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Nebraska Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery house and sober living resources for Nebraska: what state law does and doesn't require, local zoning and fair housing rules, and helplines, treatment finders and benefits for residents and families. Browse the guide below or choose your county.

Last reviewed Every resource links to its source

Nebraska recovery house rules at a glance

State agency
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) licenses treatment centers, not recovery housing
State license
None. Nebraska has no state license or certification for non-clinical recovery housing or sober living
When a license applies
A home that provides treatment-center services needs a DHHS mental health substance use treatment center license
Fair housing
The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC) enforces the Nebraska Fair Housing Act; complaints are due within one year

Step by step

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

Nebraska has no state license or certification for non-clinical recovery housing or sober living, so there is no state application to file before opening. Operators check city or county zoning, follow federal and Nebraska fair housing law, and write their own house rules. A home that provides treatment-center services is different: it needs a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) license.

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

  1. 1

    Know what Nebraska does and doesn't require

    Voluntary certification

    Nebraska has no state license, certification, or registration for non-clinical recovery housing or sober living, so there is no state application to file before you open.

  2. 2

    Keep treatment out of the house, or get licensed

    State requirement

    If the home will provide treatment-center services, it needs a DHHS license as a mental health substance use treatment center. A sober living home that offers housing and peer support without treatment does not.

  3. 3

    Check zoning with your city or county

    Local requirement

    Call the city or county zoning office before you sign a lease or buy, and ask how it treats group living and occupancy. The Fair Housing Act bars local governments from using zoning or land use rules to exclude group homes for people with disabilities.

  4. 4

    Follow fair housing law

    State requirement

    Federal and Nebraska fair housing law bar disability discrimination in housing. Nebraska Fair Housing Act complaints go to the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission within one year of the alleged harm, and federal complaints can go to HUD.

  5. 5

    Write your house rules and resident agreement

    Voluntary certification

    With no state standards to follow, the house sets its own rules. Write down costs and what they include, house rules, your policy on medication for addiction treatment, how you handle relapse and move-outs, and what residents can expect from staff, and have each resident sign an agreement.

  6. 6

    Connect residents with treatment and recovery supports

    Voluntary certification

    Line up the supports residents will use: the Nebraska Network of Care and DHHS's Treatment and Recovery page for services, 2-1-1 for local help, and DHHS's peer support resources.

  7. 7

    Help residents find you

    Voluntary certification

    Request a free listing in this guide; you choose what it shows, and the street address appears only if you want it to. Listing is free and separate from ARKHE software. Oxford Houses list open beds on Oxford House Vacancies.

Startup checklist

  • Confirm the home won't provide treatment-center services
  • Call your city or county zoning office about group living rules
  • Review federal and Nebraska fair housing rules
  • Write house rules, costs, and a medication for addiction treatment policy
  • Prepare a resident agreement each resident signs
  • Save the Network of Care, 2-1-1, and the Nebraska Family Helpline for residents
  • Request a free listing in this guide

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

Nearby state guides

Help improve this guide

Operate a recovery home in Nebraska, 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