Guide
NARR recovery residence levels: what Levels I to IV mean in New Jersey
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) sorts recovery residences, the homes most people call sober living, into four levels by how much support the house gives: Level I peer-run, Level II monitored, Level III supervised and Level IV service provider. A level describes support. It is not a New Jersey license.
Sources: National Alliance for Recovery Residences · N.J.A.C. 5:27 · SAMHSA · Reviewed against public records, Oct 2026. General information, not legal advice. Full sources
The four NARR levels at a glance
Each level adds support. Here is how NARR's own chart separates them.
| Criteria | Level IPeer-run | Level IIMonitored | Level IIISupervised | Level IVService provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NARR type | Type P (peer-run) | Type M (monitored) | Type S (supervised) | Type C (clinical) |
| Who runs the house | Residents, democratically | A house manager or senior resident | An organization with administrative oversight | An organization with clinical and administrative supervision |
| Paid staff | None in the residence | At least one paid position | A facility manager; certified staff or case managers | Credentialed staff |
| What happens in the house | Drug screening and house meetings; self-help meetings encouraged | House rules, peer-run groups, drug screening, house meetings | Life-skills work and service hours in the house; clinical care in the community | Clinical services and programming in the house |
| Typical setting | Single-family homes | Mostly single-family homes, some apartments | All kinds of residential settings | All kinds, often a step-down inside a treatment center's care |
| Licensing | Not addressed by NARR | Not addressed by NARR | Varies from state to state | Varies from state to state |
Level I: peer-run
- NARR type
- Type P (peer-run)
- Who runs the house
- Residents, democratically
- Paid staff
- None in the residence
- What happens in the house
- Drug screening and house meetings; self-help meetings encouraged
- Typical setting
- Single-family homes
- Licensing
- Not addressed by NARR
Source: National Alliance for Recovery Residences, Recovery Residence Levels of Support, and NARR Standard 3.0 (2018). Full list at the end of the page.
What each recovery residence level looks like
NARR says the levels differ in staffing, governance and the recovery support a home provides.
NARR uses "level" and "type" for the same thing: Level I is Type P, and so on.
Level I: peer-run
A Level I home is governed democratically by the people who live in it. Residents keep the house alcohol- and drug-free through house guidelines and peer accountability, and nobody is paid to work in the residence. NARR names democratic governance as the defining feature.
Oxford Houses are the best-known example. See how they compare in Oxford House vs. sober living.
Level II: monitored
NARR says Level II homes are the ones "frequently called sober homes or sober living." House rules and peer accountability keep the home safe, and a house manager, often a senior resident appointed by the owner, runs day-to-day life. At least one position is paid.
Some Level II homes add recovery support and life-skills work for people who need more help, such as young people aged 16 to 25 with opioid use disorder, at a lower intensity than Level III.
Level III: supervised
A Level III residence runs weekly, structured programming: peer-based recovery support, such as recovery groups or a recovery plan, and life-skills work, such as job readiness or budgeting. Staff are trained, supervised or credentialed, and many once lived in a recovery residence themselves.
NARR designs Level III for people who need more support building recovery capital, the personal and social resources that sustain recovery. Clinical care happens outside the house. A few states require Level III homes to be licensed.
Level IV: service provider
A Level IV residence combines a recovery home with clinical addiction treatment in the house, delivered by peer and professional staff. It is often a step-down stage inside a treatment center's care, and it can feel more institutional than a family house.
NARR counts a program as Level IV only if it keeps social-model principles, the peer community of a recovery home. A therapeutic community is one example.
Is a NARR level the same as a license in New Jersey?
No. A NARR level describes support. Certification to NARR's standard is a separate step, and NARR does not do it itself: its state affiliates certify recovery residences. When we checked NARR's affiliate list on October 25, 2026, it named 33 state affiliates and none in New Jersey.
