MAT-friendly sober living in New Jersey: can you live in a sober home while taking medication for addiction?
Yes. New Jersey law bars transitional sober living homes, halfway houses and other residential aftercare facilities from refusing you because you take medication for a substance use disorder from a licensed provider, such as methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone. This guide covers what MAT is, what the law says, how homes handle medication and what to ask before you move in.
- State law
- Since 2018, P.L.2017, c.256 (N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25) has barred denying admission over MAT from a licensed provider.
- SAMHSA
- Recommends that recovery homes put no barriers or restrictions on prescribed medication.
- Class F homes
- The state rule for licensed cooperative sober living residences requires lockboxes for prescription medication.
Reviewed against public records, October 2026: P.L.2017, c.256; N.J.A.C. 5:27; SAMHSA; U.S. Department of Justice. Sources
What is MAT, and are you still sober while taking it?
MAT, medication for addiction treatment, is an FDA-approved medication used together with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat an opioid or alcohol use disorder. SAMHSA calls the combination a “whole-patient” approach.
Taking a prescribed medication as directed is not the same as using. SAMHSA recommends that recovery housing operators put no barriers or restrictions on residents' prescribed medications, and notes that medications for substance use disorders can be lifesaving. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice treats medication taken under the supervision of a licensed health care professional differently from illegal drug use.
Which medication, at what dose and for how long is a decision for you and your prescriber. This guide doesn't cover it.
| Medication | SAMHSA lists it for | NJ statute |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine | Opioid use disorder | Named |
| Methadone | Opioid use disorder | Named |
| Naltrexone | Opioid and alcohol use disorder | Named |
All three opioid medications are named in the statute itself.
| Medication | SAMHSA lists it for | NJ statute |
|---|---|---|
| Acamprosate | Alcohol use disorder | Covered as “any other” FDA-approved medication |
| Disulfiram | Alcohol use disorder | Covered as “any other” FDA-approved medication |
| Naltrexone | Opioid and alcohol use disorder | Named |
SAMHSA notes these medications do not cure alcohol use disorder; they are used alongside counseling.
Sources: SAMHSA, Substance Use Disorder Treatment Options; P.L.2017, c.256.
Why do some sober living homes still say no to MAT?
Some homes hold that one addiction should not replace another, so they turn away residents on MAT. Federal guidance now says prescribed medication belongs in recovery housing.
What some homes hold
“An addiction to one substance should not be replaced with an addiction to another.”
That is how New Jersey's Senate health committee described the view when it backed the bill in 2017. It called the view well-meaning, and said its result is that people in medically supervised treatment are shut out of these programs.
Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, statement to S2964, February 27, 2017
What public guidance says
No barriers or restrictions on prescribed medications.
SAMHSA's 2023 recovery housing guidance recommends this, and cites the National Academies' 2019 finding that medications for opioid use disorder save lives.
SAMHSA, Best Practices for Recovery Housing (2023)
What does New Jersey law say about MAT in sober living?
Since 2018, New Jersey law has barred a transitional sober living home, halfway house or other residential aftercare facility from denying you admission because you currently receive MAT from a licensed treatment provider. The state's Class F rule adds medication lockboxes in licensed cooperative sober living residences.
P.L.2017, c.256 · N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25 · approved January 8, 2018
Who it covers. Narcotic or drug abuse treatment centers, transitional sober living homes, halfway houses and other residential aftercare facilities.
N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25What it bars. Denying admission to a prospective client because the person is currently receiving medication assisted treatment.
N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25Which medications. Methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, or any other FDA-approved medication for a substance use disorder.
P.L.2017, c.256The condition. The treatment is administered by a licensed treatment provider.
P.L.2017, c.256Class F homes: lockboxes. The licensee provides lockboxes so residents can keep prescription medications secure.
N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3(b)Class F homes: your own clinicians. Residents contact their own primary care physician or health care professional. The licensee provides no on-site counseling, therapy or clinical treatment.
N.J.A.C. 5:27-3.5(b)(1); 5:27-2.1Federal guidance. The ADA generally protects people taking prescribed medication for opioid use disorder under a licensed professional's supervision. It does not protect current illegal drug use.
U.S. Department of Justice, April 5, 2022
General information, not legal advice. The statute uses its own terms, and this guide doesn't say how they apply to any one home. Ask any home whether it holds a Class F license.
At a glance
New Jersey’s MAT admission law
- 2018P.L.2017, c.256 was approved on January 8, 2018.
- 4 kindsDrug treatment centers, transitional sober living homes, halfway houses and other residential aftercare facilities.
- 3 namedMethadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone, or any other FDA-approved medication for a substance use disorder.
- LicensedThe condition: the treatment is administered by a licensed treatment provider.
Source: P.L.2017, c.256 (N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25). General information, not legal advice.
How do MAT-friendly sober living homes handle medication day to day?
Most of it comes down to a locked place for medication, a policy everyone is trained on, and clear rules on who talks to your clinical team. SAMHSA lists these as ways to keep medication safe in a recovery residence, the field's term for a sober living home.
