- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Civics Education
- Collaborative Justice Courts
- Community Outreach
- Court Innovations—Kleps Awards
- Court Interpreters Program (CIP)
- Criminal Justice Programs
- Domestic Violence
- Equal Access
- Facilities
- For Families and Children
- Judicial Administration Fellowships
- JusticeCorps
- Tribal/State Programs
Current Interpreters
Certification and Registration Requirements
In order to fulfill the Compliance Requirements for Certified and Registered Court Interpreters, 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.
Beginning January 1, 2013, in order to complete the enrollment process and be added to the Judicial Council's Master List, all newly certified and registered interpreters are required to complete the online course, "Interpreter Orientation: Working in the California Courts."
For more information, see the following:
- Compliance Requirements for Certified Court Interpreters and Registered Interpreters of Nondesignated Languages (January, 2013)
- Compliance Requirements: Highlights of Changes (January 1, 2013)
- Annual Renewal Fee Changes Highlights (September 2011)
- Application for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) Credit Approval
- Information Update Form
- Continuing Education Instructions and Compliance Form
- FAQs
- Replace Interpreter Badge
All certified and registered interpreters of spoken languages are required to attend a Judicial Council ethics workshop within the first two years of enrollment on the Judicial Council’s Master List of Certified Court Interpreters of Designated Languages and Registered Interpreters of Nondesignated Languages. The workshops are open to the public, including noncertified and nonregistered interpreters.
- Opt Out Guidelines
- Payment policies for court 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.