Alabama Certified Nurse-Midwife license renewal and CE requirements
Alabama nurse-midwives must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Nursing.
An Alabama nurse-midwife holds a registered nurse license plus Board of Nursing approval to practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife, and the advanced practice approval renews with the registered nurse license. Rule 610-X-4-.08 states that a single state Alabama RN license expires December 31 of each even-numbered year and a multistate RN license expires December 31 of each odd-numbered year. The renewal window runs from 8:00 a.m. on September 1 to 4:30 p.m. on December 31 of the expiration year, and a license not renewed by that deadline lapses. Advanced practice approval can end earlier than the license period if the CNM's national specialty certification expires during the period, so the AMCB certification date has to be tracked separately from the December 31 deadline.
Summary
Alabama nurse-midwives must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Nursing. An Alabama nurse-midwife holds a registered nurse license plus Board of Nursing approval to practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife, and the advanced practice approval renews with the registered nurse license. Rule 610-X-4-.08 states that a single state Alabama RN license expires December 31 of each even-numbered year and a multistate RN license expires December 31 of each odd-numbered year. The renewal window runs from 8:00 a.m. on September 1 to 4:30 p.m. on December 31 of the expiration year, and a license not renewed by that deadline lapses. Advanced practice approval can end earlier than the license period if the CNM's national specialty certification expires during the period, so the AMCB certification date has to be tracked separately from the December 31 deadline. Alabama also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice: 6 contact hours every renewal cycle. Continuing education on the rules and statutes governing collaborative practice in Alabama: a one-time requirement (CNMs commencing collaborative practice on or after January 1, 2024). Board provided education on the statutory and administrative frameworks for nursing regulation, scope of practice, and standards of practice: 4 contact hours at the first renewal only (newly licensed nurses at their first renewal). Board approved controlled substance prescribing CME for holders of a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle (CNMs who hold a QACSC issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners).
Alabama Certified Nurse-Midwife renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
Alabama does not set a separate hour total for the nurse-midwife. The advanced practice obligation is layered inside the registered nurse obligation: the Board of Nursing requires not less than 24 contact hours of board approved or board recognized continuing education per license period from every nurse, and for advanced practice nurses six of those 24 hours must carry pharmacology credit. The board's advanced practice FAQ states the six pharmacology hours in the same sentence for all four advanced practice roles, CRNP, CNM, CRNA and CNS, and Rule 610-X-5-.18, the nurse-midwife's own authorization rule, repeats the figure in midwifery terms as six contact hours of pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice. Graduate pharmacology academic credit earned during the nurse-midwifery program before initial CNM approval does not count toward renewal. The board's renewal page states that an advanced practice nurse whose designation is multistate needs only the six pharmacology hours rather than the full 24. A first time renewer is not exempt: Rule 610-X-4-.08 prorates the first renewal instead, requiring four hours of board provided education on nursing regulation and scope of practice plus one hour for each remaining calendar month, capped at 24. Current certification as a nurse-midwife from a national certifying agency recognized by the board, which the board's CNM requirements page identifies as the American Midwifery Certification Board, is a condition of holding and keeping the approval, and the CNM must notify the board immediately if it lapses. That is a renewal condition rather than a state hour count, so the AMCB Certificate Maintenance Program totals, which run on a separate five year clock, are not recorded here.
Required CE topics for Alabama certified nurse-midwifes
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practiceSix of the 24 contact hours required each biennial license period. Graduate pharmacology academic credit earned during the nurse-midwifery education program before initial CNM approval does not count toward renewal. | 6 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18 |
| Continuing education on the rules and statutes governing collaborative practice in AlabamaDocumented evidence of completion of continuing education prescribed by the Board of Nursing regarding the rules and statutes governing collaborative practice in Alabama, completed not more than 48 months before, or within 12 months of, commencement of the collaborative practice. The rule does not state an hour count. The board's advanced practice FAQ states that only CRNPs and CNMs are subject to the collaborative practice requirements, so this obligation reaches a nurse-midwife and does not reach a nurse anesthetist or clinical nurse specialist. | Not stated | One time | CNMs commencing collaborative practice on or after January 1, 2024 | Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18 |
| Board provided education on the statutory and administrative frameworks for nursing regulation, scope of practice, and standards of practiceThis attaches to the underlying registered nurse license rather than to the nurse-midwife approval, so a CNM owes it at the first renewal of the RN license. The rule sets the first renewal total at these four hours plus one hour for each remaining calendar month in the period, capped at 24. | 4 contact hours | First renewal only | newly licensed nurses at their first renewal | Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-4-.08 |
| Board approved controlled substance prescribing CME for holders of a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances CertificateThis requirement attaches to the controlled substances certificate, a separate credential issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, not to the CNM approval. The medical board's CME page lists QACSC holders as CRNP, CNM and PA, and states that the holder completes 12 AMA PRA Category 1 credits in the 12 months preceding application, made up of an eight credit prescribing and pharmacology course plus four board approved credits, and then four AMA PRA Category 1 credits every two years through a board approved course. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | CNMs who hold a QACSC issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Hours must be board approved or board recognized continuing education. Verification of national nurse-midwifery certification is sent to the Board of Nursing directly by the American Midwifery Certification Board. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Alabama CNM need to renew?
