Maintaining Your Registration

Engaging Midwives to Maintain High Standards of Care

As a midwife, you are a regulated health professional. Registration with the College of Midwives of Ontario comes with responsibilities detailed in provincial legislation and regulations, as well as College standards, policies, and by-laws.

The College’s mandate is to regulate midwifery in the public interest, which we do by ensuring midwives meet our high and achievable expectations.

When a client chooses a midwife, they must be confident they’re working with a healthcare provider who is highly skilled and ethical.

You can choose how involved you’d like to be with the College, but self-regulation works best when midwives are engaged and familiar with the activities of the College.

• We share regular updates by email and through our quarterly newsletters, and welcome feedback and questions from midwives. You can sign up for our email newsletters at the bottom of this page.
• When the Board proposes making major changes to our regulations, by-laws, and standards, we hold public consultations where midwives can share their thoughts and opinions.
• We deeply value the input from all midwives and respond to feedback carefully and thoughtfully.
• Midwives can apply to be non-Board members of one of our College committees, and take on a more direct role in shaping how midwifery is regulated.
• Finally, we have annual elections for the professional positions on our Board, and encourage members to run for positions and vote for their peers.

Quality Assurance Requirements

The College’s Quality Assurance activities are designed to ensure that the knowledge, skills, and judgment of Ontario midwives remain current throughout their careers. These requirements are aimed at helping midwives continue to provide safe, effective, appropriate, and ethical midwifery care to their clients.

Though mandated by provincial legislation and regulation, Quality Assurance requirements are intended to be supportive in nature, helping to promote and enhance midwives’ understanding of the practice of the profession of midwifery.

Continuing Competencies

Neonatal Resuscitation Program, CPR, and Emergency Skills Requirements

Registered practising midwives are required to maintain current training in neonatal resuscitation (NRP), emergency skills (ES) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in accordance with the conditions outlined in the Registration Regulation.

• NRP – annually (valid for 12 months from date of training)
• ES – bi-annually (valid for 24 months from date of training)
• CPR – bi-annually (valid for 24 months from date of training)

Satisfactory evidence of continuing competency and completed training in these areas will be verified each year during the renewal period.

View the College’s Continuing Competency Requirements and Approved Courses.

Classes of Registration

Midwives can be registered in one of several different classes of registration: General, supervised practice, transitional, and inactive. Registrants of the College can apply to change class or resign their registration.

General

The majority of midwives are registrants of the general class. Within this class, midwives practise with no restrictions on their registration unless they have new registrant conditions or otherwise specified terms, conditions or limitations that are noted on the public register.

Supervised Practice

An applicant may be registered with a supervised practice certificate of registration in limited circumstances. This class is designated for applicants who do not meet the clinical experience requirements of the general class and require a period of supervision before registration in the general class can be granted.

Registrants in the supervised practice class can only practise midwifery under the supervision of an approved supervisor and in accordance with an approved supervision plan. A supervised practice certificate is granted for a maximum of one year. However, in some circumstances, the Registration Committee can approve the re-issuance of a supervised practice certificate after the one-year period.

Arranging for an Approved Supervisor

If you’re in the supervised class, you need to find a midwife who meets the criteria to act as a supervisor. You’ll need to have them fill out an agreement to act as your supervisor and sign a conflict of interest declaration. Both of these forms are on the Forms for Midwives page.

Transitional

Applicants who meet all of the entry-to-practice requirements and who have written the national midwifery qualifying examination, but have not received the results of the examination, are eligible for a transitional certificate of registration. This certificate allows these registrants to practise midwifery while under the supervision of a member who holds a general certificate of registration.

Transitional certificates are valid for up to 90 days and will be revoked when the registrant is notified that they have passed the examination and are issued a general or supervised certificate, or when they are notified that they have failed the exam.

Arranging for an Approved Supervisor

If you’re in the transitional class, you need to sign an undertaking with the College and find a midwife who meets the criteria to act as a supervisor. You’ll need to have them fill out an agreement to act as your supervisor. Both of these forms are on the Forms for Midwives page.

Transitional Certificate of Registration Requirements and Information

Inactive

Registrants who hold a general certificate can choose to become inactive with the College and pay a reduced fee by applying for an inactive certificate of registration.  Inactive certificate holders continue to be registrants of the College and must renew their certificates of registration each year by October 1.

