Current Interpreters
Maintaining Your Certified or Registered Status
In order to maintain your credentialed status as a California certified or registered court interpreter, you are required to abide by Judicial Council approved annual renewal requirements. For more information regarding annual renewal requirements go to the Annual Renewal and Compliance Period page
Required Ethics Training
The ethics training is a requirement for all new certified and registered court interpreters to complete within their first two years of enrollment with the Court Interpreters Program, as well as for provisionally qualified interpreters under certain circumstances. The training curriculum is based on California Rules of Court, rule 2.890 Professional Conduct for Interpreters and the ethics manual, Professional Standards and Ethics for California Court Interpreters.
The training will cover issues of accuracy, impartiality, confidentiality, legal advice, professional relationships, and the duty to the profession. It will also provide interpreters with the opportunity to apply this instruction by way of making ethically informed decisions based on mock scenarios that interpreters might encounter inside and outside of the courtroom. Training is conducted virtually by live instructors and is free to participants.
Please complete this online registration form to be notified of the next ethics training. Generally, two trainings are provided each calendar year in the spring and summer.
If you have questions about this requirement, please email: courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov and indicate Required Ethics Training Inquiry in the subject line.
Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education Requirements
To receive credit for a qualifying course, an application for approval must be submitted to the Court Interpreters Program at cimce@jud.ca.gov. Only courses that meet the criteria found in the Compliance Requirements for Certified and Registered Court Interpreters will be considered. All interpreters must be apprised of the requirements they must adhere to in order to maintain their credentialing status with California.
We highly encourage interpreters to seek out courses offered by providers whose educational activities are approved by the Court Interpreters Program for CIMCE.
Interpreters are required to retain documentation having met their Continuing Interpreter Minimum Education (CIMCE) requirements, as well as their professional assignment requirements, for five years. CIMCE numbers are provided on certificate(s), transcripts, or letters that verify you attended the course. If you lose your certificate of completion or other documentation verifying course attendance, you must contact the provider. 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.
For more information, see the following:
- Instructions for Application for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) Credit Approval
- Application for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) Credit Approval (fillable)
- Application for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) Credit Approval (non-fillable)
Beyond Words by Marcelo Cedeno
The Judicial Council has received permission to offer CIMCE for this one hour video. This video explores vicarious trauma, burnout and stress experienced by many language interpreters. Please use CIMCE # 4781, effective through December 31, 2020 (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.
- Opt Out Guidelines
- Payment Policies for Independent Contractor Interpreters (effective July 1, 2021)
- Independent Contractor Interpreter – Payment Rate Authorization Form (optional)
- 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.
Court interpreters from other states may be eligible for reciprocity If you are interested in applying for reciprocity, please complete and send the Eligibility Verification Form.
For more information, contact the Court Interpreters Program at courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov.