Annual Renewal, Compliance, and Continuing Education

2025 Court Interpreter Renewal and Compliance Cycle

The renewal period for certified and registered court interpreters is open from July 1, 2025, to November 26, 2025.

  • All active interpreters must:
    1. Pay the $100 annual renewal fee.
    2. Confirm (if due this year) that they have completed their required continuing education and professional assignments.

You can do both online through the Court Interpreter Data Collection System (CIDCS).

If you are paying by check and using a paper form, the Court Interpreters Program must receive your payment and form by November 26, 2025. If they are late, your credential will be suspended.

Important changes starting January 1, 2025:

  • Late fees and automatic revocation have been eliminated.
  • If you miss the November 26 deadline, you will be suspended and removed from the Master List.
  • You can be reinstated at any time by paying both:
    • The $100 annual renewal fee, and
    • A $250 reinstatement fee (total $350).

To avoid suspension and the extra fee, make sure your $100 payment arrives by November 26, 2025. The revised Compliance Requirements are available here. A summary chart provides an overview of the changes. 

For completing the compliance requirements online, please note:

  • The Interpreter Portal only accepts Visa and Mastercard
  • Use a non-Apple device
  • Use Google Chrome
  • Clear the browser cache

Resources:

  • A memorandum to all active certified and registered court interpreters discusses the new online process, provides all necessary forms, and includes an instructional PowerPoint on how to use the new payment and attestation functions of CIDCS.
  • An instructional video on how to use the new payment and attestation functions of CIDCS. It is also available here.
  • All compliance requirements are outlined in the Compliance Requirements for Certified Court and Registered Interpreters (2025).                                                       

Annual Renewal Requirements

California law (Government Code section 68562) says that all spoken language court interpreters must meet yearly renewal requirements to keep their certified or registered status.

The Court Interpreters Program can check (audit) your records at any time and may ask you to show proof that you’ve met the rules. It’s your responsibility to make sure they have your current mailing address and email. If your contact information isn’t up to date, you still must meet your renewal requirements.

You can update your contact information by:

Minimum Continuing Education Requirements

You must keep proof of your Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credits and your professional assignments for five years. This proof could be certificates, transcripts, or letters from course providers. If you lose these documents, you need to contact the course provider—not the Court Interpreters Program.

The Court Interpreters Program does not keep a schedule of available courses. To find current courses, check the list of approved CIMCE providers and contact them directly.

It’s best to take courses from providers already approved by the Court Interpreters Program.

You can apply for credit for a non-CIMCE course if it meets the requirements in the Compliance Requirements for Certified and Registered Court Interpreters. A fee may apply. Send the application to cimce@jud.ca.gov.

Other CIMCE application forms and resources are below