Dear family and friends of Missouri state prison residents:

To help keep everyone in our facilities safe, the Missouri Department of Corrections is updating background checks for visitors. 

You must submit a new visiting application if:

• You were younger than 18 years old when you applied to be a visitor and are now 18 or older.
• You are an adult whose last visiting application was approved before Oct. 1, 2023.

If you fit either of these categories, please submit a new visiting application right away. We need time to process and approve applications before the new requirements go into effect Oct. 1, 2026.

Apply here: https://web.mo.gov/doc/pubVisit/appStart.do

All visitors, including those with current approved applications, will be required to comply with the new rules starting Oct. 1, 2026. You must submit a new visiting application when:

• Your approved visiting application is three years old.
• You turn 18.

We want to help keep you connected with your loved ones. However, if you do not have an approved visiting application on file after Oct. 1, 2026, you will not be permitted to visit a resident of a Missouri Department of Corrections facility.

If you have questions about your application status, please contact the facility where your loved one is housed: https://doc.mo.gov/facilities/adult-institutions/address-listing

Thank you for helping to keep our facilities safe.