Question: Is a license required to open a sober living home in Nevada?
Answer: Yes. There is some outdated information about the licensing situation for sober living in Nevada on the internet because the laws have recently changed. In the past, sober living homes were not required to obtain a license to operate in Nevada, as they were not classified as “medical facilities” or “facilities for the dependent.” In the past, sober living homes were considered as their own special category that did not require licensing.
This changed in January 2020, when the Nevada state legislature updated the Nevada Revised Statutes, specifically NRS 449.0045, which concerns licensing requirements for facilities for the dependent. The legislature added “a halfway house for persons recovering from alcohol or other substance use disorders” to the definition of “facilities for the dependent.” This, in turn, means that sober living homes are beholden to the same licensing requirements that addiction treatment centers, elder care facilities, and other medicalized group homes. These licensing requirements are documented in NRS 449.030.
Question: What are the best locations for sober living homes in Nevada?
Answer: This depends on the population you wish to serve.
We do know that demand for sober living facilities is high throughout the state. However, Lander, Nye and Pershing counties are currently experiencing the highest overdose death rates in Nevada. We also know that the Nevada Recovery Housing Program - 2021 Action Plan created by Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development names Humboldt, Pershing, Lander, Eureka, Elko, White Pine, and Lincoln counties as priority counties for improving recovery housing support.
Furthermore, we know that Lander, Nye and Pershing counties are currently experiencing the highest overdose death rates in Nevada.
Question: Does Nevada have too many sober living homes? Is it worth it to open a new one?
Answer: No, Nevada does not have enough sober living homes to accommodate the demand and it is “worth it” to open more sober living homes in the state.
Like addiction treatment centers in Nevada, sober living homes are overcrowded and understaffed with many more potential residents than beds. Nevada’s provider-to-patient ratio for SUD is one of the worst in the nation, with only 11 addiction treatment professionals for ever 1,000 people in Nevada in need of addiction treatment. According to Mental Health America, Nevada has some of the worst mental health and behavioral health care access in the nation.
Question: How do I get my sober living home licensed in the state of Nevada?
Answer: First, go to the Department of Health and Human Services Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health website. There, you’ll find an online application as well as a checklist designed especially for “halfway houses for recovering alcohol and drug abusers,” which is Nevada’s catchy nickname for sober living homes and recovery residences. Nevada handles all licensing applications online.
Question: What are the fees for licensing a sober living home in Nevada?
Answer: The initial licensing application fee for sober living homes in Nevada is $2,800. There is an additional “per bed” fee of $368 for every bed in the home. The renewal fees due each year after the first year of licensing will come to $1400 per year to maintain good standing. There is also a “per bed” renewal fee in Nevada - which is unusual. This annual “per bed” fee comes to $ 184 per bed.
Question: Does Las Vegas have special sober living home rules that I need to know about?
Answer: Yes. The City of Las Vegas levies additional fees for “transitional living facilities” which they define as “living environments…for reintegrating individuals into the community after incarceration or confide treatment for dependencies.” This definition includes sober living homes.
Las Vegas requires recovery residence owners to provide proof of zoning compliance, proof of compliance with the Secretary of State and the Nevada Department of Taxation, a completed online application and a fee of $150 plus a $50 processing fee. Upon completion of all of these requirements, the city will issue your sober living home a business license from the Business Licensing Department.
Links of Interest to Sober Living Home Operators in Nevada
List of addiction treatment centers in Nevada
Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Nevada Should be Easier: Here’s How to Complete the Process
Nevada’s Department of Health and Human Services Health Facilities Licensing
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