Colorado prison visitation rules, your legal rights, and the AR 300-01A application

INTRO

Colorado is the only state in this directory where visitation is established by law as a right - not a privilege - for incarcerated people. House Bill 25-1013, passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2025, fundamentally changed the legal framework for prison visitation in Colorado. Under the old system, wardens and CDOC had broad discretionary authority to restrict or deny visits. Under HB 25-1013, social visitation is a statutory right of the incarcerated person, and CDOC has revised Administrative Regulation 300-01 to align with the new law.

This matters to families in a direct way: it changes the posture of every interaction with CDOC around visitation. A facility that used to be able to deny or restrict visits at administrative discretion now operates under a legal framework that treats those visits as something the incarcerated person is entitled to - and that families, by extension, have a legitimate interest in accessing.

That said, the right to visitation does not mean unlimited or unconditional visitation. AR 300-01 still governs the application process, dress code, conduct, scheduling, and the specific circumstances under which visits can be restricted. HB 25-1013 changed the legal status of visitation; it did not eliminate all the rules that govern it. Read this page in full before you apply.

HB 25-1013 - WHAT THE LAW ACTUALLY CHANGED

Colorado House Bill 25-1013, signed into law in 2025, establishes social visitation as a right for persons confined in Colorado correctional facilities. CDOC implemented changes to AR 300-01 (Administrative Regulation 300-01, Offender Visiting Program) to comply with the new law.

What changed:

- Visitation is now a right, not a discretionary privilege

- CDOC must provide a framework for visitation that reflects this legal status

- Restrictions on visitation must have a documented basis under AR 300-01 rather than being purely discretionary

What did not change:

- The visitor application process (AR Form 300-01A) is still required

- Background checks are still conducted on all applicants

- Active warrant holders are still automatically denied

- Dress code and conduct rules still apply

- Scheduling through the facility is still required

Full text of HB 25-1013: leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1013

Full text of revised AR 300-01: cdoc.colorado.gov/about/department-policies

APPROVED VISITOR APPLICATION - AR FORM 300-01A

The visitor application is AR Form 300-01A, available on the CDOC website at cdoc.colorado.gov/resources-faq/visitation/visiting-applications.

How to apply:

Complete the form fully and sign it. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

Attach a copy of your current, valid government-issued photo ID (required for adults).

Mail the completed form and ID copy to the facility where the offender is housed - each facility has its own visiting address, listed on the facility's page at cdoc.colorado.gov/facilities.

Some facilities also accept applications by email - check the specific facility page.

Do not apply while the offender is still in the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center (DRDC) intake process. Wait until they have been assigned to their permanent facility.

Processing: CDOC conducts a criminal background check on all applicants. The offender is notified of the decision. You will not receive direct notification - the offender informs you.

Criminal history: CDOC evaluates applications individually. Prior criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify visitors under AR 300-01. However, one situation does result in automatic denial:

Active warrants - automatic denial: If CDOC determines that you have an active felony or misdemeanor warrant, you will not be placed on the offender's visiting list and will be denied in-person, non-contact, and video visitation. You may still be placed on the phone list and receive phone calls. This is a firm policy, not a discretionary decision. If you have a pending warrant of any kind, resolve it before applying.

Application types:

- Ongoing visitation application (regular visitors): AR Form 300-01A

- Special visitation application (one to two times per year): separate Special Visitation Application form

- Minor children (any child under 18): Form 300-01G (Authorization for Minor Child Visitation) - must be completed by parent or legal guardian if the adult accompanying the minor is not the minor's legal guardian

SCHEDULING

All visits must be scheduled in advance. CDOC uses GTL/ViaPath's system at codoc.gtlvisitme.com for video visit scheduling. In-person visit scheduling varies by facility - check the specific facility page at cdoc.colorado.gov/facilities for scheduling instructions, contact email, and phone.

Check in 15 minutes before your scheduled visit time to allow time to be processed.

Facility-specific scheduling notes:

- Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP): all visits by appointment only; contact doc_csp_visiting@state.co.us or 719-269-5252

- Centennial Correctional Facility (CCF): offers in-person, non-contact, and video visits 7 days a week via GTL; applications and questions to facility visiting contact

- Most other facilities: weekends are primary in-person visiting days; some offer weekday visits - verify per facility

Special visits: The Administrative Head may authorize special visits for persons not on the offender's approved visiting list. Special or extended visits may be granted for:

- Initial visit before background verification is complete

- Out-of-state visitors who have traveled a long distance

- When the visit is in the interest of the offender's rehabilitation

DRESS CODE - AR 300-01

CDOC's dress code is specified in AR 300-01 and applies to all visitors at all CDOC facilities. The full dress code is published on the CDOC Visitation Rules and Procedures page (cdoc.colorado.gov/resources-faq/faq/visit-an-incarcerated-individual/visitation-rules-and-procedures) under expandable sections.

