State resource guide

Idaho Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Idaho: what the state does and doesn't require, how Idaho's zoning law treats small group residences, fair housing protections, treatment and referral lines, and support for residents and families. Browse the guide below or choose your county.

Open a home in Idaho Find homes by county

Last reviewed October 29, 2026Every resource links to its source

Idaho recovery house rules at a glance

State license: None. Idaho has no state license or certification for recovery residences or sober living homes
Treatment oversight: The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) oversees treatment, not sober housing
State zoning law: Idaho Code 67-6531 treats a supervised group residence of eight or fewer as a single-family dwelling
Fair housing: Idaho Human Rights Commission and the federal Fair Housing Act

Step by step

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Idaho

Idaho has no state license or certification for recovery residences or sober living homes. To open one, check your city or county zoning and occupancy rules, including how Idaho Code 67-6531 treats group residences of eight or fewer people, know your fair housing protections, and write clear house policies and resident agreements.

The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in Idaho, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.

1
Confirm the home is non-clinical
State requirement
Idaho has no state license or certification for recovery residences or sober living homes. That applies to homes that offer a sober, supportive place to live. If the home will provide treatment, it falls under the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's treatment rules instead.
- Get Help | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health
2
Check zoning and occupancy with your city or county
Local requirement
Read Idaho Code 67-6531, which counts a supervised group residence of eight or fewer unrelated persons with disabilities as a single-family dwelling for zoning. Then call the local planning or zoning office to ask how it classifies your home, how many residents are allowed, and what building and fire codes apply.
- Idaho Code 67-6531: group residences as single-family dwellings for zoning
3
Know your fair housing protections
Local requirement
The Idaho Fair Housing Law and the federal Fair Housing Act bar housing discrimination based on disability, and the federal law bars local governments from using zoning to exclude group homes for people with disabilities. Complaints can go to the Idaho Human Rights Commission or HUD.
4
Write house policies and a resident agreement
Voluntary certification
With no state standards to follow, your written policies set expectations. Cover house rules, fees and what they include, drug and alcohol testing, medication for addiction treatment, visitors, and how a resident moves out.
5
Connect with recovery community centers
Voluntary certification
Idaho's recovery community centers offer peer support and a meeting place for people in recovery. Recovery Idaho lists the centers and runs recovery coach training.
- Statewide Recovery Community Centers
- Recovery Idaho
6
Share treatment and referral lines with residents
Voluntary certification
Post Magellan of Idaho's number for substance use disorder services, the 211 Idaho CareLine, and 988 for a crisis, and help residents apply for Medicaid if they need coverage.

Startup checklist

Confirm the home will not provide treatment
Read Idaho Code 67-6531 on group residences
Call your city or county zoning office about your home
Ask about occupancy limits and building and fire codes
Review your rights under the Fair Housing Act and Idaho Fair Housing Law
Write house rules and a resident agreement
Set a policy on medication for addiction treatment
Connect with your nearest recovery community center
Post Magellan of Idaho, 211, and 988 numbers in the house

Free launch consult

Opening your first house?

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.

Request a free launch consult

Licensing and certification

Recovery house requirements in Idaho

Idaho has no state license, certification, or registry for non-clinical recovery residences or sober living homes. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) oversees treatment, not sober housing. For zoning, Idaho Code 67-6531 counts a supervised group residence of eight or fewer unrelated persons with disabilities as a single-family dwelling, and the Idaho Fair Housing Law and the federal Fair Housing Act protect people with disabilities, including people in recovery.

State requirements, local requirements, and voluntary certification are labeled separately. Confirm how they apply to your home with the agency or qualified counsel.

State requirement

No state license or certification for recovery residences in Idaho

Idaho does not license, certify, or register non-clinical recovery residences or sober living homes. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) oversees substance use disorder treatment, so a home that provides treatment is a different kind of program and falls under the state's treatment rules, not this guide.

Get Help | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health

Local requirement

Zoning: Idaho Code 67-6531 and local rules

Idaho Code 67-6531 says that, for zoning purposes, a single-family dwelling includes a group residence where eight or fewer unrelated persons with disabilities live and are supervised in connection with their disability. Resident staff need not be related, and no more than two staff may live in the home at a time. Cities and counties set the rest of their zoning, occupancy, and building rules, so check with the local planning office before you open.

