With regulations, standards, certification programs, zoning laws, and other important details for sober living home operators varying state-by-state and changing with each legislative session, it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest developments concerning recovery residences in your area.
In this post, we will focus on updates for sober living home operators based in Ohio, Georgia, and North Carolina. We’ll go over what the National Association for Recovery Residences (NARR) affiliate is for each state, as well as whether or not certification is required in these states. We’ll also look at any recent or pending legislation that may disrupt or alter the day-to-day operations of sober living homes in these three states. Read on for more information.
Ohio Requires Sober Living Homes to Seek Certification in Order to Access State Funding
Ohio’s sober living homes have the option to seek voluntary certification with an organization called Ohio Recovery Housing, which is the state affiliate for NARR in Ohio. ORH was officially formed in 2014, but it is a later iteration of an organization that was originally called The Association of Halfway House Alcoholism Programs (AHHAP), which has roots dating back to 1968.
Ohio has established some regulations surrounding sober living, although certification of sober living homes is still optional in the state. These regulations include:
Banning sober living homes from placing time limits for residency
Requiring sober living homes to accept residents who use MAT as a part of their recovery plan
Cutting state-backed funding to any sober living home that declines to seek optional certification with ORH
Creating an optional registry for certified recovery homes, know as the Ohio Recovery Housing Locator
For more on sober living home business strategy, management, and regulation in Ohio, see:
How to Open a Sober Living Home in Ohio
Sober Living Homes in Ohio Get More Support and Funding from Lawmakers!
Georgia Presses for Some Mild Regulation of Sober Living Homes in 2021, 2023, and 2024 Legislative Sessions
Georgia’s NARR affiliate is the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences (GARR). They are one of the oldest sober living home affiliates in the nation, with history dating back to 1987.
Georgia has seen some movement during the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions on the question of addiction treatment and sober living home regulations. In 2024, House Bill 1073 sped up the start-up process for new sober living homes in Georgia by removing state code requirements that forced sober living home operators to submit to long wait times for zoning approval. In 2023, the house established standards for sober living homes, which is often one of the first steps to creating a mandatory certification program. Earlier, in 2021, Senate Bill 4 explicitly banned sober living home and addiction treatment operators from receiving illegal kickbacks for patient referrals.
That said, certification for sober living homes is still optional in Georgia.
To read more about recovery residence business planning and execution in Georgia, see:
Opening an Sober Living Home in Georgia
North Carolina Retains a Relatively Unregulated Environment for Sober Living Homes
North Carolina remains a fairly unregulated state when it comes to sober living homes. Although Recovery Residences of North Carolina (NCARR) does provide NARR-backed certification for homes in the state, the state government does not require sober living homes to attain certification in order to operate. As a result, relatively few homes in North Carolina choose to seek certification with NCARR. Annual membership dues may play a part in this trend. (They run $150/year for 1-20 beds, $200/year for 21-40 beds, $300/year for 41-60 beds, and top out at $400/yr for any operation over 61 beds).
However, as NIMBY discontent and accusations of fraud and mismanagement in the behavioral health industry continue to pile up in the state (see here, here, and here), it’s not unreasonable to assume that more regulation may eventually be in the cards for recovery residences in North Carolina.
For more on sober living home management, development, and business strategy in North Carolina, see:
Opening a Sober Living Home In North Carolina? Learn What it Takes
How to Open a Certified Addiction Treatment Center in North Carolina
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