Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Indiana: the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) registration rules, designation for Level II to IV homes, and statewide organizations that support people in recovery. Browse the guide below or choose your county.
Step by step
To open a recovery residence in Indiana, get an official zoning decision for the property, gather owner and staff documents and three community references, sign the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Code of Ethics, and email the Recovery Residence Registration form and fee to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA).
The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in Indiana, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.
Since July 1, 2026, every recovery residence in Indiana must register with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA), and only registered homes may use the term "recovery residence." Decide early whether you will also seek Level II to IV designation, which follows its own DMHA process.
The registration form asks for documentation of the official zoning decision for each residence. Contact your city or county zoning office before you sign a lease. The Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.
The owner attests that the electrical, mechanical and structural components of the property work and are free of fire and safety hazards. Fix problems before you apply.
List the owner's or director's qualifications and work experience, collect current proof that all owners and staff are at least 18, and get three letters of reference from the community with each reference's contact information.
Sign the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Code of Ethics and attest that owners and staff follow NARR's and DMHA's ethical standards, that the home meets state and federal nondiscrimination requirements, and that its marketing is honest, with no misleading claims, testimonials, prices or outcomes.
Complete and sign the Recovery Residence Registration form, add a residence information sheet for each home, and email it with your documents to [email protected]. The initial fee is $500 per residence, up to $2,000 per owner.
DMHA designation at NARR Levels II, III or IV is needed to bill DMHA's Recovery Works program. Designated homes follow DMHA's designation process.
Renew with the same form, checking Renewal. The renewal fee is $350 per residence, up to $2,000 per owner. Only use the term "recovery residence" while the home is registered.
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Request a free launch consultLicensing and certification
Since July 1, 2026, every recovery residence in Indiana must register with the Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) under Indiana Code 12-23-25 (House Enrolled Act 1296 of 2026), and only registered homes may use the term "recovery residence." DMHA designation at National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Levels II to IV is a separate process, needed to bill DMHA's Recovery Works program. Local zoning rules apply either way.
State requirements, local requirements, and voluntary certification are labeled separately. Confirm how they apply to your home with the agency or qualified counsel.
Under Indiana Code 12-23-25 (House Enrolled Act 1296 of 2026, effective July 1, 2026), every recovery residence must register with the Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). Only registered homes may use the term "recovery residence" in their name or description.
Homes without a Level II to IV designation email DMHA the Recovery Residence Registration form with provider information, a signed National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Code of Ethics, zoning and legal documents, three letters of reference from the community, and proof that all owners and staff are at least 18. The owner attests to their qualifications and work experience, honest marketing, nondiscrimination, and a property free of fire and safety hazards. The form lists an initial fee of $500 per residence and a renewal fee of $350 per residence, each capped at $2,000 per owner.
DMHA, which took over certification from the Indiana Affiliation of Recovery Residences in July 2021, designates recovery residences at NARR Levels II, III and IV. Designation is needed to bill DMHA's Recovery Works program. Homes with a Level II to IV designation follow DMHA's designation process instead of the registration form.
DMHA's registration form asks for documentation of the official zoning decision for each residence, so check with your city or county zoning office first. The federal Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions, and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission takes housing discrimination complaints.
Recovery homes by county
210 DMHA-certified recovery residences appear on public lists in 45 of Indiana’s 92 counties (checked October 7, 2026).
Choose a county to see how many recovery houses appear on public licensing and certification lists.
We show counts from public lists, not names or addresses. A home gets its own listing only when its operator asks for one, and the operator decides what it says: who the home serves, its licenses or certifications, and how to apply. The street address appears only if they want it to. Listing is free and doesn’t require ARKHE software.
Looking for a home now? Search the official lists linked above.
List your home for freeCity of Fort Wayne · Fort Wayne (Allen County), IN
Fort Wayne gives out competitive sub-grants from its opioid settlement money, which will keep coming through 2038. Local nonprofits, faith-based groups, treatment providers and community coalitions can apply, and past rounds have paid to open new recovery homes and fix up sober living units. Applicants must show need, a match with best practices, measurable outcomes and a plan to keep going. The latest round is closed, so check this page or the city's opioid settlement manager for the next one.
