Become a Court Interpreter

Fall 2025 Exam Administration is planned to be conducted in early November. We do not have additional details at this time.

Current basic requirements for Nevada Court Interpreter Certification or Registration include:

• Pass the NV Certified Court Interpreter Written Exam with a minimum score of 80%.
  • This is a 2 hour and 15-minute, 135 multiple choice exam that tests your general language proficiency, knowledge of court-related terms & usage, and ethics & professional conduct.
• Complete the Orientation Workshop for Interpreters in the NV Courts System.
  • This is an online virtual workshop that provides an introduction to Court Interpreting. You will learn the modes of interpreting in a legal setting, an overview of the NV Judicial System, along with Ethics and Code of Conduct for interpreters.
• Pass the NV Certified Court Interpreter Oral Examination with a minimum score of 70%.
  • This is a 4-part Oral Exam that lasts approximately 1 hour. It tests your Sight Translation skills of the target foreign language into English and English into the Foreign Language followed by a Consecutive and Simultaneous Interpreting skills test.
• OR; Pass the NV Registered Court Interpreter Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with a minimum score of Advanced Mid.
  • A Registered Interpreter is an interpreter for whom either no oral examination has been developed by the Council of Language Access Coordinators (CLAC) or no oral examination has been offered in his/her particular language.
• Submit the Court Interpreter Certified or Registration Request Forms with:
  • Verification of 40 hours of Nevada courtroom observation or work.
  • Two (2) fingerprint cards.
  • Administration fee of $50.00.
  • Passport size photograph.

Reciprocity is for interpreters who are already credentialed in another state or federally certified. Current basic requirements for Reciprocity Certification or Registration include:

• Letter of Good Standing from the state you are certified or registered in.
• Provide documentation for verification of previous test scores.
• Submit the Court Interpreter Certified or Registration Request Forms with:
  • Verification of 40 hours of Nevada courtroom observation or work.
  • Two (2) fingerprint cards.
  • Administration fee of $50.00.
  • Passport size photograph.

Conditionally Approved Status Interpreters are called for work “only when there is a finding of a lack of a credentialed resource on the record.” Current basic requirements for Conditionally Approved Interpreter Status include:

• Pass the NV Certified Court Interpreter Written Test with a minimum score of 80%.
• Complete the Orientation Workshop for Interpreters in the NV Courts System.
• Achieve a minimum score of 60% in all sections of the NV Certified Court Interpreter Oral Examination.
• OR;  Achieve a minimum score of 8 or Advanced Low on the the NV Registered Court Interpreter Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
• Submit the Court Interpreter Certified or Registration Request Forms with:
  • Verification of 40 hours of Nevada courtroom observation or work.
  • Two (2) fingerprint cards.
  • Administration fee of $50.00.
  • Passport size photograph.

Educational Providers for Court Interpreters*:

• Brookedale Community College
• De La Mora Institute of Interpretation
• GSO Services (NV based) ‡
• Interpreter Education Online
• Interpretrain
• Legal-Ease International
• Napoleon Buenrostro (NV Based)
• Russian Translations (NV Based)
• Southern California School of Interpretation
• Transinterpreting †
• University of Arizona
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Self Study Resources*:

• A Word A Day
• ACEBO
• Common Courtroom Terminology
• Essential Dictionaries for Court Interpreters
• Free Rice
• Legal Glossary
• NCSC
• Standard Reference Materials
• Study Guide References

*The resources listed below are provided for informational purposes only to assist with exam preparation. The Nevada Certified Court Interpreter Program does not endorse or recommend any specific course, curriculum, or provider.

Helpful things to review:

• YouTube Sample Practice oral exam developed by NCSC and Interprepedia
• Common Oral Interpreting Exam Performance Deficiencies
• Why do Interpreters fail Interpreting Exams
• Free Federal Court Interpreter Written Exam Practice Test
• Court Interpreting Program introduction by Nestor Wagner

Please refer to the State Court Administrator Guidelines for additional information or contact the Court Interpreter Program at
courtinterpreters@nvcourts.nv.gov or 775-687-9806

† Discount for NITA members
‡ 30% Discount for Nevada Residents