Maryland Sober Living & Recovery Directory

Getting help in Maryland: a statewide guide

Checked November 6, 2026 against the official sources listed at the end. General information, not medical advice.

Of the Maryland AA meetings listed here, 127 meet online, 79 are hybrid, 34 are women's meetings and 47 are held in Spanish. Times change, so confirm with the group before you go.

Sober living in Maryland: certification is voluntary for most homes

Maryland doesn't require every recovery residence (sober living home) to be certified. A home has to be certified if it gets money from the state or if it says it's certified, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) explains, and calling a home certified when it isn't can bring a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each offense (Health-General § 19-2504).

MDH's Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is the state's credentialing body, through its Maryland Certification of Recovery Residences (MCORR) office. It inspects a home before certifying it and at least once during each certification period; a certificate lasts one year and can be revoked if the home stops meeting the standards (§ 19-2502). The state counted 278 certified recovery residences as of January 2026, according to the legislature's fiscal analysts. To check whether a home is certified, contact MCORR at mcorr.info@maryland.gov or 410-402-8300, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The BHA isn't allowed to give out the addresses of certified homes.

Since October 1, 2026, a new law (Chapter 793, House Bill 1249) has required Maryland's certification standards to bar a certified home from turning someone away, or making them stop or change their treatment, because they take medication for opioid use disorder. A separate 2026 bill that would have required every recovery residence to be certified starting June 1, 2027 (Senate Bill 876) passed the Senate but not the House.

Treatment programs are different: programs that treat mental health or substance use disorders need a BHA license, and most must be accredited first. Complaints about a licensed program can go to the BHA through its online complaint form, at bha.complaints@maryland.gov or at 410-402-8198.

If cost is a barrier

Maryland's Public Behavioral Health System pays for specialty mental health and substance use treatment for people on Medicaid and for uninsured people who qualify, according to the legislature's budget analysts. Carelon Behavioral Health runs it for the state; call 1-800-888-1965. To find treatment near you, the state's 988 site has a mental health and substance use services search.

Crisis and support lines

• In immediate danger, call 911.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call, text or chat 988, any time. When you call in Maryland, veterans can press 1 and Spanish speakers can press 2, and 988 also offers support for LGBTQIA+ Marylanders and their loved ones.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357), free and confidential treatment referral, 24/7, in English and Spanish (TTY 1-800-487-4889), or text your ZIP code to 435748.

AA in Maryland

The Baltimore Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous, which covers Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Howard, Carroll, Baltimore and Harford counties, runs a 24-hour helpline at 410-663-1922. Maryland General Service lists intergroups and their phone lines across the state, from Western Maryland to the Lower Shore.

Naloxone (Narcan)

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose, and in Maryland you don't need a prescription: you can buy it at a pharmacy or bill your insurance under the statewide standing order, the state's Office of Overdose Response says. Overdose Response Programs, which include local health departments, give out naloxone, fentanyl test strips and xylazine test strips for free, and some mail naloxone to residents of certain counties.

Before you move into a sober home

• Is the home certified by MCORR? Ask to see its certificate of compliance, and check with MCORR if you're unsure.
• What does rent cover, what's due at move-in, and is any of it refundable?
• What are the house rules (curfew, chores, meetings, guests), and what happens after a relapse?
• How and how often is drug testing done?
• Does the home accept residents who take medication for addiction treatment, such as buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone?
• Can you read the written resident agreement before you pay?

Be wary of anyone who offers free rent, travel or cash to get you into a particular program. Paying or accepting kickbacks for referrals to recovery homes and treatment facilities is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 220). Concerns about a certified home can go to MCORR.

Sources

• Maryland Department of Health: licensing overview (PDF)
• Maryland Code, Health-General § 19-2502: recovery residence certification
• Maryland Code, Health-General § 19-2504: penalties
• MDH Behavioral Health Administration: Maryland Certification of Recovery Residences
• Department of Legislative Services: SB 876 fiscal and policy note (2026, PDF)
• Maryland General Assembly: SB 876 (2026), recovery residence certification requirement
• Chapter 793 of 2026 (HB 1249), medication for opioid use disorder in certified homes (PDF)
• MDH Behavioral Health Administration: complaint form
• Department of Legislative Services: Behavioral Health Administration budget analysis, FY 2026 (PDF)
• Carelon Behavioral Health of Maryland
• MDH: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Maryland
• 988 Maryland: find services
• SAMHSA: National Helpline
• Baltimore Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Maryland General Service (AA Area 29): intergroups
• Maryland Office of Overdose Response: naloxone
• MDH: Overdose Response Programs
• 18 U.S.C. § 220 (Cornell LII)