Find recovery house and sober living resources in Delaware: state certification rules from the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), the First State Alliance of Recovery Residences (FSARR), zoning and fair housing protections, and help for residents and families in all three counties.
Step by step
If a Delaware recovery house will take referrals from state agencies, courts, or state contractors, or receive state or local funding, it needs certification. To get it, check county or town zoning, contact the First State Alliance of Recovery Residences (FSARR), write an admission agreement with termination and relapse policies, apply, and set up resident data reporting.
The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in Delaware, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.
You need certification to take referrals from Delaware state agencies, courts, or state contractors, or to receive state or local funding. A house that takes neither can operate without it, but it can't claim to be certified.
Talk with your county or town zoning office before you sign a lease. Delaware law requires counties and towns to treat certified recovery houses as a single-family residential use, and the Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.
The First State Alliance of Recovery Residences (FSARR) certifies recovery houses under its contract with the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). Ask FSARR for its current standards, application steps, and fees.
Each resident signs an admission agreement before moving in, and it must include your termination and relapse policies. Plan how you'll connect a resident to services if they have to leave.
Submit your application to FSARR and pay the certifier's fee, which DSAMH caps. While the application is pending, state agencies, courts, and state contractors may already refer residents to your house.
Certified operators report resident data through the certifier's online system, including demographics, length of stay, time substance-free, employment, criminal history, community network, and destination at exit.
Renew certification every two years. Never retaliate against a resident or anyone else who files a complaint; the civil fine is $1,000 to $5,000.
Free launch consult
Talk it through with an operator for 30 minutes. We’ll go over your model, zoning, policies, and the license or certification you need, and you’ll leave with a clear next-step checklist.
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