New Mexico Certified Nurse-Midwife license renewal and CE requirements
New Mexico nurse-midwives must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal Health Program (Family Health Bureau, Public Health Division).
New Mexico does not license nurse-midwives through the Board of Nursing. The Department of Health licenses the certified nurse-midwife under 16.11.2 NMAC, and that license is separate from the registered nurse license the same person must keep current with the Board of Nursing. A renewed CNM license expires on the last day of the month of the licensee's birth month in the second year after it is issued, so the cycle is two years. The completed renewal application has to be submitted electronically by the fifth day of the month in which the license expires, and a late fee applies after that date. An initial license may be issued at any time, expires on the last day of the birth month, and is valid for at most two years.
Summary
New Mexico nurse-midwives must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal Health Program (Family Health Bureau, Public Health Division). New Mexico does not license nurse-midwives through the Board of Nursing. The Department of Health licenses the certified nurse-midwife under 16.11.2 NMAC, and that license is separate from the registered nurse license the same person must keep current with the Board of Nursing. A renewed CNM license expires on the last day of the month of the licensee's birth month in the second year after it is issued, so the cycle is two years. The completed renewal application has to be submitted electronically by the fifth day of the month in which the license expires, and a late fee applies after that date. An initial license may be issued at any time, expires on the last day of the birth month, and is valid for at most two years. New Mexico also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacology related contact hours: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (all certified nurse-midwives). Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations: 5 contact hours at the first renewal only (certified nurse-midwives at their first license renewal). Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations, subsequent renewals: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (certified nurse-midwives at every renewal after the first). Health equity: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all certified nurse-midwives).
New Mexico 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 | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Preparing and presenting a nurse-midwifery topic approved for contact hours, credited at twice the approved hours, maximum 15 contact hours per licensure period, and the same presentation cannot be credited twice; Sole or primary authorship of one nurse-midwifery related article in a department approved professional medical or midwifery journal, accepted in place of 10 contact hours per licensure period; A formal university or college course directly related to nurse-midwifery practice, credited at 15 hours per semester unit or 10 hours per quarter unit; Acting as preceptor for a midwifery student, 10 hours of precepting credited as one contact hour, maximum 10 contact hours, not accepted for the pharmacology hours |
16.11.2.9(C)(3) NMAC requires a certified nurse-midwife to complete a minimum of 30 contact hours during the two years preceding license renewal, and 15 of those 30 must be pharmacology related. None of the substitute activities listed above may be used in place of the pharmacology related hours. Renewal also requires proof of current certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board or its designee, and documentation of participation during the preceding two years in a system of quality management approved by the department, meaning peer review, quality assurance and quality improvement as defined in 16.11.2.7 NMAC. AMCB certification is a condition of renewal here, not a substitute for the 30 state hours, so no AMCB Certificate Maintenance Program total is recorded in this record. This CNM requirement runs on a parallel clock to the registered nurse license the CNM must also hold: 16.12.2.9 NMAC requires 30 hours of board approved continuing education in the 24 months before the RN license expires, and 16.12.2.10(E) NMAC lets current national certification stand in place of those 30 RN hours. The rules read do not state whether the same course may be counted toward both the RN and the CNM totals, so no such allowance is recorded. The department's approval bodies for CNM continuing education include national or state recognized nursing organizations and boards of nursing, so nursing continuing education is generally acceptable content.
Required CE topics for New Mexico 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 related contact hoursHalf of the 30 hour total. These hours cannot be satisfied by the presentation, publication, coursework or preceptor substitutions the rule otherwise allows. The canonical topic key list has no pharmacology entry, so a short snake_case key is used here. | 15 contact hours | Every renewal | All certified nurse-midwives | 16.11.2.9(C)(3)(a) NMAC |
| Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulationsCounted inside the 15 pharmacology related hours, not on top of them. Acceptable content is the CNM rule as it applies to management of chronic pain, the pharmacology and risks of controlled substances, the problems of substance use disorder and addiction, or state and federal regulations for the prescription of controlled substances. The rule applies this to a CNM who holds a CNM license at the first license renewal application, without conditioning it on holding a DEA registration. | 5 contact hours | First renewal only | Certified nurse-midwives at their first license renewal | 16.11.2.9(C)(3)(a) NMAC |
| Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations, subsequent renewalsWith each subsequent license renewal application the CNM submits proof of at least two contact hours on the same list of topics. Also counted inside the 15 pharmacology related hours. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | Certified nurse-midwives at every renewal after the first | 16.11.2.9(C)(3)(b) NMAC |
| Health equityAcceptable content includes implicit bias training to identify strategies to reduce bias during assessment, diagnosis and care, including training in bias, racism and poverty that manifest as health inequities; development of individual and system level interventions and self reflection; and skills to care effectively for clients from diverse cultures, groups and communities. Counted inside the 30 hour total. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All certified nurse-midwives | 16.11.2.9(C)(3)(c) NMAC |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 1 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The activity must be approved by a recognized approval body: a clinician level continuing education accrediting agency approved by the division, a national or state recognized nursing organization or board of nursing, or another state board of nursing. Contact hours or CEUs awarded by continuing education divisions within institutions of higher learning, and offerings approved through other generally recognized health care or professional organizations related to CNM scope of practice, are also accepted. The department's midwifery program page states that midwives track credits through CE Broker, which links to the renewal application. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a New Mexico CNM need to renew?
