Mail and Photos to Pelican Bay State Prison

The Correct Mailing Address

Address letters and cards to:

[Full Legal Name, CDCR Number] Pelican Bay State Prison P.O. Box 7500 Crescent City, CA 95532

Always include the recipient’s full legal name and CDCR number. Without the CDCR number, mailroom staff may not be able to match the letter to the right person, especially if the name is common.

Don’t Mix Up the Two P.O. Boxes

Pelican Bay runs P.O. Box 7500 for the institution, including inmate mail, and a completely separate P.O. Box 7000 for staff correspondence. Sending a personal letter to the staff box can delay delivery, so double-check you’re using 7500 for anything addressed to an incarcerated person.

How Mail Gets Processed

Incoming letters are opened and visually inspected for contraband before being forwarded to the recipient. Pelican Bay handles this directly instead of routing mail through an outside scanning company, which is different from states where mail goes to a separate processing center first.

Getting Someone’s CDCR Number

If you don’t already have the recipient’s CDCR number, search for them on CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov, or call the institution’s Public Information Officer for help confirming their housing and number.

Sending Emails and Photos Through the Tablet System

As of this guide’s last verification, Pelican Bay is still on ViaPath Technologies for tablet-based e-messages and photos, with a transition to Securus Technologies scheduled to begin August 3, 2026 for phones and August 4-7 for tablets. Check which platform is currently active before setting up an account, since the fee per e-message or photo differs slightly between the two providers.

Sending Packages

CDCR only allows quarterly packages through its approved outside vendors, not items purchased and mailed from home. Check CDCR’s current list of approved package vendors before ordering anything, since unapproved packages will be rejected and returned or destroyed instead of delivered.

What’s Not Allowed

CDCR inspects all incoming mail for contraband, including drugs, weapons, and unauthorized electronics. Sexually explicit material, material depicting or encouraging violence, and anything that could help someone escape are also prohibited. If a letter or package is rejected, the mailroom typically returns it to the sender or notifies the recipient of the rejection, depending on what it contains.

If Something Gets Rejected

If your letter or package doesn’t make it through, you can contact Pelican Bay’s mailroom directly to ask why. Confirm you used the correct P.O. Box (7500, not 7000) and included the CDCR number, since incomplete or incorrect addressing is one of the most common reasons mail gets delayed or returned.