Council of Certified Professional Midwifery

Licenses and regulates the qualified professionals practicing midwifery in Tennessee.

About

About the Council of Certified Professional Midwifery

The Council of Certified Professional Midwifery of Tennessee was created in 2000 by the State Legislature. It is responsible for safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans by requiring those who practice as a midwife be qualified. The Council, working with the Board of Osteopathic Examination, interprets the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice to ensure the highest degree of professional conduct. The Council is authorized to issue licenses to qualified candidates who have completed appropriate education and successfully completed required examinations. The Council, along with the Board, determines the appropriate standard of care, investigates alleged violations of law and rules, and disciplines licensees who are found guilty of such violations.

Administrative staff of the Division of Health Related Boards supports the Council by issuing licenses to those who meet the requirements of the law and rules. Renewal notices are mailed from the Council’s administrative office sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the license to the license holder’s current address on record. Licenses can be renewed online sixty (60) days prior to the expiration at https://lars.tn.gov/datamart/login.do. Licensees are responsible for renewing their licenses on time and keeping the Council apprised of current information. It is a violation of the law and of the councils’s rules to practice on an expired license. An individual licensed, registered, or certified as a midwife in another state may be licensed in Tennessee by either examination or reciprocity from other states.

The Council is required by statute to meet once a year. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members to conduct business. The meetings are open to the public. All members are appointed by the Commissioner of Health and serve four (4) year terms. The six (6) member Council consists of three (3) certified professional midwives, one (1) consumer, one (1) certified nurse midwife and one (1) physician.

Licensure Scam Alert

The Department of Health has been made aware that some licensees of a few different health licensure boards have received fraudulent communications from individuals claiming to be from those licensee’s licensing boards. The communications, often by phone, may threaten arrest or license suspension, demand personal information, or require payment of fines. Some of them have been accompanied by fraudulent letters claiming to suspend the license. Please note:

Phone calls may “spoof” or appear to be from the boards’ number;
If you need to verify the identity of a TN board investigator, call (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov.
The health-related board investigators will never demand that you provide personally identifying information, such as a social security number, date of birth, or bank or credit card account numbers over the phone;
These types of licensing scams are a problem nationwide.

If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:

If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:
Report the communication to the Internet Crime Complaint Center Internet Crime Complaint Center at using the code "TDHHPBSCAM2026". This will allow law enforcement to link these scams for improved investigation.
Complainants can alternatively call the Fusion Center Tipline (800TBIFIND) or submit a tip online at TBI but the IC3 is preferred.

· Notify the Department of Health at (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov

The Federal Trade Commission also accepts reports about “Imposter Scams” online or at 1-877-382-4357.

Contact

Contact the Council of Certified Professional Midwifery

615-532-4384 local or (800) 778-4123 nationwide
or write
665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Medical.Health@tn.gov

Applying for Licensure

Meetings, Members, & Minutes

Meeting Schedule

Click for the [Board] Calendar of Events

Public Notices will remain online until the minutes are ratified and posted on the Meeting Minutes page.

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at 665 Mainstream Drive, MetroCenter.

Members

Members	Title	Representation	Term Expires
Debra Church , CPM	Chair	Certified Professional Midwife	06-30-2025
Donna Lafferty, CPM	Vice Chair	Certified Nurse Midwife	07-31-2028
John H. Wilters, MD	Member	MD - Obstetrics & Gynecology	07-31-2026
Brandy Lendley, CPM	Member	Certified Professional Midwife	07-31-2028
Alysha M. Salas, CPM	Member	Certified Professional Midwife	06-30-2026
Jennifer G. Davis	Member	Consumer	07-31-2023

Meeting Minutes

Click here for Meeting Minutes

Copies of all minutes are maintained in the official record section of the administrative office.

Please contact the board administrator to make arrangements to review minutes of meetings held prior to 2004.

Continuing Education

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant. The disciplinary action will be reported on the Department of Health license verification web site.

Requirements

Educational Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

How do I renew my license?

You can renew online or by paper renewal application. To renew online, please visit https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/. To renew using the paper renewal application you receive in the mail, please complete the paper renewal application, and return it along with the required renewal fee to the address specified on the renewal notice. If you lose the paper application you received in the mail, you can contact us at 615-532-4384 for a generic renewal notice to be e-mailed to you.

