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The Arizona Judiciary is committed to providing meaningful access to justice for all people. It is the goal of the Arizona Judiciary to increase the availability and quality of court interpreters and interpreter services. In 2015, the Arizona Judiciary issued an administrative order establishing the Court Interpreter Program Advisory Committee. The committee will recommend policies for language access and the credentialing of interpreters. In early 2016, the Arizona Supreme Court adopted the Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program (ACICP) through A.O. 2016-02. The ACICP has been developed to assist courts in locating and utilizing qualified foreign language interpreters.
We hope you find this page useful as it provides an overview for individuals interested in gaining more information about court interpretation. If you are interested in a career in court interpretation, please review the links below to obtain details on how you may be of future service to the Arizona Judiciary by becoming a credentialed court interpreter.
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Language Access Guidelines and Resources:
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Becoming a Professional Court Interpreter (Spoken Languages)
General Qualifications: Each court in the state hires interpreters individually, and may conduct testing or require certain skills and interpreting experience. We encourage individuals interested in becoming a court interpreter to review the National Center for State Courts "Qualification for Court Interpreting" self-assessment tool. In the near future, the Arizona Judicial System will require court interpreter staff to hold an Arizona Credential. Courts will show a preference towards credentialed contract interpreters over non-credentialed contractors.
Education: Various colleges, universities, and professional organizations offer courses and seminars in court interpreting throughout Arizona and other states. Our Resources for Interpreters page includes some programs that offer instruction for people interested in becoming court interpreters.
Credentialing: Arizona offers a credentialing program that rates the skills and abilities of an interpreter in their target spoken language. Interpreters can earn a credential based on the results of an ethics course, court overview course, oral proficiency interview, English written exam, and oral court interpreter exam (consisting of three (3) parts). Individuals interested in seeking a credential with the Arizona Judicial System can visit our Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program page.
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Experienced Interpreters
Arizona Court Interpreter Registry: The purpose of the registry is to collect information from individuals with interpreting experience who are willing to provide interpreting services in the Arizona court system. It also serves as the first step for interpreters who wish to become credentialed in Arizona. Additionally, it serves to track interpreter credential information. Information provided through the registry by the interpreter will be shared with court staff responsible for hiring and/or contracting with interpreters on behalf of the Arizona courts. The Arizona Supreme Court does not endorse, recommend or guarantee work for anyone listed in this registry. It is provided as a resource for courts to identify individuals from which they can choose to contact and conduct hiring decisions based on their needs and requirements.
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Roster of Interpreters
For a roster of Arizona credentialed court interpreters, please click on the link below. The roster is a list of interpreters who have completed at least one tier in the Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program and are, therefore, considered to be "credentialed." Questions about the roster may be sent to [email protected].
Arizona Roster of Credentialed Court Interpreters
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Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
In 2000 the State of Arizona passed legislation, A.R.S. § 36-1946, that requires licensure of all American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. ASL interpreters go through a rigorous testing and certification program in order to be licensed to interpret within the State of Arizona. ASL interpreters are not required to obtain a credential in addition to their state license.
Licensure for ASL is handled by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH). Below is a link to the ACDHH website detailing the steps necessary to become a licensed ASL interpreter in the State of Arizona. Please note that per A.R.S. § 36-1971, ASL interpreters must hold a legal license from the ACDHH to interpret for legal proceedings.
The Arizona Judiciary encourages all licensed ASL interpreters to register with our Arizona Court Interpreter Registry so that courts can view their information.
For ASL Interpreters interested in completing the English Written Exam as part of the BEI testing required for legal licensure in Arizona, please click here for the registration form.
Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
100 N. 15th Ave, Suite 104
Phoenix, AZ 85007
www.acdhh.org
Numbers:
Voice: (602) 542-3323
Video Phone: (480) 559-9441
Voice/TTY: (800) 352-8161
TTY: (602) 364-0990
Fax: (602) 542-3380
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Contact Us:
Administrative Office of the Court
Language Access Services
Phone: (602) 452-3333
Fax: (602) 452-3480
Email: [email protected]
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