Submit a commissary refund form
Online Commissary refund form
Frequently asked questions
Refund requests are processed on a first come, first serve basis. Claim refunds usually take 3 to 4 working days (not including weekends or holidays).
Commissary Refund Forms should generally only be submitted by former incarcerated persons. There may sometimes be a valid reason why it would be necessary for a friend or family member to submit a Commissary Refund Form on behalf of somebody else. For inquiries on this matter, please contact the Fiscal Division Inmate Welfare Services Unit at (408) 808-3600 or at [email protected].
When incarcerated persons are released from custody, they are given up to $20.00 in cash from their commissary accounts, and any remaining funds are issued by check. You may not have received a full refund from your commissary account for the following reasons.
You made a purchase from the commissary store, but you were released from custody before the order could be delivered. Sometimes under these circumstances, the commissary vendor does not have enough time to return money to your account before you are issued your commissary account refund.
A friend, family member, or a loved one tried to deposit money into your commissary account, but the deposit was not recorded in your account until after you were released from custody.
You may have been cited and released from custody without being housed in a correctional facility, but your money was already confiscated and forwarded to the Fiscal Division before you were allowed to leave. Your money will be deposited into a commissary account in your name, and you can request a refund at any time by submitting a Commissary Refund Form.
Please submit a Commissary Refund Form to request a new refund check.
Refunds are paid by check only.
PFN stands for Personal File Number. All incarcerated persons are issued a PFN when they are booked into a County of Santa Clara correctional facility for the first time. A PFN is an identification number that stays the same even if you happen to be booked into a County of Santa Clara correctional facility more than once.
Yes, you should still be able to receive a full commissary refund as long as you can provide other identifying information such as your legal name, date of birth, and/or Social Security Number (if you have one).
You would still be able to receive a refund, but you would not have the option to have your refund check mailed to you. You would need to pick up the check in person in the lobby of the Main Jail Facility located at 150 West Hedding Street, San Jose. Refund checks are only available for pickup Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. When you arrive to pick up your check, Main Jail staff will verify your identity by referring to mugshot records.