- Alabama nurse-midwives must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Nursing. Alabama does not set a separate hour total for the nurse-midwife. The advanced practice obligation is layered inside the registered nurse obligation: the Board of Nursing requires not less than 24 contact hours of board approved or board recognized continuing education per license period from every nurse, and for advanced practice nurses six of those 24 hours must carry pharmacology credit. The board's advanced practice FAQ states the six pharmacology hours in the same sentence for all four advanced practice roles, CRNP, CNM, CRNA and CNS, and Rule 610-X-5-.18, the nurse-midwife's own authorization rule, repeats the figure in midwifery terms as six contact hours of pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice. Graduate pharmacology academic credit earned during the nurse-midwifery program before initial CNM approval does not count toward renewal. The board's renewal page states that an advanced practice nurse whose designation is multistate needs only the six pharmacology hours rather than the full 24. A first time renewer is not exempt: Rule 610-X-4-.08 prorates the first renewal instead, requiring four hours of board provided education on nursing regulation and scope of practice plus one hour for each remaining calendar month, capped at 24. Current certification as a nurse-midwife from a national certifying agency recognized by the board, which the board's CNM requirements page identifies as the American Midwifery Certification Board, is a condition of holding and keeping the approval, and the CNM must notify the board immediately if it lapses. That is a renewal condition rather than a state hour count, so the AMCB Certificate Maintenance Program totals, which run on a separate five year clock, are not recorded here.
- How often does a Alabama CNM license need to be renewed?
- Certified Nurse-Midwife licenses in Alabama renew every two years. An Alabama nurse-midwife holds a registered nurse license plus Board of Nursing approval to practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife, and the advanced practice approval renews with the registered nurse license. Rule 610-X-4-.08 states that a single state Alabama RN license expires December 31 of each even-numbered year and a multistate RN license expires December 31 of each odd-numbered year. The renewal window runs from 8:00 a.m. on September 1 to 4:30 p.m. on December 31 of the expiration year, and a license not renewed by that deadline lapses. Advanced practice approval can end earlier than the license period if the CNM's national specialty certification expires during the period, so the AMCB certification date has to be tracked separately from the December 31 deadline.
- What specific CE topics are required for Alabama nurse-midwives?
- Pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice: 6 contact hours every renewal cycle. Continuing education on the rules and statutes governing collaborative practice in Alabama: a one-time requirement (CNMs commencing collaborative practice on or after January 1, 2024). Board provided education on the statutory and administrative frameworks for nursing regulation, scope of practice, and standards of practice: 4 contact hours at the first renewal only (newly licensed nurses at their first renewal). Board approved controlled substance prescribing CME for holders of a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle (CNMs who hold a QACSC issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners). Citations: pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice (Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18), continuing education on the rules and statutes governing collaborative practice in Alabama (Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18), and board provided education on the statutory and administrative frameworks for nursing regulation, scope of practice, and standards of practice (Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-4-.08).
- Is the first Alabama CNM renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Alabama applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Renewal, Alabama Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Advanced Practice, Alabama Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- CNM Initial Requirements, Alabama Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Advanced Practice FAQs, Alabama Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Licensees, Alabama Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Alabama State Board of MidwiferyState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18, Authorization For Practice As A Certified Nurse Midwife (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 10, 2026
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-4-.08, Renewal Of License (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 10, 2026
Alabama has a distinct nurse-midwife credential. The Board of Nursing's advanced practice page lists four advanced practice roles, CRNP, CNM, CRNA and CNS, and the board's CNM requirements page states that approval requires an unencumbered Alabama registered nurse license or a valid multistate RN license, a master's or higher degree in a curriculum designed to prepare nurse midwives, and certification verified directly to the board by the American Midwifery Certification Board. That is how this record was established to govern the nurse-midwife rather than another kind of midwife: every source used sits inside the Board of Nursing's advanced practice materials or inside Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-5-.18, which restricts the CNM title to registered nurses issued a certificate of qualification by the Board of Nursing. Alabama separately licenses non-nurse midwives: the Alabama State Board of Midwifery, a different agency whose site was read, regulates licensed midwifery under Title 582, and nothing from that board is recorded here. The board pattern is a nursing board acting jointly with the medical board. The Board of Nursing issues the CNM approval, but collaborative practice is a joint arrangement and the collaborating physician files a Commencement of Collaborative Practice form with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, which also issues the Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate and its CME. The 24 contact hour total, the six pharmacology hours for advanced practice nurses including CNMs by name, the September 1 to December 31 renewal window and the multistate advanced practice carve-out were read on the Board of Nursing's own renewal page and advanced practice FAQ. The nurse-midwife specific pharmacology wording, the collaborative practice education effective January 1, 2024, and the requirement to maintain and report national certification were read in Rule 610-X-5-.18; the Alabama Administrative Code API serves both chapter 610-X-5 and chapter 610-X-4 as PDF rather than HTML, which the no download rule excludes, so those two rules were read through the Cornell LII mirror and cited as third party sources. Topic keys pharmacology and collaborative_practice are not in the canonical list. CNM CE is layered rather than stacked or parallel: there is one 24 hour total shared with the RN license, and the advanced practice rule carves six of those hours out for pharmacology instead of adding hours. Compared with the Alabama nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist records, the 24 hour total and the six pharmacology hours match. Two differences are real: the collaborative practice education reaches a CNM and a CRNP but not a CRNA, per the board's FAQ, and the QACSC controlled substance CME reaches a CNM because the medical board's page names CNM as a QACSC category. The first renewal jurisprudence requirement in 610-X-4-.08 is recorded here because it binds every newly licensed Alabama nurse, including one who holds advanced practice approval; the existing al-np and al-crna records omit it, and that gap is flagged for review. The board did not state carryover, whether certificates are submitted at renewal, audit practice or a record retention period on the pages read, so those fields are null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Alabama Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.