How to Visit Someone at Pleasant Valley State Prison

Step 1. Get on the Approved Visitor List

Before you can schedule anything, the person you want to visit must request CDCR Form 106, the Visitor Questionnaire, and send it to you. They have to sign it themselves, confirming they agree to add you to their visitor list.

Step 2. Fill Out the Questionnaire Completely

The form asks for every arrest and conviction you’ve ever had, even ones that never led to charges. CDCR runs a background check against California’s law enforcement records system, and an unlisted arrest or conviction that turns up in that check is a common reason for denial. If you’re unsure of exact dates, give your best approximate answer instead of leaving it blank.

Step 3. Mail the Questionnaire to PVSP

Send the completed form to the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant at Pleasant Valley State Prison, using the institution’s mailing address, P.O. Box 8500, Coalinga, CA 93210. Processing time varies by how many applications the institution is working through at a given time.

Step 4. Wait for Approval or Denial

If approved, both you and the incarcerated person are notified, and you’re added to the system as an approved visitor. You don’t need to carry proof of approval with you. If denied, you’ll get a letter explaining why. You can resubmit a corrected questionnaire, or appeal in writing to the Warden, and then to CDCR’s Division of Adult Institutions if you disagree with the outcome.

Step 5. Schedule Your Visit Through VSA

Once approved, book your actual visit date and time through CDCR’s Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) at cdcr.gtlvisitme.com/app. The scheduling window opens each week 8 days before the visiting day at 6:30am and closes 5 days before. Facility A, B, D, and Level I run a standard schedule, but Facility C is bifurcated by group, so confirm which schedule applies to the person you’re visiting before you book anything.

PVSP’s Visiting Hours

Facility A, B, D, and Level I:

• Friday: 11:30am to 6:00pm
• Saturday, Sunday, and designated holidays: 8:30am to 3:00pm

Facility C (bifurcated by group):

• Group I: Friday 11:30am-6:00pm and Saturday 8:30am-3:00pm
• Group II: Sunday only, 8:30am-3:00pm
• Ask which group the person you’re visiting is assigned to before scheduling, since Group I and Group II visit on different days.

RHU (Restricted Housing Unit): visits are non-contact, limited to one hour, and must be booked through VSA. No walk-ins are accepted for RHU. Time slots are Friday at 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:00pm, and 4:30pm, and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays at 9:30am, 11:00am, and 12:15pm. Arrive about 30 minutes before your slot for processing.

Walk-In Visits

Walk-ins aren’t scheduled through VSA and are processed first come, first served starting at 10:00am. For Facility A, B, D, and Level I, walk-ins run Friday 2:00pm-6:00pm (processing ends 4:00pm) and Saturday/Sunday/holidays 11:00am-3:00pm (processing ends 1:00pm). For Facility C, walk-ins are limited to the matching group: Friday and Saturday 2:00pm-6:00pm/11:00am-3:00pm for Group I only, and Sunday 11:00am-3:00pm for Group II only. Park in the designated Visitor Parking Lot.

What to Bring

Every adult visitor needs valid, unexpired photo ID: a driver’s license from any state, a state DMV ID card, a military ID, an ICE identification card, a US or foreign passport, or a Mexican Consulate photo ID. You don’t need to bring proof of your visitor approval since it’s tracked electronically.

Money and Items You Can Bring

PVSP limits visitors to $100 in cash per adult and $50 per child, and only coins or dollar coins are allowed inside; change machines in the visitor processing center accept $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills only. You can also bring a small transparent bag (about 6 by 8 inches, larger allowed if you have a minor child with you), two keys on a ring (one may be an electronic fob), your government-issued ID, a non-metallic comb or brush, an unopened pack of tissues, prescription glasses, up to 10 photos no larger than 8x10 inches, and up to 10 pages of documents. If you’re bringing an infant or toddler, PVSP allows specific baby items including formula, bottles, baby food, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, blankets, pacifiers, and a diaper bag. Everything you bring in, including photos and documents, has to leave with you at the end of the visit.

Bringing Children

Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult visitor. If a parent brings their own child, you only need a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. If a legal guardian brings the child, bring the birth certificate plus proof of guardianship. If someone other than a parent or legal guardian brings the child, you additionally need a notarized written consent form signed by the parent or guardian, naming the incarcerated person, the adult authorized to bring the child, and the visit dates. This consent form has to be renewed every year.

Dress Code

CDCR’s attire rules apply at every institution, including PVSP. Avoid anything resembling state-issued clothing (blue chambray or denim), law enforcement or military-style clothing, and anything metal that won’t clear a detector, like an underwire bra. Specific restrictions include no strapless, halter, bare midriff, sheer, or transparent clothing, no skirts or shorts more than two inches above the knee, no clothing exposing the breast, genitals, or buttocks, no tight or form-fitting attire, no wigs or hairpieces without prior medical approval, and no hats or gloves without prior approval or bad weather. Children under 36 inches tall are exempt from the clothing color and material rules, though they still have to clear the metal detector.

What’s Not Allowed

Visitors can be turned away for clothing that doesn’t meet the dress code, for being under the influence, or for bringing prohibited items into the visiting area. If an officer says your outfit isn’t acceptable and you believe it complies with the rules, you can ask to speak with the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant, who has the final say. Many CDCR institutions run a Visitor Center that lends clean, appropriate clothing if yours is rejected, though funding for these centers isn’t always consistent, so it’s smart to keep a backup outfit in your car in case.

Emergency and Hardship Visits

If you’re traveling a long distance and haven’t been approved yet, PVSP staff may allow an emergency or hardship visit at their discretion. This isn’t guaranteed, so plan ahead and submit your Form 106 well before any trip that includes a visit.

About Pleasant Valley’s Population

PVSP houses incarcerated people across all custody levels and runs a licensed Correctional Treatment Center for short-term inpatient medical care and mental health crisis bed housing. If you’re visiting someone housed for a medical or mental health reason, ask the institution directly about any additional scheduling steps specific to that unit.