Court Interpreters

According to RCW 2.43.010, it is the policy of the State of Washington to secure the rights of persons, with a non-English-speaking cultural background, who cannot be fully protected in legal proceedings unless qualified interpreters are available to assist them.

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) was mandated by the legislature as of July 1, 1990, to administer a comprehensive testing and certification program for language interpreters (RCW 2.43.070).

Specifically, the statute requires the AOC to:

• Work with private and public educational institutions to establish a certification preparation curriculum
• Adopt standards of proficiency, written and oral, in English and the language to be interpreted
• Conduct periodic examinations
• Compile, maintain, and disseminate a current list of certified interpreters