- New Mexico nurse-midwives must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal Health Program (Family Health Bureau, Public Health Division). 16.11.2.9(C)(3) NMAC requires a certified nurse-midwife to complete a minimum of 30 contact hours during the two years preceding license renewal, and 15 of those 30 must be pharmacology related. None of the substitute activities listed above may be used in place of the pharmacology related hours. Renewal also requires proof of current certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board or its designee, and documentation of participation during the preceding two years in a system of quality management approved by the department, meaning peer review, quality assurance and quality improvement as defined in 16.11.2.7 NMAC. AMCB certification is a condition of renewal here, not a substitute for the 30 state hours, so no AMCB Certificate Maintenance Program total is recorded in this record. This CNM requirement runs on a parallel clock to the registered nurse license the CNM must also hold: 16.12.2.9 NMAC requires 30 hours of board approved continuing education in the 24 months before the RN license expires, and 16.12.2.10(E) NMAC lets current national certification stand in place of those 30 RN hours. The rules read do not state whether the same course may be counted toward both the RN and the CNM totals, so no such allowance is recorded. The department's approval bodies for CNM continuing education include national or state recognized nursing organizations and boards of nursing, so nursing continuing education is generally acceptable content.
- How often does a New Mexico CNM license need to be renewed?
- Certified Nurse-Midwife licenses in New Mexico renew every two years. New Mexico does not license nurse-midwives through the Board of Nursing. The Department of Health licenses the certified nurse-midwife under 16.11.2 NMAC, and that license is separate from the registered nurse license the same person must keep current with the Board of Nursing. A renewed CNM license expires on the last day of the month of the licensee's birth month in the second year after it is issued, so the cycle is two years. The completed renewal application has to be submitted electronically by the fifth day of the month in which the license expires, and a late fee applies after that date. An initial license may be issued at any time, expires on the last day of the birth month, and is valid for at most two years.
- What specific CE topics are required for New Mexico nurse-midwives?
- Pharmacology related contact hours: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (all certified nurse-midwives). Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations: 5 contact hours at the first renewal only (certified nurse-midwives at their first license renewal). Chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations, subsequent renewals: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (certified nurse-midwives at every renewal after the first). Health equity: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all certified nurse-midwives). Citations: pharmacology related contact hours (16.11.2.9(C)(3)(a) NMAC), chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations (16.11.2.9(C)(3)(a) NMAC), chronic pain, controlled substances, substance use disorder, or controlled substance prescribing regulations, subsequent renewals (16.11.2.9(C)(3)(b) NMAC), and health equity (16.11.2.9(C)(3)(c) NMAC).
- Do New Mexico nurse-midwives have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 1 years. The activity must be approved by a recognized approval body: a clinician level continuing education accrediting agency approved by the division, a national or state recognized nursing organization or board of nursing, or another state board of nursing. Contact hours or CEUs awarded by continuing education divisions within institutions of higher learning, and offerings approved through other generally recognized health care or professional organizations related to CNM scope of practice, are also accepted. The department's midwifery program page states that midwives track credits through CE Broker, which links to the renewal application.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 16.11.2 NMAC, Certified Nurse-Midwives (New Mexico Department of Health), effective May 7, 2024Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 16.12.2 NMAC, Nurse Licensure (New Mexico Board of Nursing)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- Certified Nurse Midwives and Licensed Midwives, New Mexico Department of Health Maternal Health ProgramState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
Surprising regulator. New Mexico is not a board of nursing state for nurse-midwifery. Title 16 Chapter 11 NMAC is titled MIDWIVES and Part 2 of that chapter, CERTIFIED NURSE-MIDWIVES, is issued by the New Mexico Department of Health, while the Board of Nursing's own licensure rule at 16.12.2 NMAC names only three advanced practice roles, certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist and clinical nurse specialist, and the word midwife does not appear anywhere in it. That was checked by reading the full text of 16.12.2 NMAC. The credential trap was handled by scope: 16.11.2.2 NMAC states the rule applies to any person seeking to practice or currently practicing as a certified nurse-midwife in New Mexico, and 16.11.2.6 NMAC states the rule governs the licensure and practice of certified nurse-midwives, so every figure here is nurse-midwife specific. Licensed Midwives, the direct entry credential, are governed by a different part of Chapter 11 and are not covered by this record. The 30 hours, the 15 pharmacology hours, the controlled substances hours, the two health equity hours, the birth month expiration, the two year cycle, the fifth of the month filing deadline, the AMCB condition, the quality management condition, the substitution list and the one year record retention were all read in 16.11.2 NMAC on the State Records Center and Archives site, which publishes the official New Mexico Administrative Code. Whether a first time renewer is exempt or prorated is not stated in 16.11.2 NMAC, so exempt_first_renewal is null; note that the Board of Nursing's parallel RN rule does allow prorating, but that allowance is written for the RN license and is not repeated in the CNM rule. Carryover is not addressed in the CNM rule either, so it is left null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal Health Program (Family Health Bureau, Public Health Division) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.