How to Become a Registered Spoken Language Court Interpreter
A registered spoken language court interpreter is an interpreter of a non-certified spoken language who has passed the required exams and enrolled with the Judicial Council.
1 Select Your Language(s)
The following are some of the registered languages:
Afrikaans, Akan-Twi, Albanian, Algerian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cape Verdean, Cebuano, Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Ga, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Igbo, Indonesian, Iraqi, Italian, Japanese, Jordanian, Krio, Kurdish-Kurmanji, Lao, Lebanese, Levantine, Malayalam, Mongolian, Moroccan, Nepali, Pashto, Polish, Romanian, Serbian/Croatian, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Swahili, Syrian, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tunisian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Wolof, Yemeni, and Yoruba.
Preferred language not listed?
Click here for information on becoming a Certified spoken language court interpreter.
Note: All non-certified languages are considered registered languages.
2 Prepare for the Examinations
- Learn about the judicial system, visit your local court and observe legal interpretations.
Take the candidate self-assessment tests to see if you’re ready for the exams:
- Court Interpreter Self-Assessment Questionnaire
- Court interpreter Self-Assessment Practice Exercises
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Court Interpreters
Use additional resources below to learn about the skills needed to pass the examinations:
3 Pass the Written Exam and the Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) in English
You must pass both exams in any order.
What is in the Written Exam?
The Written Exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of the English language, court-related terms and usage, and ethics and professional conduct. See the Written Exam Overview for more information.
When can I take the exam?
Now, registration for the Written exam is open with the new testing administrator. Candidates can register and pay online.
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Registration is open July 1–31, 2026.
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Test dates: August 10–19, 2026
What is the exam fee?
$150.00
This fee is subject to change.
Pass the Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) in English
What is in the OPE English Exam?
The OPE English exam measures the candidate’s ability to communicate in spoken English.
When can I take the exam?
Now, candidates can now register and pay online using the new Language Testing International website.
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Registration is open July 1, 2026.
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Test dates: Available year-round by appointment.
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Review the registration sheet to learn how to register.
What is the exam fee?
$156.00
This fee is subject to change.
4 Pass the Oral Proficiency in Your Target Language
What is the OPE target language exam?
The OPE in your target language measures the ability to communicate in the target language.
When can I take the exam?
Now, registration for the OPE target language is open year-round by appointment.
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Registration is open July 1, 2026.
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Test dates: Available year-round by appointment.
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Review the registration sheet to learn how to register.
What are the current languages with an OPE?
Afrikaans, Akan-Twi, Albanian, Algerian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cape Verdean, Cebuano, Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Ga, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Igbo, Indonesian, Iraqi, Italian, Japanese, Jordanian, Krio, Kurdish-Kurmanji, Lao, Lebanese, Levantine, Malayalam, Mongolian, Moroccan, Nepali, Pashto, Polish, Romanian, Serbian/Croatian, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Swahili, Syrian, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tunisian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Wolof, Yemeni, and Yoruba.
Exam availability is subject to change.
What is the exam fee?
$156.00
This fee is subject to change.
If your target language does NOT have an exam, proceed to step 5.
5 Congratulations on passing the exams!
Now that you have passed the exams, you are ready to enroll with the Judicial Council as a registered spoken language court interpreter. The Court Interpreters Program will email you the application packet.
Once we have processed your application, your name will be added to the Master List of Certified and Registered Court Interpreters, and your new identification badge will be mailed to you.
You're now able to apply for court interpreter jobs in California, find vacancies on our Current Court Interpreter Jobs page.
If you have passed all exams and have not received the enrollment packet, please email: CourtInterpreters@jud.ca.gov
The Court Interpreters Program welcomes you to this profession, which provides essential language access to the largest judicial system in the nation.