Biannual Reporting Requirements for Certified Interpreters

• Requirements
• Verification of Compliance
• Non-Compliance
• Request for Reinstatement
• Inactive Status

All interpreters certified by the Administrative Office of the Courts must meet these requirements in order to maintain their certification credential.  There are no exceptions.

1. Continuing Education

   Every certified court interpreter shall complete 16 hours of AOC approved continuing education each two-year compliance period. Of the 16 required hours, at least (2) must be earned in ethics-specific educational activities; at least eight (8) must be earned in performance or skills based education activities; and the remaining six (6) may be general continuing educational activities. Extra ethics-specific education activities may be used to accrue the needed performance/skills based continuing education credits. Extra ethics-specific and performance/skills based education activities may be used to accrue the needed general continuing education credits. Up to six credits may roll-over as general credits from one compliance cycle to the next.

   1. Ethics-Specific Continuing Education is defined as: An educational activity related to appropriate court interpreter ethics or court interpreter protocol based upon the Code of Conduct for Court Interpreters in the Washington Court Rules.
   
   
   2. Performance or Skills Based Education is defines as: An educational activity which is specific to the development of interpreting skills (simultaneous, consecutive, and sight); language skills; or technical skills related to interpreting and/or translation.
   
   
   3. General Continuing Education is defined as: An educational activity on topics that will enhance the participant's ability to perform interpreting work for the courts competently, fairly, and efficiently.

2. Court Hours

   All Certified Court Interpreters are required to complete 20 court hours each two-year compliance period. Please document your court hours on the Interpreter Profile System (IPS). Court hours may include interviews, sight translation of documents in meetings with attorneys, or depositions.

3. Interpreter Conduct

   Every two years, certified interpreters shall report whether they have been charged with or convicted of a crime, or found to be in violation of a court order.

   If, at any time during the two year compliance period, a certified interpreter is convicted of a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony, the interpreter must immediately notify the Commission of the conviction. The reported conviction will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for review.

Please note that as of 2018, submitting the oath of interpreter is no longer a biannual reporting requirement.

Every certified court interpreter is responsible for recording their biannual requirements on the Interpreter Profile System (IPS) at the conclusion of each two-year reporting cycle. The interpreter must document his/her (1) continuing education classes/credits, including ethics; (2) courts hours; and (3) complete the personal conduct information/declaration. The interpreter must retain written compliance documentation for a three-year period and upon request provide proof of attendance at continuing education classes.

A certified court interpreter, who fails to complete and record their biannual requirements at the end of the two-year reporting period, shall be considered out of compliance. Upon a preliminary determination of an interpreter's non-compliance by the AOC, the AOC will promptly notify Washington State courts that the interpreter is "out of compliance" with CE reporting requirements, but still certified. If the interpreter does not come into compliance within sixty (60) days, the matter will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.

If the Discipline Committee suspends or revokes the certification of an interpreter, the interpreter's name will be removed from the directory of interpreters found on AOC's website at www.courts.wa.gov/interpreters and an electronic notice will be sent to presiding judges and court administrators/managers.

A certified court interpreter whose credentials has been suspended or revoked may apply in writing to the Discipline Committee for reinstatement pursuant to time frames established in the final notification.  This request shall explain why the applicant believes the reinstatement should occur.  The Discipline Committee shall have the sole discretion whether to grant or deny reinstatement, or to impose conditions upon reinstatement, as it deems appropriate. 

1. Interpreters may ask the AOC Interpreter Program to place them on "Inactive Status" without losing their certification or registration after the completion of no less than one two-year compliance cycle, during which period they shall not work as AOC-credentialed interpreters in Washington State courts. The period of inactivity is limited to five years. Interpreters who do not return to active status within five years will automatically lose their certification or registration credential. Requests for inactive status must be submitted in writing to the AOC Interpreter Program. The AOC Interpreter Program will provide written confirmation of requested status to the interpreter within 10 business days.

2. Only interpreters in good standing with the AOC Interpreter Program are eligible for inactive status. An interpreter is considered in good standing if s/he (1) has not had his or her certification or registration revoked; (2) has satisfied all continuing education, certification/registration, and/or certification/registration renewal requirements for the previous compliance period; and (3) has satisfied all other AOC Interpreter Program requirements.

3. The Master List will reflect that the interpreter is on inactive status.

4. An interpreter who wishes to return to active status must submit a written request to the AOC Interpreter Program. The interpreter must also complete compliance requirements for continuing education and courtroom interpreting assignment hours for the period of inactive status.