Midwifery

Midwifery License Requirements

General Requirements

Any use of the title "Midwife" within New York State requires licensure.

To be licensed as a midwife in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education and examination requirements; and
• be a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (UCSIS I-551 Status/"Green Card").

You must submit an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 140, section 6955 of New York's Education Law and Subpart 79-5 of the Commissioner's Regulations. Copies of both the NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations are available upon request from opforms@mail.nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 320.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

Fees

The fee for licensure is $295.

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail your application and fee to:

  New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
  PO Box 22063
  Albany, NY 12201

Partial Refunds

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Midwifery Unit at opunit1@mail.nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 250, or fax 518-402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Education Requirements

To meet the education requirements for licensure as a midwife in New York State, you must present satisfactory evidence of graduation from high school or the equivalent and (a) or (b) or (c) below:

1. completion of a New York State licensure qualifying program in midwifery; or
   
   
2. graduation from a midwifery education program after December 1995* accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives Division of Accreditation; or
   
   
3. completion of a degree or diploma program in registered professional nursing or the equivalent as outlined in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and completion of a program in midwifery registered by the New York State Education Department or determined by this Department to be equivalent which leads to a baccalaureate degree or higher academic credential and includes educational preparation for the practice of midwifery and additional courses in related basic and clinical sciences.

To be considered equivalent, programs must be equivalent in scope, content, and level of study to a registered program and must include the following professional studies:

• Educational preparation for the practice of nursing means completing courses and supervised clinical experiences that include, but are not limited to, the following:
  
  
  1. technical health care skills;
  2. maternity, pediatric, medical, surgical, psychiatric, and mental health care;
  3. nutrition;
  4. pharmacology;
  5. ethics; and
  6. biological, physical, and social sciences supportive to health care.
  
  
• Educational preparation for the practice of midwifery means completing courses and supervised clinical experiences that include, but are not limited to, the following:
  
  
  1. preconceptional, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care;
  2. physical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of actual or potential health problems of women;
  3. well-woman care;
  4. neonatal care;
  5. family planning and gynecological care;
  6. professional, legal, and ethical aspects of midwifery practice;
  7. areas of nutrition related to the practice of midwifery; and
  8. a pharmacology component that includes instruction in drug management of midwifery clients.

Prescriptive privilege

An applicant who satisfies all requirements for licensure as a midwife may be authorized¹ to prescribe and administer drugs, immunizing agents, diagnostic tests and devices, and to order laboratory tests, limited to the practice of midwifery and subject to limitations of the practice agreement, after providing evidence of:

• completion of a three-credit course in pharmacology that includes instruction in drug management of midwifery clients, and
• completion of instruction in New York State and Federal laws and regulations relating to prescriptions and record keeping, or
• the satisfactory completion of equivalent course work as determined by the Department.

If your midwifery program did not include the required three-semester hour course or the equivalent in pharmacology, you should contact an accredited midwifery program for information about completing a satisfactory course.

If your midwifery program was located outside New York State or if your program in New York State did not include the law component, or you are looking for information about the component relating to New York State and federal laws related to prescriptions and record keeping, contact either:

The Nurse Practitioner Association New York State
12 Corporate Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: 518-348-0719
Fax: 518-348-0720
E-mail: info@thenpa.org
Web: www.thenpa.org

OR

The New York State Nurses Association
11 Cornell Road
Latham, NY 12110
Phone: 518-782-9400
E-mail: courses@nysna.org
Web: www.nysna.org

After your license with prescriptive privilege is issued, you should contact the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), at 1-800-882-9539 for information about obtaining a DEA number.

Examination Requirements

American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
Suite 205
849 International Dr.
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: (410) 694-9424
Fax: (410) 694-9425
Web: www.amcbmidwife.org

New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Midwifery Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, you must provide the required documentation to the American Midwifery Certification Board no later than the examination application filing deadline. See above for contact information.

Limited Permits

You may be eligible for a limited permit to practice midwifery under the direct supervision of a New York State licensed and currently registered midwife or physician if you have met all other requirements for licensure in New York State but have not yet passed the licensing examination. A limited permit is valid for one year and may not be renewed.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and limited permit fee of $70 at the same time or anytime after you submit your application for licensure (Form 1), licensure fee of $295, and evidence of acceptable education.

You may not begin practice until the limited permit is issued.

Once a permit is issued, if you change employment and/or supervising practitioner, you must obtain a new permit by completing, with your prospective supervising practitioner, a new Form 5. A fee is not required for a new permit issued due to a change in employment (e.g. additional employer(s), change and/or additional practice sites) and/or supervising practitioner.