American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters

Washington State law directs courts to obtain certified ASL interpreters through the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) or other community center referral service. The ODHH maintains this list of approved interpreters.

The interpreters on the ODHH list either hold Specialist Certification: Legal (SC:L) or have passed the Knowledge Exam portion of the SC:L and will take the Performance Exam. A second category of intermediary interpreters hold the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI).

RCW Chapter 2.42 secures the rights of deaf and hearing impaired persons to interpreters. ASL interpreters are certified by national organizations including the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). ASL interpreters are not certified specifically for court interpreting, but the SC:L certification is available for interpreting in legal situations.