Search for an Interpreter

Use the Judicial Council Master List to search for court certified, registered and enrolled interpreters who are in good standing with the Judicial Council. Interpreters included on the Master List have passed the required exams and officially applied with the Judicial Council. California Government Code Sections 68561- 68562 outline the certification/registration process and the maintenance and use of the list for spoken language interpreters. Interpreters for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing are governed under California Evidence Code 754.

Important Notice: Interpreters on the Master List are required to carry a Judicial Council issued badge that displays a current photo, the interpreter's official title and identification number, and an expiration date. Use this badge as part of your identity verification process and as needed for your administrative or court records. Inclusion on the Master List indicates that the interpreter has complied with all requirements for certified/registered/enrolled status, has paid all applicable fees, and has satisfied all applicable continuing education requirements. Please note that the Judicial Council has not verified eligibility to work in the United States of any interpreter on the Master List and has not conducted a criminal background check on any interpreter on the Master List.

Government Code section 27293 permits California county clerks to certify documents translated into English only if the document has been translated by American Translators Association certified translators, California Certified Court Interpreters, or California Registered Interpreters. California Certified Court or Registered Interpreters are authorized in a judicial proceeding to interpret orally the verbal content of documents, but the Judicial Council does not otherwise test or certify an interpreter's written translation skills. 

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) maintains a database for different certifications, including persons who possess the Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L), which is no longer offered as an exam but is still recognized by the Judicial Council for American Sign Language (ASL) court interpreter certification, and a generalist certificate for deaf interpreters, the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI). As needed, the court may appoint a CDI to act as the “intermediary interpreter” between the individual who is deaf or hard of hearing and the ASL court interpreter. For a list of Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDI’s) in California, please search the interpreter database of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

Court Certified and Registered Interpreters (Search Below)