Verified October 10, 2026 against the statutes, regulations and sources cited below. The state decides every application. All states
What operators miss in Tennessee
- An OTP certificate of need applicant must notify the county mayor and the area's state senator and representative within 10 days after filing.
- The rural-county exemption from certificate of need does not apply to these treatment centers.
Does Tennessee license behavioral health and addiction treatment programs?
TDMHSAS licenses mental health and substance use facilities under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 0940-05, which sets distinct license categories, fees, deemed compliance, change of ownership or location, and program rules such as mental health outpatient facilities.
- TDMHSAS facility license
- Issued by Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS)
Citation: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 0940-05-02
What does an opioid treatment program need in Tennessee?
A certificate of need from the Health Facilities Commission is required before establishing a nonresidential substitution-based treatment center for opiate addiction. SB 2281 (2026), which would have removed it, was sent to a Senate general subcommittee and did not pass.
- State opioid treatment authority: TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Division of Clinical Leadership
- Certificate of need
- 34 opioid treatment programs in 2024 (N-SUMHSS)
Citation: Tenn. Code Ann. title 68, ch. 11, part 16 (present law as stated in the General Assembly record for SB 2281, 2026); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-10-.01
How does Tennessee treat recovery residences?
- NARR affiliate: Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences
Opening or expanding a program in Tennessee?
We confirm what Tennessee requires for your services and levels of care, prepare the application and every attachment for your owner or officer to sign, and track it to a decision. An outpatient program license is $1,995 per site. Every fee is flat and never depends on admissions or census.