Key takeaway
A home group, in plain speech, is the meeting you keep coming back to. You do not register on a national form, and you are not limited to one. Tradition Three's long form says what a group is. A small group may elect a secretary. You can sit there and not take a job.
Last updated: Tue Oct 06 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Someone said "get a home group" the way a clerk says "fill this out." You do not know what the phrase means, and you do not want to sign anything tonight. You can relax your hands. In plain speech, a home group is the meeting you keep coming back to. It is not a form, and it is not a national registry.
Call 911 if this is a medical emergency. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. Picking a room is not medical care. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening when a person who drinks heavily over time stops suddenly. A meeting cannot manage that.
What the word group already means
The long form of Tradition Three says any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that as a group they have no other affiliation. That is the whole definition you need. A home group is one of those groups, the one you return to often enough that the faces start to know you. It can be small. It does not need a second purpose.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The same long form says membership ought never depend upon money or conformity. There are no dues or fees. You are welcome regardless of income or religion. You can sit and listen. Nobody from a national office assigns you one meeting, and nobody in the tradition says you may have only one. You may keep going to several while one of them becomes the place you count on.
You can sit there without a job
The long form of Tradition Nine says a small group may elect its secretary, and that rotating leadership is best. Representatives are trusted servants. They do not govern. A secretary is a service job the group may fill. It is not the price of your chair. You can come for a long time and never take it. If someone asks and your stomach drops, you can say no and still come back.
Tradition Two says leaders do not govern. Tradition Four says each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. Your home group chooses its own format. That might be discussion, with a chair picking a topic from A.A. literature. It might be a speaker meeting. It might be a step or book study. It might be a beginners meeting, usually led by a member who has been sober awhile. The label does not change the door. Members decide when, where, and how often they meet. In person, online, or on the phone are all real meetings.
How it feels, without a ceremony
You do not have to announce "this is my home group" tonight. Showing up again is the whole idea. After the meeting, people talk, and staying is up to you. Someone may offer help. You can leave. The chair often asks if newcomers want to introduce themselves. You can pass. An anonymity statement might be read. You do not have to give a last name to have a home group. The meeting you return to can be online, with your camera off, if that is the one you can stand.
If the first room felt wrong, try another. Formats take on the feel of the local area. An online meeting with the camera off can be the one you return to. The meetings search is a public feed, and the listings are not verified here. Confirm the time. How to find a meeting and the first meeting guide cover the practical part of walking in.
NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. A home group is peer support you keep using. It is not a treatment plan. If you need a program, call (800) 653-9376. That call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral service. The line is not A.A., and it is not SMART Recovery. FindTreatment.gov lists licensed programs. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is free, confidential, and answered in English and Spanish.
Tonight
Go back to the meeting that felt least impossible. Sit through it. You do not fill out a form, and you do not have to volunteer. If you want the sentences about what a group is, they are in the traditions. One return visit is enough for tonight. The name can come later, or not at all, as long as you know where you will go the next time you are scared.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- A.A.: The Twelve Traditions
- A.A.: What to Expect at an A.A. Meeting
- A.A.: Need help with a drinking problem?
- A.A.: The Twelve Steps
- NIDA: Treatment, including mutual-help groups
- NIAAA Core Resource: Alcohol Use Disorder, From Risk to Diagnosis to Recovery
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov
- SmarterRecovery meetings page (public meeting search; listings are not verified)
- SmarterRecovery about page (calling is free to the caller)
Common Questions
What do people mean by a home group?
In plain speech, it is the meeting you keep coming back to. That phrase is not a national registration. Tradition Three's long form says any two or three alcoholics gathered for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group if, as a group, they have no other affiliation. Your home group is one of those groups, the one that starts to feel like the place you return. You can have that feeling without filing anything.
Do I have to register a home group?
No. Nothing you need tonight is a home-group form or a national registry. You become part of the room by showing up with a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues. You can sit and listen. If someone tells you that you may have only one home group, that limit is not in the Tradition. You may keep coming to more than one meeting while one of them becomes yours.
Do I have to take a job to belong?
The long form of Tradition Nine says a small group may elect its secretary, and that rotating leadership is best. A secretary is a trusted servant, not a governor. You can sit in the meeting for a long time and never take the job. Service is offered. It is not the price of the chair. If the ask feels like pressure, you can say no and still come back next week.
Does my home group have to be a certain format?
No. The group chooses its own format under Tradition Four, except where a plan would affect other groups or A.A. as a whole. Your home group might be a discussion, a speaker meeting, a step study, or a beginners meeting. Beginners meetings are usually led by a member who has been sober awhile. The label does not change the membership rule. You still only need a desire to stop drinking.
How do I pick one tonight?
Go back to the meeting that felt least impossible and sit through it again. You do not announce a home group tonight unless you want to. Search meetings, confirm the listing, and listen. If you need treatment rather than a room, call (800) 653-9376. If withdrawal from heavy drinking is the risk, call 911. Call or text 988 in a mental health crisis. The meeting cannot manage that.