Core dress code rules:

Visitors must be fully clothed at all times in the visiting area. Clothing must be:

- Clean and in good repair

- Appropriate for a mixed gathering environment

- Non-offensive, without sexualized, violent, or gang-affiliated imagery or language

What you cannot wear:

- Clothing that resembles CDOC offender clothing (khaki-colored clothing is the primary concern - CDOC offenders wear khaki. Do not wear khaki pants, khaki shirts, or any solid khaki/tan-colored outfit)

- Clothing that resembles law enforcement, corrections officer, or military uniforms

- Revealing clothing: anything that exposes midriff, excessive skin, cleavage, or anatomical detail

- Sheer, transparent, or excessively tight clothing

- Shorts or skirts shorter than knee-length

- Undergarments that are visible through clothing

- Gang insignia or gang-affiliated attire

- Gloves or head coverings (exceptions require prior written approval from the institution head, or may be granted for weather conditions)

Note on clergy: Approved clergy must adhere to the dress code as specified on page two of AR Form 300-01A (the Visitor Application form itself). Clergy must be at least 21 years of age.

What to wear:

- Loose-fitting pants or jeans in non-offender colors (avoid khaki/tan)

- A shirt with sleeves that covers the midriff

- Closed-toe shoes

- Proper undergarments

Colorado does not have the same blue denim prohibition as California or the white prohibition of Alabama and Arkansas. The primary color concern is khaki - CDOC's inmate uniform color.

Bring a change of clothes in your car. Dress code violations result in cancellation or termination of the visit.

ID REQUIREMENTS

A current, valid government-issued photo ID is required for every visit. Driver's license, state ID, military ID, or passport. The name must match your approved visitor application exactly. Expired IDs are not accepted. A copy of the ID must be submitted with the initial visitor application.

MINOR VISITOR RULES

Minors under 18 may visit. The rules depend on who accompanies them:

- Minors accompanied by their legal guardian: standard visiting rules apply

- Minors accompanied by an immediate adult family member who is NOT the minor's legal guardian: requires Form 300-01G (Authorization for Minor Child Visitation) completed by the parent or legal guardian

- The minor is subject to the same dress code as adult visitors

VIDEO VISITATION - GTL/VIAPATHSYSTEM

CDOC uses the GTL/ViaPath system for video visitation across all facilities.

Platform: codoc.gtlvisitme.com (also accessible via the Getting Out app)

Cost: $0.40 per minute

Session length: Maximum 10 minutes per session

Scheduling: All visits must be scheduled in advance through the GTL system

Requirements: Must be an approved visitor on the offender's visiting list; facility pre-approval required before first video visit

Check-in: 15 minutes before scheduled visit time

Attorneys may not use the video visitation system for legal visits - attorney visits are separate and in-person.

Colorado county jails use various platforms. Jefferson County, Arapahoe County, El Paso County, and Denver County jails have their own visitation systems - check specific county pages or call the jail directly.

CONDUCT DURING THE VISIT

Visitors and offenders must conduct themselves so as not to be disruptive, offensive, or bring suspicion to themselves. Obey all employee instructions. Do not pass any items to the offender.

Physical contact: brief embrace at the beginning and end of contact visits is standard. During the visit, follow staff direction. Excessive physical contact or inappropriate conduct terminates the visit.

Once you leave the visiting area, you will not be permitted to re-enter.

Under AR 300-01 and HB 25-1013, restrictions on or termination of a visit must have a documented basis - this is a change from the pre-HB 25-1013 environment where discretionary termination was common.

ADA ACCOMMODATIONS

CDOC explicitly addresses visitor disability accommodations under Title II of the ADA. Visitors with disabilities may request accommodations through AR 100-42 (available on the CDOC Department Policies page). Completed requests should be submitted to the facility's ADA coordinator.

This is the only state page in the directory with an explicit published ADA accommodation process for visitors - worth noting for families where a visitor has mobility, hearing, vision, or other accessibility needs.

FEDERAL BOP FACILITIES IN COLORADO

Federal inmates in Colorado fall under BOP Residential Reentry Management Denver. Federal prisons operate under BOP Program Statement 5267.09. No khaki color prohibition equivalent to CDOC rules. Federal visitation rules and hours are published facility-by-facility at bop.gov/locations/.

Federal facilities in Colorado: ADX Florence (administrative maximum - very restricted visitation), FCI Florence, USP Florence, FCI Englewood (minimum security/camp).

Note on ADX Florence: The Administrative Maximum facility in Florence is the most restrictive federal prison in the United States. Visitation there is extremely limited and subject to additional BOP-level restrictions beyond standard Program Statement 5267.09. Families of ADX Florence inmates should contact the facility directly and consult with legal counsel.

REENTRY CONNECTION

Colorado has one of the most comprehensive community corrections systems in the directory - 30+ facilities, $87.7M budget. See our Colorado halfway houses page at inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/colorado/ for the CDOC Office of Community Corrections facility directory.