Commissary Spending Limits: How Much Can Your Loved One Spend?

A commissary spending limit is the most your loved one can spend at the prison store during a set period, like a week or a month. The limit applies even if there is more money in their account. Each prison system sets its own rules. For example, federal prisons allow $460 a month, while one D.C. jail facility allows $100 a week. Deposit rules are a separate thing, and we explain the difference below.

What a spending limit is

A spending limit caps purchases, not deposits. Your loved one may have $600 in their account and still be allowed to spend only part of it in a given week or month. The rest stays in the account.

Based on the policies below, limits can depend on:

• Time period: weekly, twice a month, monthly or quarterly.
• Housing or status: people in restricted housing can have lower limits.
• Season: some systems raise limits during the holidays.
• Item type: some items don't count toward the limit at all.

For the basics, see how prison commissary works.

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) spending limit

The BOP's commissary policy, Program Statement 4500.13 dated May 7, 2026, sets a spending limit of $460 per month. It rises by $50 during the November and December holiday period.

Some items don't count toward the $460, including:

• Postage stamps
• Over-the-counter medicine, medical products and vitamins
• Nicotine replacement patches or lozenges
• Copy cards and copy paper
• Shoes, including sneakers and safety shoes
• Secured media devices

The limit resets once a month, but some prisons reset it weekly or every two weeks. BOP policy also allows one special purpose order per month, capped at $600 per quarter including markup and shipping. Those orders still can't push spending past the prison's limit for that cycle. Each prison also sets its own shopping schedule. For example, the FCI Milan commissary list, dated December 2024, says its validation limit is $180 twice a month. Learn more in our federal prison commissary guide.

State and local examples

Limits vary widely. Here are a few published examples.

Washington, D.C. The D.C. Department of Corrections policy (effective April 22, 2024) sets weekly limits:

• $100 per week for general population at one facility and $125 at the other.
• $25 per week for people in restrictive housing or on loss of privileges, limited to hygiene and writing items.

Washington State. The Coyote Ridge Corrections Center commissary list (updated November 1, 2026) prints a spending limit of $125. It says postage and over-the-counter items count toward that limit.

Oregon. Oregon DOC policy says spending limits are set through its incentive program, so they can rise as a person reaches higher incentive levels. Limits may also rise during the holiday buying period. People can place one order per week.

Texas. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs eCommDirect, where family can buy items online for a loved one. That program has its own quarterly limit: up to $70 per quarter for most of the year and up to $95 from October to December. TDCJ says this is separate from the regular commissary limit. Each eCommDirect purchase has a $3.75 fee, and TDCJ says delivery takes about five business days after it receives the order.

County jails. Jails set limits too. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office in California caps purchases at $100 per week. See jail vs. prison commissary for more differences.

Deposits vs. spending limits

This is where many families get confused. A deposit is money you put into your loved one's account. A spending limit controls how much of that money can be used at commissary in a period.

Some systems also have rules on deposits:

• Washington: Money marked for the commissary account is capped at $500 per month. There's no limit on a single deposit, but money above the cap goes to the regular spendable account, where deductions apply. The DOC says it does not notify senders when the cap is reached.
• Texas: Single deposits of $500 or more are held for 14 days before your loved one can use them. Texas also says the account earns no interest, so it suggests keeping only what is needed soon.

Money above a spending limit is not lost. It generally stays in the account for a later shopping period. Texas, for example, says any balance left in the account is given to the person when they are released. See commissary money at release.

Tips for planning how much to send

• Ask your loved one what their limit is and how often they shop.
• Check whether stamps and medicine count toward the limit at their facility.
• Ask about holiday increases so you can plan ahead.
• Sending more than the limit won't let them spend more that period.
• Keep records of every deposit and fee.

To compare ways to send money, read how to put money on commissary. Rules change, so check with the facility for the latest limits.