Approximately ninety (90) days in advance of your expiration date, you will receive a paper or electronic renewal notice notifying you of your upcoming expiration. Individuals who are “opted in” to receive electronic notifications from our office will receive the notification at the email address we have on file. Licensees who did not opt in will receive a paper renewal notice.

When you submit your renewal application you must provide proof of current NARM certification in good standing and proof of current CPR certification.

How do I request a duplicate of my certificate?

You can request a duplicate certificate after logging into your online account here: https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/. From a drop down on the main menu, select Request a Duplicate Renewal Certificate or Duplicate Wall Certificate. The Duplicate Renewal Certificate will be a duplicate of the small certificate with your expiration date on it and it is free. The Duplicate Wall Certificate will be a duplicate of the large brown certificate, and costs $5. The certificate(s) will print and be mailed to the mailing address we have on file. We cannot provide an electronic copy of your license.

How do I file a complaint on a certified professional midwife?

Contact the Bureau of Investigations at 1-800-852-2187; 615-532-3421
https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/report-a-concern.html

I am retiring from the practice of certified professional midwifery. What should I do?

You may retire your professional midwifery license with the submission of an affidavit of retirement. You may access the affidavit here: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/PH-3460.pdf. There is no fee to retire your license; however, should you seek to obtain active licensure at a later date, the Committee may require that you submit evidence that you have maintained your clinical competency.

Application Processing Questions

How can I contact the Committee’s Office?

You can reach us by phone at 615-532-4384. All documents being mailed to our office should be sent to: Council of Certified Professional Midwifery, 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243.

I allowed my Tennessee professional midwifery license to lapse. How do I reactivate my license?

If you have an expired (or retired) Tennessee professional midwifery license and wish to return to practice in Tennessee, you must submit an application for initial licensure. That application is available here: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/healthprofboards/midwifery/MW_application.pdf

If your application reveals you have been out of clinical practice for more than two years, you may be subject to additional requirements set by the Committee and/or Board.

How do I check the status of my license application?

You may confirm that your application is in progress through our license verification page: https://apps.health.tn.gov/Licensure/default.aspx. If you applied for licensure online, then updates to your application are made available in your online account: https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/.

The Board’s administrative staff makes every effort to keep applicants apprised of their application status. This includes an effort to send deficiency letters to applicants every couple of weeks. Frequent calls and emails to our office for license status updates interrupt our administrators’ work processes and reduce the amount of time available to review applications and correspond with applicants regarding application deficiencies.

How do I complete the background check process and what is my OCA number?

Follow this link for instructions on how to complete your background check.
https://www.tn.gov/health/health-professionals/criminal-background-check/cbc-instructions.html

May I work while waiting for my license/certificate to be ratified by the Committee?

Yes, if you have been issued a license/certificate number you are allowed to commence practice in Tennessee. If your license/certificate is not ratified by the Committee you will be promptly notified to suspend your practice in Tennessee with an explanation for why your license/certificate was not ratified.

Can my application be expedited if I have an employment opportunity pending the approval of my application?

No. Applications are reviewed and considered in the order in which they are received. To emphasize this point, the application instructions recommend that you do not make arrangements to accept employment to practice in Tennessee prior to being issued a license number. Requesting documents from outside organizations or others could be done prior to submitting your application which would assist in your file being promptly complete.

Policies, Rules, & Statutes

Policies

Tennessee Midwives Association Practice Guidelines

Rules

Click here for Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Council of Certified Professional Midwifery.

Statutes

Statutes are proposed and made law by the Tennessee State General Assembly (Legislature). The Board, following specific notice requirements and hearings, adopts rules. Both have the force of law and may be used in the regulation of a profession. The statutes pertaining to this Board are found at T.C.A. 63-1 (Division of Health Related Boards) and T.C.A. 63-29 (Midwifery).

Click here to review the Tennessee Code Annotated. (This link will take you to a website that is not maintained by the Tennessee Department of Health).

This Page Last Updated: March 30, 2026 at 2:43 PM