Two separate cards have to be in place before a first visit, and neither can be arranged on the day. Connect with your loved one in minutes.
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Dallas County runs the same visiting schedule at every jail building, so the rules below apply at Kays Tower exactly as they do at the North and West Towers. The part that surprises most families is the paperwork. Two separate authorisations have to exist before a first visit: one the person inside arranges, and one you buy in person at the courthouse on a weekday. Neither can be sorted out on a Saturday morning at the door, and the first has a 90-day revision limit that makes getting it right the first time worth the effort.
| Inmate’s last name | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A through L | Mondays and Thursdays | 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM |
| M through Z | Tuesdays and Fridays | 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM |
| Everyone | Saturdays and Sundays | 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM |
Wednesday is not a visiting day for anyone. Weekday sessions are only two hours long, which makes the 30-minute sign-up window and the 8:30 PM processing cutoff tighter than they look. Weekends are the more forgiving option if you can take them.
The person inside fills this out. It holds a maximum of five adults, and for each one it needs a full name, race, sex, date of birth, and address. Anyone not on that card cannot visit.
The constraint that matters: it can only be revised once every 90 days. If a name is left off or entered wrongly, that mistake stands for three months. It is worth getting your details to the person accurately and early, before they fill it in.
Children under 17 are not on the card and do not count toward the five-adult limit.
This one is yours to obtain, in person, and it is the step people do not know about until they are turned away.
Because the counter is only open on weekdays during office hours, a family planning a first weekend visit has to make a separate trip beforehand.
For visitors 18 and over, Dallas County accepts a valid driver’s licence from any state, a state ID card, a valid passport, an INS immigration photo ID, a Mexican Consulate card, or a military ID. A paper temporary licence is accepted alongside a second photo ID.
A Mexican Voter Registration card is explicitly not accepted. That refusal catches people out, since the Consulate card is fine.
Children under 17 may visit at weekends only, and must be with a parent or legal guardian who is on the visitor card. Legal guardians need to show proof of guardianship. A visitor under 17 who is married to the person inside needs proof of marriage.
Anyone booked into a Dallas County facility in the previous six months cannot visit. The handbook carries an exception the website leaves out: people with proof of marriage to the person they are visiting. If that applies to you, bring the certificate.
Visitors living more than 75 miles from the Dallas city limits are allowed one 40-minute visit, one time only. Residence is verified at the visit. Every visit after that reverts to the standard 20 minutes.
That “one time only” wording is worth reading carefully. It is not a standing allowance for anyone who lives far away.
Refused at the door: revealing shorts, sundresses, halter tops, bathing suits, open-toed shoes including sandals and flip-flops, see-through garments including ripped or holed jeans, low-cut tops, leotards, spandex or tight pants, miniskirts, backless tops, pajamas, hats and non-religious headgear, sleeveless garments, skirts two inches or more above the knee, high-cut splits, and khaki, green, institutional or military-style clothing.
The open-toed shoe rule is the one most often missed, and ripped jeans count as see-through.
Prohibited items include tobacco, lighters, matches, e-cigarettes, cameras, recording devices, cell phones, iPhone watches, backpacks, bags, purses, umbrellas, unlabelled prescription medication, glass or metal containers, mace, and sharp objects. The county adds a specific note that the cell phone ban may affect people with electric vehicles, so plan accordingly.
One diaper bag is allowed, searched, with a blanket and bottles that fit inside it, plus an infant carrier. Glass baby bottles, strollers and toys are separately prohibited.
Video visits are scheduled through smartinmate.com. On-site sessions run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday plus weekends, 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM, with no Wednesday and no children under 17 during the week. Off-site visits are unlimited per week while on-site ones are capped at two. Registrants must be 17 or over with government photo ID, and all visits are recorded.
Two official county pages disagree on the details. The video visitation page says visits must be booked 72 hours ahead and run 20 minutes. The phone, tablet and mail update page says 24 hours ahead and 15 minutes. Neither page is dated, so rather than pick one, book on the more cautious reading of 72 hours and expect the shorter 15 minutes, then confirm with the jail.
6 of 9 questions
Weekday evenings are split by the inmate's last name: A through L on Mondays and Thursdays, M through Z on Tuesdays and Fridays, both 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Weekends are open to everyone, Saturdays and Sundays 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. There is no visiting on Wednesdays. Every Dallas County jail building uses the same schedule.
VisitationTwo things. The person inside has to add you to their visitor authorization card, which holds five adults and can only be changed once every 90 days. Separately, you buy a $5.00 Jail Visitation Card in person at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM, bringing three original identity documents. Neither can be done on a weekend, so a first weekend visit needs a weekday trip first.
VisitationThree original documents from this list: Social Security card, school ID, work ID, birth certificate, expired Texas DPS ID card, or a Texas DPS renewal slip. Originals only, since photocopies and scans are refused. You must be 18 or over and a US citizen.
VisitationTwenty minutes, one visit per day, and two visits per calendar week running Sunday to Saturday. Up to four people can come at once, made up of two adults and two minors.
VisitationOnce. Visitors living more than 75 miles from the Dallas city limits get a single 40-minute visit, one time only, with residence verified at the visit. Every visit after that is the standard 20 minutes.
VisitationAt weekends, yes. Children under 17 may visit on Saturdays and Sundays only, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is on the visitor card, and guardians need proof of guardianship. Children are not listed on the card and do not count toward the five-adult limit.
VisitationThe most common reasons are open-toed shoes, ripped jeans, which count as see-through, and a Mexican Voter Registration card, which is refused even though a Consulate card is accepted. Arriving after the processing cutoff of 8:30 PM on weekdays or 1:30 PM at weekends also ends it, as does having been booked into a Dallas County facility within the past six months.
VisitationTwo official Dallas County pages disagree. The video visitation page says 72 hours ahead for a 20-minute visit; the phone, tablet and mail update page says 24 hours ahead for 15 minutes. Neither is dated. Book on the 72-hour assumption and plan for 15 minutes, then confirm with the jail.
VisitationYes, non-contact, through a closed visitation booth. The officiant has to be an active or retired judge or magistrate, or a cleared religious officiant, and only the officiant and the prospective spouse may attend. Arrangements go through the Religious Services Office, Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
VisitationThe lookup needs race and sex, and only the detail record names the tower.
View ArticleFour deposit routes from $2.95. Money orders have been refused since 2022.
View ArticleSmart Communications is current, and the county's own FAQ names the wrong vendor.
View ArticleScanned in Florida, then destroyed. One-sided 8.5 by 11 paper only.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified September 7, 2026.