Twelve Traditions

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.