Sarah Lance, Opioid Settlement Manager; 260-427-8311
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List a home in Bartholomew County · Suggest a local resource
List a home in Switzerland County · Suggest a local resource
List a home in Vanderburgh County · Suggest a local resource
For residents and families
To find a recovery residence in Indiana, start with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) Recovery Works county lookup or the Oxford House vacancy search. For peer support 24 hours a day, dial 2-1-1, enter your ZIP code, and follow the prompts. DMHA's Regional Recovery Hubs connect people to Certified Peer Support Professionals.
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.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
DMHA's county-by-county list of recovery residence providers in its Recovery Works program. Select a county on the map or from the dropdown to see providers and their contact details.
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Oxford House, Inc. · United States
Search tool for open beds in Oxford Houses (self-run, self-supported recovery homes), filterable by state (including Indiana), county, and house type, with an online application.
Oxford House, Inc. (301) 587-2916; toll-free (800) 689-6411
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Oxford House, Inc. · United States
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
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
State-funded DMHA program that gives financial help to uninsured or underinsured Indiana residents with current or prior involvement in Indiana's criminal justice system. It covers substance use treatment, mental health services and supportive recovery resources, and DMHA keeps a list of recovery residences enrolled as Recovery Works providers. Participants must be 18 or older with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and only the participant or a criminal justice partner can submit the referral, at pacerecoveryworks.org.
[email protected] or 317-232-7911
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) · Indiana
How to apply for Indiana Medicaid online through the Division of Family Resources (DFR) benefits portal, by phone, or at a local DFR office, and how to find a certified navigator for help.
Division of Family Resources 1-800-403-0864
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) · Indiana
A free service that connects Hoosiers to health and human service resources through trained navigators and a searchable community database. DMHA says dialing 2-1-1 and following the prompts also reaches peer support 24 hours a day.
Dial 211 or 866-211-9966; text your ZIP code to 898-211
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
Community-based hubs where Certified Peer Support Professionals connect people with mental health or substance use concerns to treatment and recovery supports, at any stage of recovery. The page links a directory and map of hub locations.
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Mental Health America of Indiana · Indiana
A statewide recovery hub, a project of the Indiana Addictions Issues Coalition, that links recovery community organizations across Indiana and helps people seeking recovery support find their options.
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services · Indiana
Job exploration, placement, training and on-the-job supports for people whose disability is a barrier to work, through 25 area offices that serve every county. Eligibility is not based on income; apply with the online referral form or through a local office.
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Funding
Most public money for recovery housing in Indiana comes through the Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). Its Recovery Works program pays enrolled providers, including recovery residences, for serving justice-involved participants. Capital money comes from the federal Recovery Housing Program, which the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) awards through local governments. Cities, towns and counties also receive national opioid settlement funds they can spend on recovery housing.
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.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
Recovery Works, Indiana's program for uninsured or underinsured people who are justice-involved, pays DMHA-certified providers, including recovery residences, for each eligible participant they serve. To enroll, get DMHA certification first. Then email the agency application, your DMHA certificate, a W-9, the direct deposit and DARMHA forms, and the other checklist items to [email protected]. The process can take 30 to 45 days and ends with a signed provider agency agreement.
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Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) · Indiana
Indiana's share of the federal HUD Recovery Housing Program, run by OCRA with FSSA. It offers grants of up to $750,000 to provide temporary transitional housing for people in recovery from a substance use disorder. Funds can cover buying property, rehab of buildings up to four units, and up to two years of lease, rent and utilities per person. Only cities, towns and counties can apply, so a nonprofit operator needs to partner with its local government as a 501(c)(3) subrecipient. The most recent round has closed and no new round has been announced, so check this page for future rounds.
[email protected] (subject line "Recovery Housing Program")
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder) · Indiana
Half of Indiana's opioid settlement money goes to cities, counties and towns. 35% of the total must go to the approved uses in Exhibit E, and the other 15% can be spent however the community chooses. Exhibit E lists recovery housing, including programs that allow or integrate FDA-approved medication, so you can bring a recovery housing proposal to your city, town or county, which decides how to spend its share. The state's own share is awarded through competitive funding opportunities posted by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
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City of Fort Wayne · Fort Wayne (Allen County), IN
Fort Wayne gives out competitive sub-grants from its opioid settlement money, which will keep coming through 2038. Local nonprofits, faith-based groups, treatment providers and community coalitions can apply, and past rounds have paid to open new recovery homes and fix up sober living units. Applicants must show need, a match with best practices, measurable outcomes and a plan to keep going. The latest round is closed, so check this page or the city's opioid settlement manager for the next one.
