Recovery residence certification is a review of a sober living home against the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Standard, carried out by NARR's affiliate in your state, not by NARR. This service is for recovery housing operators and networks seeking affiliate certification or building house operations from the ground up. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) writes the house operating and resident-rights procedures for affiliate certification; your recovery leaders run the residence.
Last reviewed: October 2026. NARR certification and standards pages and NARR Standard 3.0 checked on October 2, 2026.
What is recovery residence certification?
The governing text is "NARR Standard 3.0," released by NARR in November 2018 and linked from NARR's standards page today (NARR Standard 3.0, November 2018). NARR describes it: "NARR Standard 3.0 operationalizes the Social Model across four Domains, 10 Principles, 31 Standards and their individual rules. The Standard is tailored to each of NARR's four levels" (NARR Standard 3.0, November 2018).
The four domains are "Administrative Operations," "Physical Environment," "Recovery Support" and "Good Neighbor" (NARR Standard 3.0, November 2018).
All levels share a base: "All recovery residences offer alcohol and illicit substance-free living environments and utilize a social model recovery approach. They are differentiated by the intensity of staffing, governance, and recovery support services" (NARR standards page).
Certification is done by state affiliates. NARR states: "NARR does not certify individual recovery residences. Instead, recovery housing certification and recertification is done by NARR's state Affiliates" (NARR certification page). The affiliate's criteria can differ from state to state: "Certification criteria can vary due to state-specific regulations. If your state has an affiliate, please direct your certification inquiries to them through our Affiliate Directory" (NARR certification page). Each affiliate's own checklist governs the review of your residence. NARR also links a Code of Ethics from its standards materials.
Who needs it and what triggers it
Operators come to this work when they seek certification through their state's NARR affiliate, when they open a new residence, or when they write house operations down for the first time.
Funding and referral relationships are one reason operators seek certification. NARR states: "In addition, local, state, and federal departments are more willing to endorse and potentially fund or subsidize the services of certified recovery residences" (NARR certification page). That is NARR's own statement; your state's referral and funding rules are set by the state and its agencies.
Higher levels can carry a separate license. NARR notes: "Level III's are required to be licensed in a few states, reflecting the therapeutic nature of the services provided" (NARR standards page). Certification by an affiliate and a state license are separate matters.
How IHS helps
IHS works from your state affiliate's checklist and NARR Standard 3.0 at your residence's level. The process:
- Gap assessment. IHS reads your house operations, staffing and resident governance against the affiliate's checklist and the Standard at your level, and lists what is missing.
- Questionnaires. IHS sends questionnaires on house operations, staffing and resident governance to the operator and house leaders.
- Drafted procedures. IHS drafts resident rights, house rules, staff role descriptions, and grievance, incident, good-neighbor and evidence procedures. Your recovery leaders review, change and approve them.
- Mock certification review. IHS reviews your documents and records against the affiliate's checklist and lists what remains.
- Application text. IHS drafts application text for the operator to submit to the affiliate.
What you supply: your state affiliate's standards and checklist, house and staffing details, your current house rules and the recovery leaders who run the residence.
The limit: IHS does not assess buildings; how the affiliate reviews the physical environment is the affiliate's process. NARR affiliates certify, not NARR. IHS drafts; the operator submits.
What to have ready
Each item ties to NARR Standard 3.0 (NARR Standard 3.0, November 2018) or the NARR page named.
- Your state affiliate's certification standards and checklist, since "certification criteria can vary due to state-specific regulations" (NARR certification page).
- A statement of the level you operate at, since the Standard "is tailored to each of NARR's four levels."
- Administrative policies and records for the Administrative Operations domain.
- A description of each house for the Physical Environment domain. The affiliate's process governs any building review; IHS does not assess buildings.
- Your recovery support practices and resident meeting records for the Recovery Support domain.
- Your neighbor and community relations procedures for the Good Neighbor domain.
