Current Interpreters

Certification and Registration Requirements

In order to fulfill the Compliance Requirements for Certified Court Interpreters and Registered Interpreters of Nondesignated Languages, all court interpreters are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. Court interpreters are required to submit a Continuing Education Compliance Form every two years and to retain verification of attendance for five years. A list of approved courses is provided for your reference in completing the compliance form.

The Court Interpreters Program does not maintain a list of course availability. Please consult the list of approved continuing education providers for contact information to inquire about current course offerings. To add a course to the approved list, or receive credit for a qualifying course, an application for approval must be submitted to the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Continuing Education Approval Subcommittee. Only courses that meet the requirements for approval will be considered.

For more information, see the following:

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Forms and Resources

Workshops for Court Interpreters

All new interpreters are required to attend an ethics workshop (certified and registered interpreters) and an orientation workshop (registered interpreters only) within the first two years of becoming a certified or registered court interpreter. The workshops are open to the public, including noncertified and nonregistered interpreters.

The following online courses are being offered by New Mexico Center for Language Access in collaboration with the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts. Note: The California Administrative Office of the Courts is providing this information as a courtesy and does not endorse program content or guarantee that the program listed is approved for continuing education credit for existing interpreters. The external links provided are for informational purposes only.

Training Resources

List of Approved Instructor Led and Non-Instructor Led Classes by Providers

List of Approved Instructor Led Classes by the AOC and the Courts

List of Approved Non-Instructor Led Classes by the AOC and the Courts

Provider List for CIMCE Credit

Ethics

Associations

Professional Interpreter Associations

Contact the Courts

Additional Materials

Opt Out Guidelines
Payment policies for court interpreters

Select California Interpreter Rules of Court and Laws

Federally Certified Spanish Interpreters

The Judicial Council accepts the qualifications of federally certified Spanish court interpreters without additional testing. Interpreters holding a current federal court interpreter certification do not have to take and pass the California court interpreter written and oral exams, but they do need to meet all other California requirements for enrollment on the Judicial Council's Master List of Certified Court Interpreters. To be added to the master list of court certified interpreters, federally certified interpreters must request an enrollment packet at courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov and follow the instructions provided.

Once enrolled on the Master List, federally certified interpreters must continue to meet the same requirements as all other California court certified interpreters to maintain status on the Judicial Council's master list:

Pay the annual renewal fee (currently $100/year);
Submit proof of 30 hours of continuing education and 40 assignments of recent professional interpreting experience every two years.

For more information, contact the Court Interpreters Program at courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov.

Note: The California Administrative Office of the Courts is providing the information as a courtesy and does not endorse program content or guarantee that the program listed is approved for continuing education credit for existing interpreters. The external link provided is for informational purposes only.

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