Find your language
Certified Spoken Languages
To become credentialed in a certified spoken language you are required to pass the Written Exam and the Bilingual Interpreting Exam (BIE).
Certified spoken languages:
Arabic, Armenian (Eastern), Armenian (Western)*, Cantonese, Farsi (Persian), Filipino (Tagalog), Japanese*, Khmer, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi (India), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
*The BIE is not available for this language
Registered Spoken Languages
To become credentialed in a registered spoken language you are required to pass the Written Exam, the Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) in English, and the OPE in your target language (if available).
Some registered spoken languages:
Albanian, Bengali, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Hmong/Mong, Igbo, Italian, Lao, Polish, Somali, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, Wolof, and more.
American Sign Language (ASL)
Interested candidates now have two reciprocity pathways to enroll on the Judicial Council Master List as a credentialed ASL Court Interpreter: The Texas Board for the Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) Court Interpreter Certification or the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Specialist Certification: Legal.
California Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program
On May 17, 2024, the Judicial Council approved the launch of the California Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program. The pilot program is intended to increase the number of court interpreter employees in the courts. Cohort 1 applications are closed.
Is Court Interpreting for You?
New! Becoming a California Court Interpreter
This inspirational one-hour panel discussion explores the court interpreting career from the perspective of three active credentialed interpreters.
Getting Started in Court Interpreting
Find out if a career in court interpreting is right for you with these answers to frequently asked questions and advice from California courts' Court Interpreters Program. (2:17)
A Day in the Life of a California Court Interpreter
Hear from current interpreters in California and their journey to become certified to assist limited English Proficient litigants across justice in the courts.