The 12 Traditions are the principles that keep AA — and every fellowship built on its model — alive and unified. Where the Steps are for the individual, the Traditions are for the group.

They were developed out of hard experience: groups that ignored them fell apart. Groups that followed them survived.

Each tradition below links to a fuller page with what it means, why it matters, and speaker talks from this site.

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The Traditions

Tradition 1 — “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.” → Tradition 1

Tradition 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.” → Tradition 2

Tradition 3 — “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.” → Tradition 3

Tradition 4 — “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.” → Tradition 4

Tradition 5 — “Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” → Tradition 5

Tradition 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.” → Tradition 6

Tradition 7 — “Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” → Tradition 7

Tradition 8 — “Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.” → Tradition 8

Tradition 9 — “A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.” → Tradition 9

Tradition 10 — “Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.” → Tradition 10

Tradition 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.” → Tradition 11

Tradition 12 — “Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.” → Tradition 12