Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization.
An A.A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to their lives, their…
A few people have stopped drinking after reading Alcoholics Anonymous, the A.A. “Big Book,” which sets forth the basic principles of the recovery…
The service structure is the framework in which our "general services" are carried out. It is the structure that takes the place of government in A.A…
There are no “A.A. rehabs" or hospitals. Traditionally, no professional services or facilities are ever offered or performed under A.A. sponsorship.…
As stated in A.A.'s Responsibility Pledge, “I am responsible … when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be…
There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. An A.A. group will usually have a voluntary collection during the meeting to cover expenses, such as…
Most A.A.s are sociable people, a factor that may have been partially responsible for their becoming alcoholics in the first place. As a consequence…
Reasons for starting a new group vary, but the ways to go about it are basically the same. Important to establishing an A.A. group is the need for…
No. A.A. does not keep membership files or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t…
Group membership requires no formal application. As stated in Tradition Three, “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking…
The "group conscience" is the collective conscience of the group membership and thus represents substantial unanimity on an issue before definitive…