Local requirement

Fair housing protections

The Idaho Human Rights Commission enforces the Idaho Fair Housing Law (Idaho Code 67-5909), which bars housing discrimination based on disability, among other protected classes. Complaints under the federal Fair Housing Act can also go to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For residents and families

Finding and paying for sober living in Idaho

Idaho has no state list of recovery residences, so ask each home about its rules and costs, and search Oxford House vacancies for self-run homes. For help finding substance use treatment, call Magellan of Idaho, which manages substance use disorder services for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), at 1-855-202-0973, or call the 211 Idaho CareLine. Recovery Idaho lists the state's recovery community centers.

Official directories for finding a licensed recovery house or sober living home, and programs that can help pay for a stay. Programs set their own eligibility, and funding or openings are never guaranteed. Contact each organization to confirm what it can offer.

Finding a recovery house or sober living home

Oxford House, Inc. · United States

Oxford House Vacancies

Search tool for open beds in Oxford Houses (self-run, self-supported recovery homes), filterable by state (including Idaho), county, and house type, with an online application.

Oxford House, Inc. (301) 587-2916; toll-free (800) 689-6411

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Oxford House, Inc. · United States

Oxford House, Inc.

Nonprofit that charters democratically run, self-supported Oxford House recovery homes, where residents split expenses equally and there is no house manager.

(301) 587-2916; (800) 689-6411

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Help paying for sober living or a recovery house

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Division of Behavioral Health · Idaho

Behavioral Health Service Providers: state-funded safe and sober housing

Idaho's Division of Behavioral Health uses federal Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant money to pay for safe and sober housing for eligible residents, along with treatment and other recovery supports. These services run through the Magellan of Idaho network, so a recovery residence that wants to house state-funded residents applies to join that network as a recovery support services provider. The page links the division's Safe and Sober Recovery Residencies standard for these homes. Residents whose stay is state-funded are not billed rent, though the home may charge program fees.

Published or revised Jul 22, 2026 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

BPA Health · Idaho

BPA Health substance use disorder support (IDOC and treatment court funding)

BPA Health runs a network of substance use services funded by the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) and the Idaho Supreme Court's treatment court programs. Those services include safe and sober housing, recovery coaching, transportation and case management. People eligible for IDOC-funded services call BPA at 1-800-486-4372 to get started, and substance use disorder providers can ask to join BPA's provider network.

IDOC-funded services 1-800-486-4372

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Treatment and referral navigation

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) · Idaho

Get Help | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health

DHW's page on getting substance use disorder services. Call Magellan of Idaho, which manages these services for DHW, whether you have Medicaid or are uninsured, or search SAMHSA's treatment locator.

Magellan of Idaho 1-855-202-0973

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) · Idaho

211 Idaho CareLine

Free statewide information and referral line that connects Idahoans with local programs for food, housing, mental health, substance use, and more. There is also an online resource search.

Dial 211 or 800-926-2588; text 898211; weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain Time

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Recovery community organizations

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) · Idaho

Statewide Recovery Community Centers

DHW's page on Idaho's recovery community centers, which offer support, resources, information, and a meeting place for people in recovery, with a link to find a center near you.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Recovery Idaho · Idaho

Recovery Idaho

Idaho recovery organization that lists the state's recovery community centers and a resource directory covering crisis lines, recovery meetings, recovery housing, and Medicaid, plus recovery coach training and events.

[email protected]

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) · Idaho

Apply for Medicaid | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare

How to apply for Idaho Medicaid online through idalink, by phone, at a field office, or with a paper application, and what documents to have ready.

877-456-1233

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Employment and education

Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation · Idaho

Idaho Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR)

State agency that helps people with disabilities reach their employment goals, serving all 44 Idaho counties. Start a referral online or contact a local office.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Funding

Recovery house grants and funding in Idaho

In Idaho, public money pays for residents' stays in safe and sober housing through two provider networks. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) pays for safe and sober housing with federal block grant dollars through the Magellan of Idaho provider network, and BPA Health manages similar funding for people whose services are paid for by the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) and the Idaho Supreme Court's treatment court programs. Opioid settlement money can also be spent on recovery housing that allows medication for addiction treatment. Idaho splits its settlement money 40% to the state, 40% to participating cities and counties and 20% to public health districts, so ask your city, county or public health district about their shares. Proposals for the state share go to the Idaho Behavioral Health Council.

Grants and public programs that can pay operators or cover residents’ stays. Public funding often requires a state license or certification, and every program sets its own eligibility and timeline, so confirm details with the agency.

