FAQs

• Effective July 1, 2026, De La Mora Institute is the CIP’s testing vendor for the Written Examination (required for all languages) and the Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE) (required for certified spoken languages). 

• Effective July 1, 2026, Language Testing International (LTI) will administer the Oral Proficiency Examination (OPE), which is required in English and the target language (when available) for registered languages. 

No, all exam content will remain the same. Candidates testing for certified languages with De la Mora will be able to register and pay online. Candidates testing for registered languages with Language Testing International will be able to register and pay online. The OPE will be administered remotely by a live proctor using the candidate's computer, webcam, and telephone, allowing candidates to test from home. 

Exam seats are not guaranteed. Candidates are encouraged to review our Current Interpreter Testing Opportunities webpage for updates. More testing opportunities are expected to be announced early 2027. 

All CIW passing scores are still valid. Candidates with valid passing CIW scores will be able to register online for the BIE or OPE. 

Yes, all CIW passing scores will be transferred. Candidates are responsible for keeping records of all their examination scores, but if you need to request your score, email: CourtInterpreters@jud.ca.gov.   

6 years or up to four BIE attempts 

Effective July 1, 2026, due to the transition to new testing vendors, Prometric can no longer provide candidates with copies of their past exam scores. 

If you need previous exam scores, the Judicial Council may be able to provide or confirm scores for examinations. Please contact: CourtInterpreters@jud.ca.gov. 

• Written Exam: Candidates may test up to two times within a 365-day period. There must be at least 90 days between attempts. 

• Bilingual Interpreting Exam: Candidates have 4 attempts after passing the written exam to pass the BIE with a 6-month waiting period between each attempt. If candidates fail to pass the BIE in 4 attempts, then they must retake the Written Exam again.  

• OPE: Candidates must have a 3-month waiting period between exam attempts.  

• CIW: approximately 48 hours 

• BIE: approximately 5-6 weeks or 45 days 

• OPE: approximately 1-5 business days 

Yes, candidates may request ADA accommodation(s) when they register for the Written Exam and the Bilingual Interpreting Exam. Any candidate who has an accommodation with the previous administrator must resubmit their ADA accommodation request in the exam registration process. Once the exam registration information with the ADA request is submitted, candidates will receive an ADA form with further instructions. The process for submitting, reviewing, and receiving (if approved) an accommodation decision is expected to take 30 business days.  

• Review the CIW and BIE ADA Accommodation Policy  
• Review the OPE ADA Accommodation Policy 

Yes. If you are already a credentialed interpreter from another state or are federally certified, you may be eligible for reciprocity. Visit our reciprocity webpage for more information. 

Spoken language court interpreters interpret in civil or criminal court proceedings (e.g., arraignments, motions, pretrial conferences, preliminary hearings, depositions, trials) for witnesses or defendants who speak or understand little or no English.

American Sign Language interpreters interpret for all parties who are deaf or hard of hearing in all proceedings.

Court interpreters must accurately interpret for individuals with a high level of education and an extensive vocabulary, as well as for 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.

California court interpreters have an important job in the courtroom: they interpret court proceedings for witnesses and defendants with limited English skills or for parties who are deaf or hard of hearing. The position requires strong memory and communication skills. Court interpreters shift between two different languages, in real time, accounting for different types of speech and grammar. They also know legal terms and commonly used courtroom forms and reports.

Very much so. According to a recent study, more than 200 languages are spoken in California. Of the state's 36 million people, about 20 percent speak English less than "very well." That's almost 7 million Californians who would need help from an interpreter if they found themselves in court.

Visit our Court Interpreter Jobs page to learn about current job vacancies.

First, interpreters need to be fluent in both English and a second language. Right now, court interpreters must be certified in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Cantonese
• Eastern Armenian
• Farsi (Persian)
• Filipino (Tagalog)
• Korean
• Mandarin
• Portuguese
• Punjabi (India)
• Russian
• Spanish 
• Vietnamese

People who master other languages can become registered interpreters with the same full-time pay and benefits that certified interpreters receive.

Court interpreters:

• Interpret speech and text from English into a second language and back again in real time. The interpretation must be accurate without any editing, summarizing, omissions, or change in meaning
• Maintain good working relationships with judges, attorneys, other court personnel, supervisors, and coworkers
• Understand a variety of court procedures and practices

Yes. Court interpreting is a very demanding job. Spoken language court interpreters must be completely fluent in both English and the second language, while court interpreters of American Sign Language must be completely fluent in both English and American Sign Language. The level of expertise required for this profession is far greater than that required for everyday bilingual conversation. The interpreter must be able to handle the widest range of language terms that may be presented in the courts—from specialized legal and technical terminology to street slang. Most people do not have a full command of all registers of both English and the foreign language and, therefore, require special training to acquire it.

Although there are no minimum requirements that must be met in order to apply to take the state certification test, applicants are encouraged to complete formal, college-level course work and training in both languages and modes of interpreting before applying for the examination. If you cannot find a suitable training program, self-study techniques are suggested: (1) expand your vocabulary, (2) develop your own glossaries, and (3) develop interpreting techniques. Suggested skills-enhancing exercises are available to help you develop three interpreting techniques: (1) consecutive interpretation, (2) simultaneous interpretation, and (3) sight translation. 

The following is a list of some of the colleges and universities that offer court interpreter training programs. This is not a complete list. You are encouraged to conduct your own research into educational opportunities available. This list does not constitute an endorsement of these programs but is provided for information only.

• University of California San Diego Extension
• New Mexico Judiciary - Center for Language Access in the Courts
• Middlebury College
• California State University Northridge (ASL)
• Southern California School of Interpretation
• Boston University – Center for Professional Education
• American River College (ASL)
• College of the Sequoias (ASL)
• Gallaudet University (ASL)
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf (ASL)

Most court interpreters work as freelance or per diem interpreters, meaning that they are hired by the day or the half day, rather than being permanent employees of the trial courts. Some trial courts, however, have permanent positions for court interpreters. A freelance interpreter must be willing to travel from one trial court to another, perhaps even from one county trial court system to another. Court interpreters are generally paid by the whole or half day.