Dallas County Jail Information Page

Dallas County Jail Information

The Dallas County Jail is run by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department as one downtown complex — the Lew Sterrett Justice Center — made up of three connected detention facilities. A person may be housed in any of them and moved between them; the inmate search shows where someone is held.

Operating agency

Dallas County Sheriff’s Department — Detention Services

Jail facilities

Lew Sterrett Justice Center complex, all at 111 West Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75202:
• North Tower Detention Facility
• West Tower Detention Facility (mental-health housing)
• Suzanne Lee Kays Detention Facility (direct supervision)

Main telephone numbers

(214) 761-9025  — Jail / Inmate Information
(214) 761-9026  — Warrant Information
(214) 749-8641  — Sheriff’s Department main / dispatch

Sheriff’s Department address

Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Riverfront Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75207

Official email address

The Sheriff’s Department does not publish a general jail email. For sexual-safety (PREA) concerns only: SheriffPREA@dallascounty.org. For anything else, call the jail directly.

Dallas County Sheriff’s Department website

dallascounty.org/departments/sheriff

Official jail pages

Detention Centers  ·  Inmate Information

Information last verified

September 8, 2026, against the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department inmate-information pages.

Find Someone in Dallas County Jail

The Sheriff’s Department runs a public online jail search. It is the fastest way to confirm that someone is in custody in Dallas County.

How to search

Search by the person’s name. When you have them, a date of birth or the book-in number will narrow the results. Very recent bookings can take a few hours to appear.

A name and date of birth are all you need to find a record. You should not have to enter a Social Security number or other sensitive personal information to look someone up.

What you may need

• The person’s full legal name (try spelling variations and any former or maiden name).
• Their date of birth, to tell people apart when names are similar.
• Their book-in number — Dallas County’s identifier for the person, written like #05123456. You will need it for mail and for commissary deposits.

Confirm the identity

Before you send money or mail, match the full name and date of birth on the record to the person you are looking for. Do not rely on name alone.

Booking information and charges

The jail lookup shows the book-in number and housing location. For charges, bond amounts, and court dates, use the county’s criminal background / court search. An arrest is not a conviction.

Visitation Information

Dallas County offers non-contact in-person visits at the jail and video visits — both on-site video terminals and off-site video from home. You must be on the person’s approved visitor list.

In-person visits — days and hours (by last name)

• Last names A–L: Mondays and Thursdays, 7:00–9:00 p.m. (processing stops at 8:30 p.m.)
• Last names M–Z: Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:00–9:00 p.m. (processing stops at 8:30 p.m.)
• All inmates: Saturdays and Sundays, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (processing stops at 1:30 p.m.)

One 20-minute visit per day, up to two visits per week. Out-of-town visitors (75+ miles away) get one 40-minute visit, then 20 minutes after that. Up to four people per visit (no more than two adults and two minors); anyone under 17 must be with an authorized adult.

Identification

Visitors 18 and older need a valid government photo ID (driver license, state ID, passport, military ID, or immigration card). Leave phones, bags, cameras, tobacco, lighters, and e-cigarettes in your vehicle.

Video visits

Video visitation is run by Smart Communications (SmartInmate). Off-site visits from home are 20 minutes, with no weekly limit; schedule at least 72 hours in advance. The scheduling visitor must be 17 or older with a government photo ID (under 17 with a parent or guardian). On-site video terminals allow up to two visits per week, available daily except Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

Commissary and Money Deposits

Money for commissary goes into the person’s account, which they access with a barcode on their armband. Dallas County uses Access Corrections for online and phone deposits, CashPayToday for cash at retail stores, and kiosks at each jail.

Deposit methods

• Online at AccessCorrections.com — fee as low as $2.95
• Phone: Access Corrections at (866) 345-1884 — fee about $3.95
• Cash at a store — register at CashPayToday.com, then pay at a retail location; $5.00 flat fee
• Kiosk — cash at the kiosk machines inside each jail facility

What you must provide

The person’s name and book-in number. Since February 2022 the jail does not accept personal or payroll checks, money orders, tax-refund checks, stimulus checks, insurance checks, child-support checks, or Social Security checks.

Deposit fees are shown before you confirm payment and can change. Check the current amount at checkout.

Telephone Calls and Communication

Inmate phone service, messaging, and video visits at the Dallas County Jail are all run by Smart Communications through its SmartInmate platform.

Set up an account

1. Create a free SmartInmate account at SmartInmate.com.
2. Add the incarcerated person as a contact using their name and book-in number.
3. Add funds to your account to pay for calls and messages.

Jail / Inmate Information line: (214) 761-9025.

Call and message rates and fees are set by the provider and can change. Check the current pricing in your SmartInmate account before adding a large balance.

Mailing Instructions

Personal mail to the Dallas County Jail is processed off-site by Smart Communications’ Mail Processing Center, scanned, and delivered to the person electronically. Do not send personal mail to the jail address.

Personal mail address

[Full name of incarcerated person] #[book-in number]
c/o Mail Processing Center
PO Box 9226
Seminole, FL 33775-9226

Required on every piece of mail

• Your full name and complete return address.
• The person’s full name and their book-in number.

What cannot be sent

Two-sided letters, anything with adhesive or a glued surface, writing materials (pens, markers, crayons), unsigned greeting cards, cards or photographs larger than 8″ × 10″, Polaroids, obscene photos, tobacco, clothing, jewelry, and books not shipped directly from a publisher or bookstore. Mail is not forwarded after a person is released.

Legal mail

Attorney mail must not go to the PO Box 9226 address — it is not treated as confidential there. Legal mail goes to PO Box 660334, Dallas, TX 75266, or through SmartInmate.com, and is opened in the person’s presence.

Latest News About Dallas County Jail

Reporting from Texas Prison News that is tagged to the Dallas County Jail. This list updates on its own — no article text is copied here by hand.