Grants and funding programs

Idaho Behavioral Health Council · Idaho

Idaho Opioid Settlement Fund

Idaho splits its opioid settlement money 40% to the state, 40% to participating cities and counties, and 20% to public health districts. The public and state agencies can send proposals for the state share to the Idaho Behavioral Health Council, which recommends priorities to the Governor; the Legislature makes the final funding decisions, so this is not a direct grant to providers. The approved uses list linked here includes recovery housing that allows FDA-approved medication, so also ask your city, county or public health district about their shares, and note that the latest proposal window has closed.

Published or revised Sep 15, 2026 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

USDA Rural Development · Idaho

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program in Idaho

Low-interest loans and grants to buy, build, or improve essential facilities, including transitional housing, in rural areas of 20,000 people or fewer. Open to public bodies, community-based nonprofits and federally recognized tribes, not for-profit operators. Applications are accepted year round; contact the Idaho Rural Development state office first.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Public payment and scholarships for residents’ stays

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Division of Behavioral Health · Idaho

Behavioral Health Service Providers: state-funded safe and sober housing

Published or revised Jul 22, 2026 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

BPA Health · Idaho

BPA Health substance use disorder support (IDOC and treatment court funding)

IDOC-funded services 1-800-486-4372

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Official documents

Idaho recovery house forms, regulations, and agency pages

Each entry shows who issued it, where it applies, and when we last checked the source.

Operating requirements

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Division of Behavioral Health · Idaho

Safe and Sober Recovery Residences standard

DHW's operating standard for the two kinds of safe and sober housing the state supports: staffed housing for adults with substance use disorders, and enhanced staffed housing for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who are homeless or at risk, with priority for people leaving a state psychiatric hospital. It covers house policies, program fees, staffing, medication storage and property upkeep.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 29, 2026

Zoning and fair housing

Idaho Legislature · Idaho

Idaho Code 67-6531: group residences as single-family dwellings for zoning

For zoning purposes, a single-family dwelling includes a group residence of eight or fewer unrelated persons with disabilities or elderly persons who are supervised in connection with their disability or age. No more than two resident staff may live in the home at a time.

Published or revised 2010 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

Idaho Human Rights Commission · Idaho

Housing | Idaho Human Rights Commission

Explains the Idaho Fair Housing Law (Idaho Code 67-5909), which bars housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or sex, and how to contact the Commission with a complaint.

208-334-2873

Checked by ARKHE Oct 28, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division · United States

The Fair Housing Act

DOJ's overview of the federal Fair Housing Act, which bars disability discrimination in housing and bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities.

Published or revised Jun 22, 2023 · Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) · United States

Report Housing Discrimination

HUD's page for reporting housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Checked by ARKHE Oct 26, 2026

Common questions

Idaho recovery house and sober living FAQ

Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Idaho?

No. Idaho has no state license, certification, or registry for non-clinical recovery residences or sober living homes. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) oversees treatment, not sober housing. City and county zoning, occupancy, and building rules still apply.

How does Idaho zoning treat a sober living home?

Idaho Code 67-6531 says that, for zoning purposes, a single-family dwelling includes a group residence where eight or fewer unrelated persons with disabilities live and are supervised in connection with their disability, with no more than two resident staff at a time. Ask your city or county planning office how it applies the law to your home.

Can an Idaho city or county use zoning to keep a recovery residence out?

The federal Fair Housing Act bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities, including people in recovery, but homes still have to follow neutral zoning and occupancy rules. Complaints can go to the Idaho Human Rights Commission or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Is there a recovery residence certification in Idaho?

There is no state certification for recovery residences in Idaho. Write your own house policies and resident agreement, and connect with Recovery Idaho and the state's recovery community centers for peer support.

How do I list my recovery residence in this guide for free?

Request a free listing. You choose what it shows, such as who the home serves. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide

Operate a recovery home in Idaho, or know a resource we should include? Submit your information or suggest an update to help us keep this guide useful and accurate.

Add a home Update a listing Suggest a resource

Listing your home is free and separate from ARKHE software. How submissions are reviewed

Idaho recovery house rules at a glance

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Idaho

Confirm the home is non-clinical

Check zoning and occupancy with your city or county

Know your fair housing protections

Write house policies and a resident agreement

Connect with recovery community centers

Share treatment and referral lines with residents

Startup checklist

Opening your first house?

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide