To visit someone in a Washington State prison, you have to submit the Washington State prison visitor application electronically through doc.wa.gov and wait for approval before you travel. Adults use form DOC 20-060. For a child 17 or younger, an authorized adult over 13 submits DOC 20-181 instead. Processing takes up to 45 business days, and the Department of Corrections only accepts electronic submissions for prison visits.
Who Can Apply
Every prospective visitor, regardless of age, has to apply and be added to the incarcerated person’s approved visitor list before entering a facility. That rule comes from DOC policy 450.300.
A few situations will stop an application cold. If you have an active warrant or a pending criminal case, you are automatically disqualified until the matter resolves. If you are currently on DOC community supervision, you may need to wait until you discharge from supervision before you apply. A court-ordered no-contact order between you and the incarcerated person is an absolute barrier; the DOC cross-references state databases and will reject the application immediately.
International visitors have two extra requirements. You must provide a copy of your passport photo page, and your local jurisdiction has to send a copy of your criminal history, or a certificate stating you have none, directly to the Statewide Visit Unit before the application will be considered.
Find the Incarcerated Person’s DOC Number First
You cannot complete any visitor application without the incarcerated individual’s DOC number. If you don’t have it, use the Incarcerated Search tool at doc.wa.gov and search by name. The result returns the DOC number, current facility, and basic custody information. The Washington Victim Notification Network (WA VINE) is another way to look up custody status.
What the Adult Application Asks For
Gather your documents before you open the online form. The DOC recommends having everything ready to avoid an incomplete submission. DOC 20-060 asks for:
- Your full legal name, any previous aliases or maiden names, date of birth, and a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID number. You will present this same photo ID at check-in.
- Your current physical address, email, and phone number. Approval and denial notifications come by email, so use an address you actually check.
- The incarcerated person’s full name and DOC number, which links your application to their file.
- Every past arrest and conviction, including old misdemeanors, with dates and the nature of each offense. The DOC runs its own background check and compares the result to what you disclosed. Leaving something out, even a decades-old charge, can get you denied for dishonesty rather than for the offense itself.
The form also asks for your Social Security Number. Under Section 7(b) of the Privacy Act of 1974, a government agency requesting your SSN has to tell you whether disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, what authority requires it, and how the number will be used. Read the form’s privacy notice before you decide whether to provide it.
Applying for a Child Under 18
Children 17 and under need their own application. An authorized individual over 13 completes DOC 20-181 on the minor’s behalf. You also have to complete and notarize DOC 20-441, the Parent/Guardian Consent for Minor Visit and/or Escort form. Both parents listed on the child’s birth certificate must give written, notarized consent. If one parent has lost parental rights, submit the court documents in place of that parent’s consent.
Attach the notarized DOC 20-441 to the minor’s online application as a PDF or image file. Without it, the DOC will not process the application.
Submitting the Application
Go to doc.wa.gov, open the visiting section, and submit the form online. The DOC only accepts electronic applications for prison visits.
Submit once. A duplicate application voids the earlier one and restarts the entire processing clock. There is no fee. Applications are processed in the order received, so send yours in as early as you can if you have a target visit date.
What Happens After You Submit
The Statewide Visit Unit runs a criminal history background check and reviews the incarcerated individual’s electronic file to verify your identity and confirm what you disclosed. Staff look for undisclosed criminal records, active protection orders, and anything that would make a visit unsafe. The DOC also runs follow-up background checks periodically after approval, so your status is not permanent if your record changes.
Processing takes up to 45 business days from the date the DOC receives your application. It can take longer if the Visit Multi-Disciplinary Team (VMDT) flags the file for additional review. The DOC asks that you not call to check your status during this window; doing so slows the whole queue. You will get an email when a decision is made, approved or denied. Do not book travel until that email arrives.
If You’re Denied
The denial notice will state the reason. You can appeal an initial denial, a visit restriction, a suspension, or a VMDT decision in writing to the Headquarters Correctional Program Administrator. The appropriate Assistant Secretary or their designee has final authority on appeals. If email is not available, the written decision is mailed to you.
If you exhaust the appeal process, you can submit a new application after one year to be considered for restored visit privileges, either modified or full, depending on the circumstances.
Video Visits and Extended Family Visits Use the Same List
Video visits through Securus Technologies are available at every Washington DOC prison, but there is no separate video-only application. You still have to be on the incarcerated person’s approved visitor list through the process above. Once you are approved, you create an account at securustech.net using the incarcerated person’s DOC number, with your name and date of birth entered exactly as they appear on your legal ID.
The Extended Family Visit (EFV) program, which allows longer private visits for close family, has its own additional application: DOC 21-415, available on the DOC website. EFV applicants must document a direct family relationship through birth, marriage, state-registered domestic partnership, or adoption, and the program carries the department’s highest screening requirements. Domestic violence convictions involving a spouse, partner, parent, child, or other family member can block EFV privileges, as can infraction records or aggressive behavior during regular visits.