Sarah Lance, Opioid Settlement Manager; 260-427-8311
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USDA Rural Development · Indiana
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 Indiana Rural Development state office first.
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
State-funded DMHA program that gives financial help to uninsured or underinsured Indiana residents with current or prior involvement in Indiana's criminal justice system. It covers substance use treatment, mental health services and supportive recovery resources, and DMHA keeps a list of recovery residences enrolled as Recovery Works providers. Participants must be 18 or older with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and only the participant or a criminal justice partner can submit the referral, at pacerecoveryworks.org.
[email protected] or 317-232-7911
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Official documents
Each entry shows who issued it, where it applies, and when we last checked the source.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
DMHA's page on recovery residence registration and designation. Homes seeking Level II to IV designation follow DMHA's designation process; other recovery residences register by submitting the registry form and required documents.
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Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) · Indiana
DMHA's new and renewal registration form, with the owner attestations, three references, proof of age, zoning documentation for each residence, and the fee schedule. Email the signed form and documents to DMHA.
Published or revised · Checked by ARKHE
Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) · Indiana
The state agency that enforces Indiana's civil rights laws and investigates discrimination complaints in housing, employment and other areas, with guidance on reasonable accommodations and modifications and an online complaint portal.
317-232-2600
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division · United States
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 · Checked by ARKHE
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) · United States
HUD's page for reporting housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act.
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Resources for operators
Practical ARKHE guides that pair with the official sources in this guide.
ARKHE is recovery housing software built by operators. It keeps inquiries, intake paperwork, rent, house routines, staff training, and incident records in one place, so you can find them when an inspector or funder asks.
Book a demo →Whether you’re opening your first house or trying to fill the ones you have, tell us where you are and we’ll point you to the right next step.
Get help with your home →Common questions
Indiana doesn't call it a license, but registration is required. Since July 1, 2026, every recovery residence must register with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) under Indiana Code 12-23-25, and only registered homes may use the term "recovery residence." Local zoning rules also apply.
DMHA's registration form lists an initial fee of $500 per recovery residence and a renewal fee of $350 per residence. Each is capped at $2,000 per owner.
Complete and sign DMHA's Recovery Residence Registration form and email it to [email protected] with provider information, a signed National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Code of Ethics, documentation of the official zoning decision for each home, three letters of reference from the community, and proof that all owners and staff are at least 18. Homes with a Level II to IV designation follow DMHA's designation process instead.
Registration is required for every recovery residence in Indiana. Designation is a separate DMHA process for homes at National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Levels II, III or IV, and it is needed to bill DMHA's Recovery Works program.
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 follow neutral local rules. DMHA's registration form asks for each home's official zoning decision. Complaints can go to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Request a free listing. You choose what it shows, such as who the home serves and its registration or designation. The street address is shown only if you want it to be. Listing never requires ARKHE software.
The Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) publishes a county-by-county list of recovery residences in its Recovery Works program. Oxford House's vacancy search shows open beds in Oxford Houses. Indiana 211 can also connect you to local resources.
No. Since July 1, 2026, Indiana law lets only homes registered with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) use the term "recovery residence." Ask any home whether it is registered before you move in.
Dial 2-1-1, enter your ZIP code, and follow the prompts to reach peer support 24 hours a day. The Division of Mental Health and Addiction's Regional Recovery Hubs connect people to Certified Peer Support Professionals, and the Indiana Recovery Network links recovery community organizations across the state.
Apply online through the Division of Family Resources (DFR) benefits portal, call DFR at 1-800-403-0864, or visit a local DFR office. A certified navigator can help with the application.
Ask whether the home is registered with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) and whether it holds a Level II to IV designation, what it costs and what that includes, its house rules, and whether medication for addiction treatment is allowed.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: . Each resource shows the date we last loaded its source.
Compiled by: ARKHE. Listing in this guide is free and never requires ARKHE software.
We include official agency pages, published regulations, and established statewide organizations. Each entry links to its source. Items we could not confirm from a primary source are left out until we can.
County home counts come from the public lists named above, on the dates shown. Closed homes are left out, and homes without a county on the list are placed by ZIP code.
Individual homes are listed only at the operator’s request, and the operator controls what the listing says. Licensing or certification status is shown only with a source and the date we checked it.
Found something out of date? Request a correction.
Operate a recovery home in Indiana, or know a resource we should include? Submit your information or suggest an update to help us keep this guide useful and accurate.
Listing your home is free and separate from ARKHE software. How submissions are reviewed