The Twelve Traditions

While the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous guide personal recovery, the Twelve Traditions serve as the foundation for how A.A. groups function and relate to each other, their members, and the world around them.

These principles were developed to protect the unity and integrity of the A.A. fellowship. They help ensure that groups remain focused on their primary purpose—supporting those seeking recovery from alcoholism—without being distracted by outside issues, financial pressures, or personal agendas.

The Traditions emphasize values like anonymity, self-support, inclusivity, and shared leadership. They’re not rules, but time-tested guidelines that help A.A. groups stay healthy, welcoming, and effective.

Whether you’re new to A.A. or exploring how it works behind the scenes, the Twelve Traditions offer insight into the spirit of cooperation and humility that keeps the fellowship strong.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.