Alcoholics Anonymous: meetings, formats, and official resources

Alcoholics Anonymous is a peer-support fellowship of people who meet to help each other stop drinking and stay stopped. It is not a medical service, it is not a treatment provider, and it is not affiliated with this directory. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

AA groups are self-supporting and independent. There are no fees, no contracts, and no records kept of who attends. Members are not asked to disclose their identity, their history, or their reasons for coming.

The 12 steps are a framework for personal change, and a sponsor is usually a member with more experience who walks through them alongside a newer member. The steps are worked at an individual's own pace — there is no deadline and no requirement to move through them quickly.

What the fellowship actually provides day to day is mutual support: people who have been where you are, a regular structure, and a community that expects nothing from you but your presence. For many members, that ongoing contact is the part that matters most.

A meeting usually runs about an hour. Most open with a brief statement about the fellowship and a reading of the steps or traditions, then continue as either a speaker meeting — where one or two members share their story — or a discussion meeting built around a topic.

You are never required to speak. Listening is a complete form of participation, and many people attend for weeks before saying anything.

An open meeting can be attended by anyone, including family members, friends, and students. A closed meeting is limited to people who identify as having a desire to stop drinking.

Meeting formats and eligibility vary between groups and are set by the group itself, not by any central authority. Some meetings are step studies, some focus on literature, some are gender-specific, some are for beginners, and some are held in a specific language. Always check the group's own listing or page for the format and any eligibility expectation.

In-person meetings are held in churches, community centers, clubhouses, hospitals, and libraries across every state. They are listed by local intergroups and central offices, which publish the most current schedules and venue details for their area.

Because venues and times change, confirm the details on the organizer's own page or by phone before you travel — especially in an unfamiliar city.

Virtual meetings run at nearly every hour of the day, which makes them useful for people who travel, work nights, live far from the nearest group, or have health or caregiving limits. Most follow the same formats as in-person meetings.

Online meetings are operated by individual groups and service bodies, not by a single central platform. Privacy practices vary, so it is reasonable to ask how a meeting handles participant names and recording before sharing anything personal.

If you are going for the first time: pick a meeting close to you, arrive a few minutes early, and expect a greeting rather than an interrogation. Say as much or as little as you want.

You will often hear suggestions afterwards — a phone number list, a beginner meeting, a suggestion to try a few different groups. Take what is useful and leave the rest. If a particular meeting does not fit, another one will.