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Kentucky Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Kentucky: the state certification law and regulation, the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network, helplines, benefits, and organizations that serve Kentuckians in recovery. Browse the guide below or choose your county.

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Kentucky recovery house rules at a glance

Certification oversight
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID)
State certification
Required for anyone operating or advertising a recovery residence (KRS 222.500 to 222.510, effective July 1, 2024)
Approved certifiers
Kentucky Recovery Housing Network (KRHN), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR); Oxford House, Inc.; and other Cabinet-approved organizations
New residences
May operate for up to six months while pursuing certification; first certification lasts 12 months, then two years

Step by step

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

In Kentucky, anyone who operates or advertises a recovery residence must have it certified by an organization the Cabinet for Health and Family Services approves, such as the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network (KRHN) or Oxford House. To open one, check local rules, prepare the house to the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards, run criminal record checks, write your resident policies and emergency plan, and apply for each residence. A new residence may operate for up to six months while it pursues certification.

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

  1. 1

    Confirm the residence needs certification

    State requirement

    Every recovery residence or sober living home in Kentucky must be certified unless it is a Recovery Kentucky program home, or a religious 501(c) home exempt under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act that takes no Medicare or Medicaid. Advertising a home as a recovery residence also triggers the requirement.

  2. 2

    Check your city or county's rules

    Local requirement

    Local governments can set fines by ordinance and go to court against uncertified residences. Call your city or county zoning office before you sign a lease. The Fair Housing Act protects people in recovery from discriminatory land-use decisions.

  3. 3

    Choose a certifier and learn the NARR standards

    State requirement

    Pick an approved certifying organization: the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network (KRHN), a NARR affiliate, Oxford House, Inc., or another organization the Cabinet approves. Residences must meet the NARR standards (version 3.0).

  4. 4

    Register the business and insure the house

    State requirement

    The application needs proof of Kentucky Secretary of State registration, proof of fire, liability and hazard insurance, and notarized permission from the property owner.

  5. 5

    Write your policies, postings and emergency plan

    State requirement

    Prepare resident policies on occupancy and medications, fees, and deposits and refunds, plus an emergency preparedness plan with contacts, an evacuation map, relocation and continuity. Post inside, and say in your ads, that the residence is not a treatment facility and which services it offers. House rules must require abstinence (prescribed medications excepted) and participation in recovery support, and residents on medication for addiction treatment may continue as prescribed.

  6. 6

    Run criminal record checks

    State requirement

    Run an Administrative Office of the Courts or Kentucky State Police criminal record check on staff at hire, and keep a written criminal-history policy for anyone in a staff role. Check the central registry if the residence houses minors.

  7. 7

    Apply for each residence

    State requirement

    Submit the certification application, signed assurances, and signed Code of Ethics with your documents for each residence. The Cabinet's KRHN page explains how to apply and announces an online portal for applications.

  8. 8

    Stay certified

    State requirement

    Recertify at least 60 days before expiration (two-year terms after the first year), send proof of certification to the Cabinet at least yearly, and be ready for unannounced inspections. A 25% or greater ownership change needs a new application, and a planned closure needs a written plan to the certifier at least 60 days ahead.

Startup checklist

  • Confirm the residence isn't exempt from certification
  • Call your city or county about zoning and recovery residence ordinances
  • Choose an approved certifier and read the NARR standards
  • Register the business with the Kentucky Secretary of State
  • Get fire, liability and hazard insurance
  • Get notarized permission from the property owner
  • Write occupancy, medication, fee and refund policies
  • Write an emergency preparedness plan with an evacuation map
  • Post the 'not a treatment facility' notice and list of services
  • Run criminal record checks on staff at hire
  • Submit the application, assurances and Code of Ethics for each residence
  • Calendar recertification 60 days before expiration

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