- A written grievance policy. Standard 3.0 requires at all four levels: "Grievance policy and procedures, including the right to take unresolved grievances to the operator's oversight organization."
- House rules that set an "alcohol and illicit substance-free living environment" and describe your social model approach (NARR standards page).
- Staff roles and the staffing pattern for each house, since residences "are differentiated by the intensity of staffing, governance, and recovery support services" (NARR standards page).
- For a Level III residence, confirmation of whether your state requires a license (NARR standards page).
If you want help sorting these, the introductory call is the place to start.
How it compares
Operators weigh these routes. They are not exclusive.
| Route | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Certification by your state NARR affiliate | Affiliates certify and recertify residences; criteria vary with state regulations (NARR certification page). |
| Oxford House model | NARR states: "Level I Type P (Peer-run) are democratically run alcohol and illicit substance-free recovery homes. Oxford Houses™ are the most widely known example ..." (NARR standards page). The Oxford House chartering process was not reviewed for this page. |
| State licensure for higher-level residences | "Level III's are required to be licensed in a few states" (NARR standards page). Which states was not checked for this page. |
| Operating without certification | Not reviewed for this page; state referral and funding rules vary. |
| IHS gap assessment and drafting | Drafted house procedures and resident-rights documents, a mock certification review and application text. It does not replace your recovery leaders or the affiliate's review. |
What it costs
NARR does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed, and we did not review any state affiliate's fee information. Ask your state affiliate whether a certification fee applies. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- IHS is not NARR or a NARR affiliate and does not grant, predict or influence a certification decision.
- IHS does not contact, submit to or speak for the operator to an affiliate or a state agency. IHS drafts; you submit.
- IHS does not inspect buildings, provide treatment or give legal advice on state licensure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a recovery residence certified?
Certification is done by NARR's affiliate in your state, using criteria that can vary with state regulations. NARR directs certification inquiries to the affiliate through its Affiliate Directory. The affiliate's checklist and NARR Standard 3.0 at your level are what your house is reviewed against.
Does NARR certify recovery residences, or does my state affiliate?
Your state affiliate does. NARR states that it does not certify individual recovery residences and that certification and recertification are done by its state affiliates.
What are the NARR levels of support, and which level is my house?
NARR Standard 3.0 is tailored to each of NARR's four levels. NARR says residences are differentiated by the intensity of staffing, governance and recovery support services. IHS's gap assessment reads your house against the level you operate at.
What does NARR Standard 3.0 require for grievances?
At all four levels, Standard 3.0 requires a grievance policy and procedures, including the right to take unresolved grievances to the operator's oversight organization. IHS drafts the grievance procedure for your recovery leaders to approve.
What does NARR Standard 3.0 cover?
NARR states that Standard 3.0 operationalizes the Social Model across four Domains, 10 Principles and 31 Standards. The domains are Administrative Operations, Physical Environment, Recovery Support and Good Neighbor.
Will the affiliate inspect the house?
Physical Environment is one of the four domains. Whether and how the affiliate inspects a house is set by that affiliate's process, so ask your affiliate. IHS does not assess buildings; it prepares the written procedures and records the affiliate reviews.
How much does recovery residence certification cost?
NARR does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed, and we did not review any state affiliate's fee information. Ask your state affiliate whether a certification fee applies. IHS scopes its own work after a free introductory call.
Do funders require certification?
NARR states that local, state and federal departments are more willing to endorse and potentially fund or subsidize the services of certified recovery residences. Your state's own rules set any requirement.
Does a Level III residence also need a state license?
NARR notes that Level III residences are required to be licensed in a few states, and ties this to the therapeutic nature of the services provided. Check your state's rules; affiliate certification and a state license are separate.
What policies does a certified recovery residence need on file?
The affiliate's checklist sets the list. IHS drafts resident rights, house rules, staff role descriptions, and grievance, incident, good-neighbor and evidence procedures, each mapped to that checklist and to Standard 3.0.