Certified, Registered, and American Sign Language Interpreters

A court interpreter is someone who interprets in a civil or criminal court proceeding (e.g., arraignment, motion, hearing, deposition, trial) for a witness or defendant who speaks or understands little or no English. Court interpreters must accurately interpret for individuals with a high level of education and an extensive vocabulary, as well as persons with very limited language skills without changing the language register of the speaker. Interpreters are also sometimes responsible for translating written documents, often of a legal nature, from English into the target language and from the target language into English.

For language interpreters, certification and registration indicate that the interpreter has demonstrated competency to interpret in a court setting. Certification is the highest level of formal accreditation. Certified interpreters must pass both written and oral examinations related to the language with focus on interpreting in a court setting. Registration is a second level. Registered interpreters must pass a written examination and complete an Oral Proficiency Interview relating to the language with a rating of superior.

American Sign Language (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 certification (RID: SC: L [Specialist Certificate: Legal]) is available for interpreting in legal situations.

Washington extends reciprocity to court interpreters certified in Oregon, and certified by the Federal courts. For information on Oregon court interpreters and a roster, go to Oregon Court Interpreters Services in the Oregon Courts website.

Certified Interpreters
Iinformation on certified languages and requirements for becoming a certified interpreter.

Registered Interpreters
Information on registered languages and requirements for becoming a registered interpreter.

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters
Information on ASL interpreters.

Continuing Education for Certified and Registered Interpreters

• Approved Continuing Education Courses

• Application for Continuing Education  
  Form for requesting approval of continuing education activity.

• CE Individual or Group Study Request Form  

• Compliance Form  
  Form for annual reporting of compliance with continuing education requirements.

• Continuing Education Policy for Certified Interpreters

• Continuing Education Policy for Registered Interpreters

• Current Training Bulletins

Resources for Certified and Registered Interpreters

• Glossaries of Legal Terms
  Available in English and other languages.

• Resources for Court Interpreters
  Compiled by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

• Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification