If someone you love is locked up in North Dakota, video can spare you a long drive across a spread-out state, but how it works depends on which kind of facility they're in. So the first thing to nail down is whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or immigration custody, because that determines the vendor, the cost, and the rules.
North Dakota splits custody three ways. The state prison system (DOCR, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) runs the state's prisons. County jails are run by sheriffs and handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with no Bureau of Prisons institution physically in North Dakota. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
Do North Dakota state prisons offer video visitation?
Yes. DOCR offers both in-person and video visits across its facilities, the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck, the James River Correctional Center in Jamestown, the Heart River Correctional Center, the Missouri River Correctional Center, and the Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center in New England. Video visits are scheduled through the DOCR website's family and friends section, and you need to be an approved visitor first.
To get approved, you submit a visitor application to DOCR and clear the review. The same approval covers in-person and video visits. The phone system runs through Securus, and as of a 2023 change, family and friends must complete a telephone application and send it to the Securus Digital Mail Center to be added to a person's calling list, so if you're setting up calls, that's a separate step from visiting. Money and mail have their own DOCR procedures (there are specific mailing addresses per facility, limits on photos and pages per envelope, and publications must come from an approved source).
DOCR posts weekly visiting blocks and detailed rules per facility, including specifics that catch people off guard (for example, what you can bring in for an infant, and how much cash you can carry for vending machines in the visiting room). Always check the specific unit's page before you make plans, and arrive 15 to 30 minutes early to clear security.
County and city jails
North Dakota's county jails are run by sheriffs, and each picks its own vendor, so cost and platform vary. Video visiting is used at most of the jails, and several have moved heavily or entirely to video.
Here's the lay of the land at the bigger ones. The Cass County Jail in Fargo conducts all personal visitation by video, through Securus Video Connect (you can use a computer, the Securus app, or an on-site kiosk). The Ward County Jail in Minot uses TurnKey/InmateCanteen and gives one free lobby visit every 72 hours, with paid at-home video on top. The Burleigh/Morton Detention Center in Bismarck offers lobby visitation and uses Reliance Telephone for scheduling. The only way to be sure of any county's setup is to check that jail's page or call.
The vendor is facility-specific, so the company that works for one county won't necessarily be the one next door. One warning that saves people money and grief: accounts do not transfer between vendors. If your person moves from a Securus jail to a TurnKey/InmateCanteen jail (or into the state system), your funds and account don't follow. You set up fresh with the new vendor.
How county jail video visitation usually works
There are two flavors, and the difference is the whole ballgame for your wallet.
Onsite (or "onsite video") means you drive to the jail and sit at a video terminal in the lobby to talk to the person, who's on a screen inside. Onsite video is frequently free or low-cost (Ward County, for instance, gives one free lobby visit every 72 hours).
Remote video means you connect from your own phone, tablet, or computer at home. That convenience is what you pay for. Remote sessions are charged per session or per minute, you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
North Dakota jail video rates shift around, partly because the FCC has been capping these rates through 2024 to 2026 and partly because every facility prices differently. I'm not going to print a per-minute number here, because by the time you read it, it'll be wrong. Look up the rate on your specific jail's vendor page before you pay. What's stable is the structure: onsite (where offered) is often free or cheaper, remote tends to cost, and there are usually advance-registration rules.
Setting up a video visit
The steps are roughly the same whichever system you're dealing with:
1. Find the system for that exact facility. For the state, schedule through the DOCR family and friends page after you're approved. For a county jail, check the sheriff's site for the vendor (Securus, TurnKey/InmateCanteen, or Reliance, for example). Don't guess.
2. Create the right account and verify your identity, usually with a government photo ID.
3. Add your inmate and get on the approved list. You'll need the correct name and the DOCR number (state) or booking number (county), and for the state you must be an approved visitor first.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite (where offered) or remote, and pay for any paid remote session.
5. Test your device and log in early. Get on about 15 minutes ahead. Check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet. A failed connection on your end usually still burns the visit slot.
Federal and immigration custody
Federal custody works differently in North Dakota than in many states, because there is no Bureau of Prisons institution in North Dakota. People convicted of federal crimes from North Dakota are designated to BOP prisons in other states, and people in pretrial federal or U.S. Marshals custody are typically held in a county jail under contract. Use the BOP inmate locator to find someone in BOP custody, and check that institution's visiting rules; if a case is recent and the person isn't in the locator yet, they're likely still in U.S. Marshals custody.
