Alcoholics Anonymous chips—often called “sobriety coins” or “AA chips in order”—are small colored tokens that mark milestones in recovery. Each color represents a stage of progress, from the white chip for Day One to multi-year AA chip milestones. People use sobriety chips as a daily reminder of commitment, meaning, and hope throughout early recovery. This guide explains AA chip colors, their meanings, and how Alcoholics Anonymous chip colors are used to support long-term sobriety.
If you’re new to AA, start with this overview of the 12 steps of AA to understand the recovery framework that meetings often reference.
If you’re also trying to find a group to attend in person or virtually, this guide to finding AA meetings near you explains the most reliable ways to locate local schedules and online options.
Many people pair their chips with AA daily reflection and other routines that support AA’s success rate in helping people stay sober.
If you’re looking for a broader overview beyond chips—such as yearly anniversary coins and where people typically buy sobriety coins—see our sobriety coin guide.
Understanding AA Chip Milestones and Sobriety Chips Meaning
AA chip milestones follow a predictable pattern that helps people track their progress in recovery. Each colored chip carries meaning, whether it represents 24 hours, 30 days, or multiple years of sobriety. Understanding sobriety chips meaning can help newcomers feel encouraged, supported, and motivated as they move through the program.
Sometimes, you just need a reminder of how far you’ve come. If you or a loved one is in the process of getting sober or in recovery, AA sobriety chips may be a helpful tool to help you stay motivated during this time in your life.
AA chips are small, round tokens that are given to people in recovery. They signify how long a person has been sober and serve as a physical reminder to take one day at a time. Although AA sobriety chips are not a mandatory part of the 12-Step Program, it’s a common practice to use them and it’s a part of AA culture. Many AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) fellowships use sobriety chips to celebrate milestones. Often, people keep them in a purse or pocket to remind themselves of the importance of their sobriety. They are a visible and tangible reminder of how far they’ve come.
What Is the History of AA Sobriety Chips?
According to Bigbooksponsorship.org, early in the history of the 12-Step Program, there is evidence that many people in AA carried momentos to remind themselves of their commitment to a sober lifestyle.1 The practice of giving sobriety chips in AA is thought to have started with an AA group in Indianapolis in 1942. Other AA groups soon followed suit.
Sister Mary Ignatia, a nun who worked alongside Dr. Bob to organize a hospitalization program at St. Thomas in Akron, is credited as being the first person to use medallions in Alcoholics Anonymous, starting in 1939. After people with alcohol use disorder had detoxed at the St. Thomas hospitalization program, Sister Ignatia would give each one of them a sacred heart medallion and tell them that their acceptance of the medallion signified a commitment to God, AA, and recovery. She would also tell them that if they decided to drink, they were responsible for returning the medallion to her before consuming any alcohol.
What Does a Sobriety Coin Look Like?
AA sobriety coins are small, round tokens. They come in a variety of different colors, which each signify different milestones in sobriety. AA sobriety chips are also made with a variety of materials, including aluminum and brass, sometimes also with gold or silver plating. Some may even have crystals.
Many coins also include the phrase Unity, Service, Recovery, which people often use as a short summary of what supports long-term sobriety.
How Does the AA Chip System Work?
If you’re new to sobriety, you might be wondering, “How do sobriety chips work?”
The present-day practice of giving AA sobriety chips is used to celebrate successful sobriety milestones. The use of AA sobriety chips varies from group to group, but many 12-Step fellowships offer chip nights or medallion nights to honor the individuals who are receiving a token. Other fellowship groups give them out during AA meetings.
Many AA groups also offer new members a 24-hour medallion. The 24-hour medallion signifies the fact that the decision to live life sober is a daily decision that is made one day at a time. Although each group operates differently, sobriety chips are usually given to members at several different points during their first year of sobriety, including one month, three months, six months, nine months, and one year. However, many other sobriety milestones may be celebrated with AA chips like 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, etc.
Collecting the coins is intended to make 12-Step members feel supported, loved, and motivated. It’s also a significant reminder that you’re not fighting the fight alone. You have support. However, since all AA groups are autonomous the customs for celebrating sobriety milestones vary depending on the local group.
What Do AA Chip Colors Mean?
There are many different alcoholics anonymous chip colors that each signify a different milestone. Here are the colors of the AA chips in order:
- White chip: to start or renew a commitment to sobriety
- Silver Chip: 24 hours of sobriety
- Red Chip: 30 days of sobriety
- Gold Chip: 60 days of sobriety
- Green Chip: 90 days of sobriety
- Purple Chip: 4 months of sobriety
- Pink Chip: 5 months of sobriety
- Dark Blue Chip: 6 months of sobriety
- Copper Chip: 7 months of sobriety
- Red Chip: 8 months of sobriety
- Purple Chip: 9 months of sobriety
- Gold Chip: 10 months of sobriety
- Green Chip: 11 months of sobriety
- Bronze Chip: 1 year of sobriety
Want a deeper explanation of that milestone? See the meaning of a 1 year AA coin, including common symbolism and how yearly chips are usually recognized.
NA groups may also use key tags to signify sobriety milestones. The NA key tag colors are:
- White key tag: to begin or restart the program
- Orange key tag: 30 days
- Green key tag: 60 days
- Red key tag: 90 days
- Blue key tag: 6 months
- Yellow key tag: 9 months
- Glow in the dark key tag: 1 year
- Gray key tag: 18 months
- Black key tag: 2 or more years
AA Chip Colors in Order
AA chip colors follow a traditional sequence used in many Alcoholics Anonymous groups to mark early progress, celebrate milestones, and build motivation. While colors may vary slightly by region, most AA meetings use a similar order so people can visually track their journey and celebrate sobriety milestones together.
AA Chip Color Guide (Time Period + Meaning)
The table below outlines the most common Alcoholics Anonymous chip colors and the meaning behind each milestone.
| Chip Color | Time Period | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| White Chip | 24 hours / “Day One” | Willingness to begin sobriety; surrender. |
| Silver/Gray Chip | 24 hours (some groups) | Acknowledgment of a fresh start. |
| Red Chip | 30 days | First month of sobriety; early commitment. |
| Gold Chip | 60 days | Stability in early recovery. |
| Green Chip | 90 days | Growing momentum and early change. |
| Purple Chip | 4–5 months | Continued progress and routine. |
| Blue Chip | 6 months | Increased accountability and consistency. |
| Yellow Chip | 9 months | Nearing a year; strengthening emotional sobriety. |
| Bronze Chip | 1 year (1st Anniversary) | Major milestone and personal victory. |
| Multiple-Year Chips | 18 months, 2+ years | Ongoing dedication; long-term sobriety. |
What Do AA Chip Colors Mean?
Every AA chip color represents a specific stage of sobriety. Early chips (white, red, gold, green) help newcomers build confidence during the most vulnerable stages. Mid-range chips (purple, blue, yellow) reinforce consistency and commitment. Yearly chips symbolize long-term recovery and remind people how far they’ve come.
The meaning behind each chip is simple: progress, accountability, and encouragement.
AA Chip Milestones and Sobriety Coins
Sobriety coins, also called AA chips, serve as tangible reminders of personal change. They are not “rewards” but symbols of hope and direction. Many people keep them in their pocket, on a nightstand, or on a keychain as a daily reminder of their commitment to sobriety.
Common AA chip milestones include:
- 24 hours
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 1 year
- Multiple years
Some meetings hand out special anniversary medallions engraved with the Serenity Prayer or the AA triangle symbol.
If you’re reading about AA chips because staying sober feels hard right now, you’re not alone. Sober living homes can give you structure, routine, accountability, and a supportive community. Explore our sober living options in Austin, Houston, and Colorado Springs to see what a stable environment can do for your recovery.
How Do You Get Sobriety Chips?
People in recovery can get sobriety chips in a few different ways. Many people get AA sobriety chips at recovery meetings or upon the completion of a treatment program. If you are a part of an AA group that doesn’t give out sobriety chips but you’d like to be a part of that tradition, you may switch to a different AA group that hands them out.
What to Do With AA Chips
If you receive an AA chip, you aren’t required to do anything specific with it. Its primary purpose is to serve as a tangible reminder of your daily decision to pursue sobriety. However, many people choose to keep their AA chips in an easily accessible location, like a pocket or purse. Others may keep them in a special keepsake box. However, you can do anything you want with an AA chip after you receive it.
Need Help to Say Sober? A Eudaimonia Sober Living Home Can Help
Getting a sobriety token for achieving sobriety milestones can be extremely motivating and encouraging if you’re new to sobriety, but if you’re struggling to stay sober, enrolling in a sober living program or intensive outpatient program (IOP) may provide the support you need to stay sober.
Eudaimonia Recovery Homes offers sober and structured housing for people in recovery. With sober living homes in Austin, Houston, and Colorado Springs, our recovery support programming is individualized to meet the specific needs of each client.
Eudaimonia also provides certified peer recovery programs that offer additional regular one-on-one and family support to help clients sustain long-term recovery. Additionally, with recovery support services like accountability meetings, employment and educational assistance, and regular drug testing, we help individuals adjust to a sober lifestyle after treatment.
If you need outpatient treatment or ongoing support to stay sober, call Eudaimonia Recovery Homes today.
References: bigbooksponsorship.org
Related Guides: AA Gifts and Sobriety Milestones
- AA gift ideas for sobriety anniversaries – Practical AA anniversary gifts, AA sponsor gifts, and recovery-friendly options that respect privacy.
- Sober birthday gifts that support recovery – Neutral soberversary and sobriety anniversary gift ideas for different milestones.
- AA Big Book covers for anniversary gifts – A practical gift option for meeting routines, travel, and everyday use.
- Sobriety tracker gift ideas for AA members – Privacy-aware tracking tools and “low-pressure” ways to give them.
- 1 year AA coin meaning and milestones – What one-year coins commonly represent and how anniversaries are recognized.
- What to say on a sobriety anniversary – Message ideas for cards and texts that stay respectful and specific.
- Sobriety gift ideas – A broader list of recovery-friendly gift categories and examples.
- Celebrate a sobriety birthday – Why people celebrate milestones and ways to recognize them in a sober plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a white AA chip?
A white chip represents surrender and a willingness to begin sobriety. Many people collect it on their first day of recovery or after a relapse when they recommit to starting fresh.
What is a blue AA chip?
A blue chip typically marks 6 months of sobriety. It symbolizes growing stability and daily commitment.
What do sobriety chips mean in AA?
Sobriety chips are tokens given in AA meetings to acknowledge time sober. They serve as motivational reminders and milestones for personal growth.
Do all AA meetings use the same chip colors?
Most follow a similar color pattern, but variations exist depending on the region or the group. The meaning, however, is generally consistent: progress and encouragement.
Are sobriety chips required in AA?
No. Chips are optional and are simply a support tool offered by many AA groups.
