which is what to trust on the day.
VisitationMarin's own sources conflict. The public visiting rules say a maximum of 3 people per visit. The Sheriff's Custody Manual, policy 1009.7, says a maximum of two adults and two children. Both are official Marin County documents, so call 415-473-6655 and confirm before organising a group.
VisitationProbably yes, and Marin is unusually clear about it. Custody Manual policy 1009.3.1 states that identification is considered valid for 90 days after expiration, provided you have renewed it and have proof of the renewal. A recent DMV receipt with an old photo ID is separately listed as acceptable.
VisitationYes, with a parent or legal guardian, and the child needs their own valid school ID, state ID or passport. Minors cannot be left unattended in the lobby at any point. Whether children count within a three-person cap or a separate two-child allowance is the conflict worth resolving by phone first.
VisitationNo county application, form number or approval process is published anywhere by Marin. Registration happens vendor-side when you set up a booking at marincountyca.gtlvisitme.com, on the app, at the lobby kiosk or by calling 855-208-7349. Bring accepted photo identification on the day.
VisitationOne key. Everything else goes into a lobby locker, which takes a 25 cent coin, and every visitor passes through a metal detector. The published attire list rules out gang affiliated clothing or colours, low hanging pants, short shorts, miniskirts, and low cut or revealing tops including tube, halter and crop tops.
VisitationThe name and ID number the booking system will ask for.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified September 9, 2026.