Immigration custody in North Dakota runs through county jails rather than a dedicated detention center. The Grand Forks County Correctional Center, for example, holds ICE detainees and appears on ICE's facility list (the ICE St. Paul Field Office covers this region). Visiting and legal-access rules at these facilities are set by ICE and the jail, and at some, legal visits are handled by video. Because people in immigration custody are frequently moved, sometimes out of state, confirm where your person actually is before making any plans. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator, which needs the person's A-Number (the nine-digit alien registration number) or their name plus country of birth. Each facility sets its own visiting and video rules, so confirm directly, and remember immigration bonds are handled through ICE, not posted at the facility.
A note on staying connected
Video is good for one thing money can't really replace: seeing a face, watching a kid wave, reading an expression. And in a state as spread out as North Dakota, where the prison or jail can be hours from home and the winter drive is no joke, that face time matters, especially where a jail gives you a free visit, like Ward County's lobby visit every 72 hours.
But be honest with yourself about what carries the weight day to day. Mail is the steadiest line there is. It doesn't drop the call, doesn't need a scheduled slot, and the person can hold it and read it again at 2 a.m. when the walls close in. Phone calls are the backbone of staying in touch, the thing you'll actually do most weeks. Video is the bonus on top, the face-to-face when you can get it. Build your routine around mail and calls, and treat video as the thing that makes the distance feel a little smaller.
Related pages:
/prisons/north-dakota
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do North Dakota state prisons offer video visits?
Yes. DOCR offers both in-person and video visits across its facilities. Video visits are scheduled through the DOCR website's family and friends section, and you must be an approved visitor first.
What vendor does the North Dakota DOCR use?
The state phone system runs through Securus. Video visits are scheduled through the DOCR family and friends page. Confirm the current setup on the DOCR site, since vendors and procedures change.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in North Dakota?
Yes. DOCR offers in-person visits at its facilities, with weekly visiting blocks posted per facility. You must be an approved visitor, bring a government photo ID, and follow each facility's rules.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
Submit a visitor application to DOCR and clear the review. The same approval covers both in-person and video visits. Phone access requires a separate Securus telephone application.
What vendor do North Dakota county jails use?
It varies. Cass County (Fargo) uses Securus Video Connect, Ward County (Minot) uses TurnKey/InmateCanteen, and Burleigh/Morton (Bismarck) uses Reliance for scheduling. Always confirm on the sheriff's page.
Are county jail video visits free in North Dakota?
Sometimes. Ward County gives one free lobby visit every 72 hours. Onsite lobby video is often free; at-home remote sessions usually cost money. Check your specific jail.
What is onsite vs remote video visiting?
Onsite means you go to the jail and use a terminal there, often free where offered. Remote means you connect from your own device at home, which typically costs money.
Do vendor accounts transfer between jails?
No. Accounts and funds don't move between vendors. If your person transfers to a facility using a different company, you set up a new account with that vendor.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the DOCR Resident Lookup for state prisons and the county sheriff (or the jail roster) for local jails. For federal, use the BOP locator. For ICE, use the Online Detainee Locator.
Is there a federal prison in North Dakota?
No BOP-owned institution is in North Dakota. Federal inmates are designated to prisons in other states, and pretrial or U.S. Marshals detainees are typically held in county jails under contract.
Where are ICE detainees held in North Dakota?
In county jails rather than a dedicated center. The Grand Forks County Correctional Center, for example, holds ICE detainees and is on ICE's facility list (St. Paul Field Office region).
How do I find someone in ICE custody?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You'll need the person's A-Number, or their full name plus country of birth. Check often, since people are moved quickly.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
No. State prisons offer in-person plus video, and most county jails offer onsite or remote video (some, like Cass County, are video-only). Federal and ICE custody have their own rules.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
For the state: approval on the visiting list and scheduling through the DOCR family and friends page, plus a device and internet. For a jail: the vendor account, the person's name and ID, and a tested device.
How do I schedule a state prison video visit?
Once you're an approved visitor, schedule through the DOCR website's family and friends section. Check the specific facility's weekly visiting blocks, and confirm details before the visit.
Can I send money and mail in North Dakota?
Yes. DOCR has its own procedures for money and mail, with specific mailing addresses per facility and limits on photos and pages per envelope. Publications must come from an approved source. ====================================================================
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