Registered midwives in the inactive class may use the protected title “midwife” or a variation, but it is a condition of an inactive certificate of registration that the member must not practise midwifery in Ontario. To understand what this means, members should review the Inactive Class Information before changing classes.

Inactive registrants need to apply to rejoin the general class and must provide any and all requirements, including fees, professional liability insurance, current proofs of NRP, CPR, ES, and the successful completion of the College’s Jurisprudence Course, if not previously completed.

Applications for a general certificate will be reviewed to ensure current clinical experience in accordance with the Registration Regulation and the College policies.

A review by a panel of the Registration Committee may be required to determine a requalification program if the current clinical experience requirements for a general certificate are not met at the time of application.

Emergency Class

Applicants can only be registered under the emergency class certificate if the Minister of Health or the College’s Board have determined that there are emergency circumstances, and it is in the public interest for the College to issue emergency certificates. See our Emergency Class Policy for more information.

In those rare circumstances, the applicant must have successfully completed a midwifery program or be registered or licensed to practise independently in a jurisdiction approved by Board or the Registration Committee. The applicant must have practised midwifery in the last four years from the time of the certificate issuance, complete the jurisdiction course, demonstrate language proficiency in either English or French, and provide proof of professional liability insurance.

Registrants in the emergency class can only practise midwifery under the supervision of an approved supervisor and in accordance with an approved supervision plan. They must also identify as a member of the emergency class at all times. 

An emergency class certificate will be revoked in the event of one of the following: ninety days after the Board has declared that the emergency circumstances has ended, at the registrar’s determination, or one year after it is issued, unless extended.  

Change of Registration Class

Current registrants who hold a general certificate of registration may apply to the College to change their class of registration for periods they will not be practising midwifery in Ontario. Inactive midwives wishing to resume the practice of midwifery in Ontario may also apply to the College to change their class of registration.

Applications for class changes may be submitted at any time during the registration year. However, processing times vary depending on the type of class change, and if the application is received during the high-volume Registration Renewal period.

Types of Class Changes

There are two types of class changes:

General class (eligible to practise) to inactive class (not practising)

Midwives in the general class who want to change to the inactive class of registration must submit their Change of Class application form to the College. Exception: Class changes to inactive with an effective date between August 1 to November 1 may be submitted to the College within the renewal portal between August 1 to October 1 with the submission of a renewal form before the effective date of the class change.  Renewal invoices will be reduced accordingly.

For more information about the inactive class and not practising midwifery, please review the Inactive Class Information document.

Inactive class (not practising) to general class (eligible to practise)

Midwives in the inactive class who want to return to the general class of registration must submit an application form to the College a minimum of eight weeks before the requested date of the change. Please note that all class change applications from the inactive class to the general class received on or after August 1, 2024, will be subject to a $100 fee.

The requirements to transition from inactive to general are included with the Change of Class forms. Midwives who cannot demonstrate the required current clinical experience and active practice may be referred to the Registration Committee for review.

In accordance with the Registration Regulation, all applicants for reissuance of a general certificate of registration must have current clinical experience consisting of active practice for at least two years out of the four years immediately before the date of application. Registrants who do not have the current clinical experience are required to complete a requalification program before being able to move to the general class.

A registrant must have practised midwifery for at least two years in the preceding four years immediately before the date of application for reissuance of a General certificate of registration, and have the following birth numbers:

• 40 births consisting of
  • 20 primary births including
    • 10 primary out-of-hospital birth
    • 10 primary hospital births

In addition, a registrant must have, at the time of entry into the profession or over the course of the registrant’s time practising the profession, completed the following:

• Have attended at least 60 births, of which at least
  • 40 were attended as primary midwife
  • 30 were attended as part of the care provided to a woman in accordance with the principles of continuity of care
  • 10 were attended in hospital, of which at least five were attended as primary midwife, and
  • 10 were attended in a residence or remote clinic or remote birth centre, of which at least five were attended as primary midwife.

For more information on how the College reviews current clinical experience and active practice shortfalls within the context of a class change from inactive to general, review the College’s Requalification Program Approval and Registrar Authorization Policy.

