Registered Interpreters

Thank you for your interest in becoming a registered court interpreter.  The registered status is open to language interpreters in the following languages:

Albanian, Amharic, Armenian, Bengali, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Bulgarian, Cebuano, Chavacano, Czech, Dari, Dutch, French, German, Haitian Creole, Farsi, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Malay, Modern Greek, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Samoan, Slovak, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog (Filipino), Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Yoruba

To become registered, an individual must pass both the written exam and oral proficiency telephonic interview.

Written Exam: The written exam was developed by the National Center for State Courts Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification. Candidates must pass the written exam with a score of 80 percent or better. Candidates for all languages take the exam at the same time. The proficiency exam includes English language vocabulary, court related terms, and ethics. If you would like to be notified of the next written exam, please complete and return the Written Exam Notification form to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).

Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI): Individuals who pass the written exam are eligible to take the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which is conducted by Language Testing International (LTI). This is a 20-30 minute telephonic interview between a tester who is certified by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the interpreter. The interview measures how well the interpreter speaks the language in which he/she is attempting to become registered. The fee is $143, plus the cost of the telephone call. The AOC will provide individuals with registration information for the OPI after the individual passes the written exam.

Registered Accreditation:  Candidates must complete the following before receiving accreditation as a registered court interpreter:  1) Pass the written exam with a score of 80% or better; 2) attend a one-day orientation sponsored by the AOC; 3) pass a language proficiency exam (OPI), administered by the AOC; 4) submit to a criminal background check (processing fee applies); 5) attend a mandatory class, sponsored by the AOC that includes, but not limited to, courtroom protocol, interpreter ethics, and legal terminology and procedure; 6) execute the Oath of Interpreter; and 7) obtain interpreter ID badge for court proceedings.

Compliance Requirements:  Registered court interpreters must complete 10 hours of continuing education, two of which must be from an AOC approved ethics workshop, every two-year compliance period.

Employment:  Court interpreters are hired individually by each superior, district, and municipal court.  There are varying numbers of registered court interpreters in different areas of the state, so explore employment opportunities by contacting your local courts before you decide whether to pursue the registered status.  Contact information for registered court interpreters is placed on the courts website at www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_interpret.

Registered Interpreter Program Brochure  

Registered Court Interpreter Program Policies Manual

FAQs for Registered Court Interpreters

Information Packet  
For Prospective Registered Interpreters

Examination Information

• Exam Dates
• Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Overview   
• Written Examination Notification Form  
• Written Examination Overview