Sobriety chips and coins: colors, meanings and a free digital chip
Make a free digital chip for your milestone, then see what the colors mean, where chips came from, and how to mark a day without one.
Make a free digital sobriety chip
Enter the date of your last drink and pick up the chip for your latest milestone, or choose any chip from 24 hours to 20 years. Add a name if you want one on it. Download it as a PNG to keep, print, or share with the person who helped you get there.
Enter your sober date to pick your latest chip.
Runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere. This is a digital keepsake, not an AA product, and we are not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous.
A sobriety chip (or coin) is a token that marks time without drinking. In twelve-step groups they are usually given at 24 hours, then at 30, 60 and 90 days, then at 6 and 9 months and each year, and the typical colors are silver for 24 hours, red for 30 days, gold for 60, green for 90 and bronze for a year [1]. There is no official AA chip, the system is optional, and colors and intervals vary by group [1]. You can make a free digital chip above, and Sober Girl awards its own badges at 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 and 365 days.
Track it in Sober Girl
Sobriety chip colors and what they mark
The usual pattern is a chip at 24 hours, then monthly in the first stretch, then yearly. The list below is the typical set. Groups differ in whether they use chips at all and in which colors they assign [1], so treat it as a guide, not a rule.
| Milestone | Typical color | Sober Girl badge |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | Silver | Day 1 |
| 30 days (1 month) | Red | Day 30 |
| 60 days (2 months) | Gold | Day 60 |
| 90 days (3 months) | Green | Day 90 |
| 6 months | Dark blue | Day 180 |
| 9 months | Purple | None (the counter shows it) |
| 1 year and each year after | Bronze | Day 365 |
Where sobriety chips came from
Marking sobriety with a token is older than AA. Temperance societies gave medallions to members who pledged to stop drinking, and a nun in Akron, Sister Ignatia, gave newly released patients a Sacred Heart medallion [1]. The AA chip tradition is believed to have begun in Indianapolis in 1942, though the exact origin is unclear, and giving chips is attributed to a group in Elmira, New York, in 1947 [1]. The raised-center bronze medallion most people picture was first made commercially in 1973 [1].
Counting also comes from that world. In AA, members count from the first full day without a drink [1], which is the same rule Sober Girl uses for its day 1.
Chips are a tradition, not a requirement
You do not need a group, a sponsor or a chip to count your days. Plenty of people want something to hold or share when they reach 30 days or a year, and others prefer a note in a journal. All of that is a valid way to mark it.
Marking a milestone without a chip
- Take a screenshot of your counter on the day, with the money saved beside it.
- Spend part of the money you saved on one thing you will keep, and write the day on the receipt.
- Write three lines about who you were on day 1 and who you are now. The journal prompts can start you off.
- Tell one person the number. Hearing someone say well done is the part chips were always for.
In Sober Girl, the badge for each milestone is awarded automatically, and the tree grows a stage at the same days. Plus adds shareable milestone cards. See what to expect around each one in sobriety milestones, or work out your day count with the sobriety calculator.
Is Sober Girl right for you?
- use an iPhone or an Android phone
- want a private tracker, with your journal kept on your device
- want a day counter, money saved and a daily check-in in one calm place
- want a Craving SOS with a breathing exercise and a 10-minute timer
- want to start free and add Plus only if you need the journal, insights or milestone cards
- want a community feed, live coaching or an AI chat
- want a structured multi-week education program
- need medical help for heavy drinking or withdrawal. An app is not treatment, so see the safety notes above
Frequently asked questions
What color is the 30-day sobriety chip?
Red is the typical 30-day color, with silver for 24 hours, gold for 60 days and green for 90 days. Groups differ, and there is no official AA chip, so the color you are given may not match.
Do I have to be in AA to have a sobriety chip?
No. Chips are a twelve-step tradition, and the system is optional even within AA. You can make a digital chip above or mark the day your own way.
Is a sobriety coin the same as a sobriety chip?
Yes. Coin, chip and medallion are used for the same thing: a token marking a length of time without drinking. Which word you hear depends on the group and the region.
When do you get your first sobriety chip?
Usually at 24 hours, then at 30, 60 and 90 days, then at 6 and 9 months and each year. AA counts from the first full day without a drink.
Does Sober Girl give out chips?
Sober Girl has milestone badges at 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 and 365 days, plus a tree that grows with your count. It is not affiliated with AA, and the badges are its own.
Sources
- Sobriety coin. Wikipedia (secondary source; it cites AA’s own FAQ and history books). Coin colours and intervals vary between groups.
How we write these. Every figure above links to the source it came from, and we label self-reported and observational results as such. Where we could not find a source we trust, the page says so instead of filling the gap. Sober Girl is made by ShipAI Lab and this is not medical advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026. If you spot an error, email us at [email protected].
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Sober Girl is a private sobriety tracker for women, on iPhone and Android: day counter, money saved, craving SOS and a tree that grows with you. Free to start.