What happens if my application is referred to the Registration Committee?

The Registration Committee Panel review process enables registrants who don’t meet the clinical experience and active practice requirements, nor the low-risk criteria outlined in the Requalification Program Approval and Registrar Authorization Policy a way to complete an approved requalification program.

The program will be determined based on consideration of the individual application, birth shortfall and other criteria outlined in the College’s Registration Panel Risk Assessment Tool for Determining Requalification Programs. This ensures any registrant moving from inactive to general has the current knowledge and skill to practise midwifery safely and effectively as a primary care provider.

When processing your inactive to general class change application, if it is determined that a review by a Panel of the Registration Committee is required, you will be advised in writing and provided an opportunity to make further written submissions for consideration by a Panel of the Registration Committee.

Registrants should account for the possibility of needing to complete a requalification program prior to being reissued a general certificate. The time required for this may be more than the processing time when there is a Panel referral.

Learn more about the Registration Committee Panel Review Process.

Processing Timelines for Class Change Applications

General to Inactive:

• Three to ten business days maximum.
• Class changes to Inactive with an effective date of August 1 up to November 1 may be submitted to the College within the renewal portal between August up to October 1 with the submission of a renewal form before the effective date of the class change.

Inactive to General:

• Eight weeks minimum. May require additional time during the Registration Renewal period between August to October.
• Applications requiring a panel review may require more than eight weeks for processing depending on the complexity of the application and/or the date of the next scheduled panel meeting.
• Applications that are incomplete or are missing required documentation will result in processing delays.

An email acknowledging receipt of your application will be sent to you within three business days.

If you require any further information regarding class changes, please contact the Registration Department at registration@cmo.on.ca or 416-640-2252.

Learn more and submit your Class Change Application.

Resigning your Registration

Midwives can resign their registration in the Registrant Portal. To resign your registration, first make sure to update your contact information on file with the College. Then use the resignation tab in the Registrant Portal. Resignation applications are completed online but are processed and verified by College staff who will confirm your resignation by email.

Between August 1 and October 1, resignation requests may be submitted through the renewal application.  If you have decided you no longer wish to continue as a Registered Midwife for the new registration year beginning October 1, please enter the Registrant Portal and submit your resignation request with an effective date of no later than October 1. This will ensure you do not incur any registration renewal fees and penalty fees for the new registration year. Once a request is received, the College will confirm the resignation in writing once processed. Resignations cannot be backdated.

Registration renewal fees and penalty fees will apply for resignations received after October 1 without a paid and submitted renewal form.

Resigned midwives are not able to practise midwifery and cannot use the title “midwife.” If you are only planning to take a break from practising midwifery, consider applying to the inactive class of registration with the College. The College has prepared a fact sheet on the difference between resigning and joining the inactive class. If you have any questions about resignation or the inactive class, please contact the College at registration@cmo.on.ca.

Registration Committee Panels

When a matter is referred to the Registration Committee, the Chair of the Committee selects a panel from the members of the Committee to consider it. A panel must consist of at least three Registration Committee members, at least one of whom must be a member of the public. Three Committee members are required for quorum.

Registration Committee Panel Referrals

There are several reasons that a registrant or applicant may find themselves at a Registration Committee Panel, and some are detailed below.

Fee Information

Registration Class	Full Fee	Payment Instalments
General, supervised practice, or transitional	$2,756	$1,403 dated October 1, 2024 $1,353 dated February 1, 2025
Inactive on October 1	$1,237	$643.50 dated October 1, 2024 $593.50 dated February 1, 2025
Class change to inactive between October 2 – November 1, 2024	$1,364	$707 dated October 1, 2024 $657 dated February 1, 2025

All registrants are required to pay the annual fees by the registration renewal deadline of October 1 each year. Fees can be paid online through the registrant portal or by cheque, made out to the College of Midwives of Ontario.

Suspensions for Non-payment of Fees

Members who do not pay their annual fees risk penalty fees and suspension for non-payment of fees. If a member is suspended for non-payment of fees, a permanent record of the suspension will be noted on the Public Register. Even when fees are paid in full, the suspension remains part of the Public Register record and will not be removed.

Tax Receipts

Tax receipts for registration fees paid in the tax year (January 1 to December 31) will be issued in February.