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Midwife Licensing Program

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Authorized by Arizona Revised Statutes 36-751-760 et seq. and Arizona Administrative Code R9-16-191 et seq., the Midwife Licensing Program licenses and regulates midwife services in Arizona.

What is a Midwife?

A midwife is a person who attends a woman in childbirth, but who is not a physician. Midwifery (being "with woman") focuses on providing care to normal childbearing women and their newborns.

In Arizona, there are two types of midwives who may legally assist a woman with childbirth: a certified nurse midwife and a licensed midwife. The midwifery model of care provides quality, personalized services to women seeking low-intervention pregnancy and birth services while still providing access to technical services through appropriate referral when the mother’s condition changes. The midwifery model of care is also cost effective, providing affordable services, decreasing the incidence of low birth weight, and reducing complications and the need for cesarean births.

Training/Licensing

  • Licensed Midwives - Educated in Midwifery
    • Licensed to practice in Arizona by the Office of Special Licensure, Arizona Department of Health Services, on the basis of a state administered examination.
    • Practices under Rules promulgated by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
    • Practices the independent management of care for healthy, low risk women, and their infants during pregnancy, labor and birth, and in the first few weeks after birth. Generally delivers babies in the home.
    • Consults with a physician and refers for medical care if any unusual or abnormal condition arises before, during or after delivery.
    • There are approximately 54 Arizona licensed midwives. Midwives currently practice in 7 counties in Arizona.
    • There is no state approved program of midwifery training in Arizona at this time.
    • *Requires geographically close Level I Centers to receive phone consultation, write orders and accept transport. Also uses the High Risk Perinatal Program, Arizona Department of Health Services, Section on Consultation, Case Management and Transport. Through the High Risk Perinatal Program, transport may be arranged, for example.
  • Certified Nurse-Midwife (C.N.M.) Educated as a Registered Nurse (R.N.) and in Midwifery
    • Certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) on the basis of a national certification examination.
    • Standards and qualifications for nurse-midwifery practice are defined by the ACNM.
    • Licensed to practice in Arizona by the State Board of Nursing.
    • Practices in the independent management of care of essentially normal women and newborns, providing antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, gynecological and newborn care within a health care system that provides for medical consultation, collaborative management or referral.
    • Approximately 150 CNMs practice in various settings in Arizona. These settings include Indian Health Services hospitals, county hospitals in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, Neighborhood Health Centers, private hospitals, private physicians' offices, birthing centers and in their own private practices.
    • There is no program of nurse-midwifery training in Arizona at this time.

License Application Forms

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking

For information on how to become a Licensed Midwife contact the Midwife Licensing Program at 602-364-2536.

Note: Files are in PDF format unless otherwise stated.