Source: SAMHSA, Best Practices for Recovery Housing (2023), Medication Policies; N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3(b).
- Locked storage
- Medication goes in a lockbox, which protects you and the people you live with. New Jersey requires lockboxes in licensed Class F homes.SAMHSA 2023 · N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3(b)
- A policy everyone is trained on
- Residents and staff learn the same medication policy and procedure, so the rules don't change with whoever is on shift.SAMHSA 2023
- Counts with you present
- When medication is counted, residents and staff are both there, and the home keeps proper records of it.SAMHSA 2023
- Privacy rules for your clinical team
- Contact between house staff and your clinical team should follow 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA, the federal privacy rules for substance use treatment records. Ask what you would be asked to sign.SAMHSA 2023 · 42 CFR Part 2
- Room to talk about it
- SAMHSA recommends open discussion of medication use, in house groups or when talking through triggers, so nobody has to hide what they take.SAMHSA 2023
What should you ask a recovery residence about MAT before you move in?
Ask six things, and get the answers in writing.
Do you accept residents on my medication?
New Jersey law bars refusing you over MAT from a licensed provider. Ask whether the home's written rules say so too.
Can I read your medication policy before I move in?
Storage, counts and who holds the key should be on paper, not explained on move-in day.
How does your drug testing treat my prescription?
SAMHSA describes testing when someone in the home may be using. Ask what you should show the house about your prescription.
How will I get to dosing or prescriber visits?
Some medications are dosed at a licensed clinic, and SAMHSA says a home should know that schedule.
Who is on site overnight?
New Jersey's Class F definition calls for two operators: one on site from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when residents are present, and at least one living in the residence (N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1).
Do you hold a Class F license?
The lockbox and overnight rules above apply to licensed Class F cooperative sober living residences.
What can you do if a sober living home turns you away for MAT?
Point to the law, report it, and keep looking. New Jersey law bars a home from denying you admission because you currently receive MAT from a licensed treatment provider.
Point to the law
Name P.L.2017, c.256 (N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25), and ask the home to state its reason in writing.
Report it
The Justice Department's ADA guidance on opioid use disorder directs discrimination reports to civilrights.justice.gov.
Find another home or treatment
SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357 (TTY 1-800-487-4889), is a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service.
Can you live at NJ Sober Living while taking MAT?
Yes. NJ Sober Living's homes are a fit for people taking MAT medications under outside psychiatric care.
- Treatment, including MAT prescribing, stays with an outside licensed provider; the house drives residents to evening treatment and back.
- All four homes are Class F licensed by NJ DCA, with a live-in operator and an operator on site 7 p.m.–7 a.m., plus house management and behavioral health technicians.
- Be honest during intake about every medication you take, including MAT. The house goes over its rules with you before you move in.
Questions about sober living on MAT
Short answers, each from the sources below.
Yes, as written. The statute covers methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone “or any other medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder.” SAMHSA lists acamprosate, disulfiram and naltrexone for alcohol use disorder.
Lockboxes, counts and medication records only work when the home knows what you take, and SAMHSA recommends open discussion of medication use in recovery homes. Anything staff hear from your clinical team should come through the federal privacy rules (42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA).
Not a licensed Class F home. New Jersey's rule bars on-site counseling, therapy, clinical treatment and alcohol or drug treatment by the licensee, and residents contact their own physician or health care professional. Prescribing stays with your own provider.
The New Jersey statute covers treatment “administered by a licensed treatment provider.” The Justice Department's ADA guidance says the ADA does not protect people engaged in the current illegal use of drugs.
Yes. The statute names halfway houses and other residential aftercare facilities alongside transitional sober living homes and drug treatment centers.
Start with your treatment team's discharge plan, then look at housing. Our guide to what happens after rehab walks through the steps, and SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, can refer you to treatment.
Taking medication for your recovery is not a reason to be turned away.
Call to talk it through, or check availability online.
Sources for this guide
- New Jersey Legislature, P.L.2017, c.256 (Senate, No. 2964), approved January 8, 2018, amending N.J.S.A. 26:2G-25. pub.njleg.gov
- Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, Statement to Senate, No. 2964, February 27, 2017. pub.njleg.gov
- N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1 (cooperative sober living residences), 5:27-3.5 (health care of residents) and 5:27-13.3 (safety), as amended and adopted at 57 N.J.R. 13(b), effective January 6, 2025. Cornell LII
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Best Practices for Recovery Housing, Publication No. PEP23-10-00-002 (2023): Medication Policies; Drug Screenings. store.samhsa.gov
- SAMHSA, Substance Use Disorder Treatment Options. samhsa.gov
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2019). Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Save Lives, as cited by SAMHSA. doi.org/10.17226/25310
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, The ADA and Opioid Use Disorder: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery, April 5, 2022. ada.gov
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, report a civil rights violation. civilrights.justice.gov
- SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357 (TTY 1-800-487-4889). samhsa.gov
This guide describes New Jersey law and federal guidance as general information. It is not legal or medical advice, and it does not recommend any medication or dose.