New Jersey licenses something else. The Department of Community Affairs issues a Class F license to cooperative sober living residences under N.J.A.C. 5:27. The rule sets a cap of 10 residents, not counting operators, and requires two operators: one on site from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when residents are home, and at least one living there. The licensee may not provide counseling, therapy or clinical treatment on site, so a clinical, Level IV-style home falls outside that license.
In some states, NARR certification is tied to state funding or referrals (SAMHSA, 2026). New Jersey's definition of a cooperative sober living residence doesn't mention NARR levels. More on the state rules: sober living laws in New Jersey.
General information, not legal advice.
At a glance
A level, a certificate and a license
NARR level
- A national standard, not a law
- Describes how much support a home gives
- Four levels, I to IV
- Certified by a NARR state affiliate
- No affiliate listed for New Jersey (Oct 2026)
New Jersey Class F license
- Issued by the state under N.J.A.C. 5:27
- One category: cooperative sober living residence
- Up to 10 residents, not counting operators
- Two operators; one on site overnight
- No clinical treatment by the licensee
Sources: NARR; N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1.
How can you tell which level a sober home operates at?
The name on the website won't tell you. Four questions will, because they follow NARR's own criteria.
Ask any home
Four questions that place any home
- Who sets the house rules? Residents by vote, or a manager the owner appoints.
- Is anyone paid to work in the house? And what are they trained or credentialed to do?
- What happens in the house each week? House meetings only, structured programming, or clinical care.
- Who certified or licensed it? Ask to see the certificate or license itself.
Based on NARR's levels of support.
What the answers point to
- Residents vote on the rulesLevel I, peer-run
- A house manager runs the houseLevel II, monitored, or above
- Weekly programming and life-skills work in the houseLevel III, supervised
- Clinical treatment in the houseLevel IV, service provider
- A certificate or licenseAsk who issued it and ask to see it in writing
A higher level means more support, not a better house. NARR describes the levels as different in intensity. The right recovery home is the one whose support matches what you need now.
Ask NJ Sober Living about its homes
Call or write and ask how our homes work. We'll tell you what we can put in writing. How it works
- Four recovery homes in Waldwick, Old Tappan and Closter (two)
- Class F licensed by NJ DCA; one set of written house rules
- Rides to evening treatment
- $185 to $240 a week, private pay
Questions about recovery residence levels
Level I. NARR calls Oxford Houses the best-known example of a peer-run recovery residence: residents govern the house democratically and no one is paid to work in it.
Often, but not always. NARR says Level II homes are frequently called sober homes or sober living, yet homes at other levels use the name too. Ask who runs the house and what happens in it each week.
NARR doesn't certify individual homes anywhere; its state affiliates do. On October 25, 2026, NARR's affiliate list named no New Jersey affiliate. If a home says it is certified, ask which organization certified it and ask to see the certificate.
Not quite. A Level IV residence provides clinical treatment in the house, but NARR counts it as a recovery residence only if it keeps the peer community of a recovery home. In New Jersey, a licensed cooperative sober living residence may not provide clinical treatment on site.
It depends on the state. NARR's chart says licensing for Levels III and IV varies from state to state, and only a few states require Level III homes to be licensed. In New Jersey, ask which state license, if any, the home holds.
Usually not. SAMHSA reports that recovery housing is not covered by most public or commercial health insurance plans, and that resident fees pay an estimated 70 to 90 percent of its costs.
Sources
- National Alliance for Recovery Residences, Standards (NARR Standard 3.0, November 2018). narronline.org
- National Alliance for Recovery Residences, Recovery Residence Levels of Support. narronline.org
- National Alliance for Recovery Residences, Certification and State Affiliate Organizations, read October 25, 2026. narronline.org
- N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1, definitions (cooperative sober living residences), adopted at 57 N.J.R. 13(b), effective January 6, 2025. Cornell LII
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2026). Recovery Housing: Funding Sources and Financial Sustainability. Insights from NARR-Certified Recovery Residences. Publication No. PEP26-08-001. samhsa.gov
This guide describes NARR's national standard and New Jersey's rule as general information. It is not legal advice.