Current Interpreters

Certification and Registration Requirements

Annual renewal and compliance packets are e-mailed to all certified or registered interpreters every year between September 15 - October 1.

In the event that the e-mail is returned as undeliverable or if an e-mail address is not on file, the packet will be sent by mail. It is the interpreters responsibility to notify the Court Interpreters Program (CIP)  of their current contact information. Renewal packets may also be downloaded from the Annual Renewal and Compliance page.

In order to fulfill the Compliance Requirements for Certified and Registered Court Interpreters, all court interpreters are required to submit their annual renewal fee by December 31 of the current year. In addition, every two years, 30 hours of continuing education and a minimum of 40 professional  assignments must be completed and interpreters must retain verification of their continuing education and professional assignments for five years.

The Court Interpreters Program does not maintain a list of course availability. Please consult the list of approved continuing education providersfor contact information to inquire about current course offerings. To receive credit for a qualifying course, an application for approval must be submitted to the  Court Interpreters Program. Only courses that meet the criteria found in the Compliance Requirements for Certified and Registered Court Interpreters will be considered.

Interpreters are required to retain their Continuing Interpreter Minimum Education (CIMCE) number and/or certificate(s) of course completion provided by the education provider. Please contact the education provider if in the event you lose your CIMCE number.

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 and Registered Interpreters.  Failure to attend the workshop within the first two years of enrollment may result in loss of certified or registered status. Please read the Ethics Manual prior to attending the workshop.

For more information, see the following:

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Beyond Words by Marcelo Cedeno

The Judicial Council has received permission to offer CIMCE for this one hour video.  An exploration of vicarious trauma, burnout and stress experienced by many language interpreters.  The effective date is December 1, 2018 thru December 1, 2019. Please use CIMCE # 4781,  effective through December 1, 2019 (unless the video is taken down by the creator prior).


The New Mexico Center for Language Access

is a program of the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts. The Center offers online court interpreter training programs and skills development classes for current interpreters. Students from all over the country with diverse language pairs (spoken languages only) are welcome. Courses which train you to become an interpreter or offer test preparation are not CIMCE eligible. To receive credit for any other courses you must submit an application for CIMCE.

 The Judicial Council of California is providing this information as a courtesy and does not endorse program content or guarantee that the programs  listed is approved for continuing education credit for existing  CA interpreters. Interpreters are cautioned to question the veracity of guarantees of success on examinations as a result of any training. The external link is  provided is for informational purposes only.

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.

Court interpreters from other states may be eligible for reciprocity

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

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