California maintains the largest state court interpreter program in the United States, administered by the Court Interpreters Program (CIP) of the Judicial Council. The program covers all California superior courts and oversees credentialing, ethics, and continuing education for spoken-language and sign-language interpreters in California state court proceedings.
Two tiers, depending on language
California uses a two-tier credentialing system based on whether a certification examination exists for the language in question.
"Certified" status applies to interpreters in the spoken languages California has designated for certification examinations. As of the most recent Judicial Council list, the designated certified spoken languages are:
- Arabic
- Cantonese
- Eastern Armenian
- Farsi (Persian)
- Filipino (Tagalog)
- Korean
- Mandarin
- Portuguese
- Punjabi (India)
- Russian
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
American Sign Language is also a designated certified language in California. ASL interpreters can pursue California court certification, in addition to or instead of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) credentials commonly held by legal ASL interpreters.
"Registered" status applies to interpreters in all other spoken languages, including the indigenous Mesoamerican, Southeast Asian, and African languages that come up regularly in California courts. Registered interpreters pass an English proficiency examination and a written ethics examination administered by the Judicial Council, and they document their training and experience.
What both tiers require
- Compliance with the California Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities for Court Interpreters
- Continuing education to maintain status (typically 30 hours every two years)
- Active practice in California court proceedings
- Annual recertification renewal with the Judicial Council
How state and federal credentials interact
California certification qualifies an interpreter for state court proceedings throughout California. It does not qualify them for federal court interpretation; that requires the separate Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) for Spanish, or a federal Language Skilled or Professionally Qualified designation for other languages. Many of the strongest interpreters hold both California state certification and federal certification in their working language.
Which tier you need
For a California state court proceeding in a designated language, the standard of care is a Certified interpreter. For a proceeding in a non-designated language (such as Mixteco, Mam, or Hmong), the standard is a Registered interpreter. For a federal court matter, the answer depends on the language and forum, but federal certification is preferred where available.
AMS supplies certified and registered interpreters across California superior courts and federal districts. When booking, share the case caption and the language; we will confirm the correct credential tier in writing before assignment.