If no suitable recovery meeting is listed in your area, first check the fellowship’s official directory and contact its local service body. A meeting may be new, temporarily relocated, or missing from our independent directory. If a real gap remains, starting a group can be a practical service project—but its requirements come from the organization whose name you plan to use.
Choose a fellowship and ask for its starter guidance
Do not create a general discussion circle and assume it qualifies as an official fellowship group. Review the organization’s purpose, membership criteria, traditions, and registration process. Ask experienced members or the relevant service office what support is available.
A.A.’s guidance for starting a group describes support from other members, a meeting place, literature, and contact with local service structures and the General Service Office. NA’s Group Booklet supplies a separate startup checklist, meeting formats, and guidance on service responsibilities. Use the material for the fellowship you are actually organizing.
Share the work and plan a sustainable session
Identify people willing to open the room or online platform, welcome newcomers, lead the format, and handle the practical tasks. Agree on a regular schedule and a backup plan when someone is absent. A meeting should not depend on a single person remembering every detail.
For a physical venue, clarify access, rental arrangements, capacity, accessibility, and closing responsibilities. For an online session, agree on platform costs, host access, moderation, privacy practices, and technical backup. Use authorized program materials and ask the fellowship about permissions before posting its literature publicly.
Write down the opening format, the group’s purpose, how participation works, and whom members can contact with questions. These are planning suggestions; they do not replace the fellowship’s own requirements or any venue rules.
Complete the organization’s registration process
Al-Anon’s new-group registration information explains how registration connects a group with its World Service Office and the principles the group is expected to follow. Other fellowships have their own processes. A listing on this website does not register your group with an organization or establish its approval.
Meetings for young people may carry additional requirements. For example, Alateen requires Area-certified group sponsors and directs prospective organizers to their Area Alateen Coordinator. Alateen groups cannot meet without certified sponsors present. Do not apply an adult-group checklist to a youth meeting.
Publish clear meeting details and keep them current
Once the session is ready and the organization’s requirements are met, arrange its official listing through the appropriate service body. Then submit the meeting to our directory. Include the group name, fellowship, format, eligibility, language, start and end times, time zone, first meeting date, location or joining instructions, and official source URL.
Use a public group contact rather than exposing someone’s private details without consent. Review the listing after publication and send corrections when arrangements change. Our fellowship pages and startup guides can help you find the next organization-specific step.
Sources and further reading
- Alcoholics Anonymous: How Do We Start a New A.A. Group?
- NA World Services: The Group Booklet
- Al-Anon Family Groups: New Group Registration
- Al-Anon Family Groups: Starting an Alateen Group
Editorial guide updated October 25, 2026. Sources checked on that date. This independent directory is not affiliated with the organizations cited. General peer-support information; not individualized medical advice.
