Interpreters

Certification or Licensing

Many employers prefer to hire certified applicants. The U.S. Federal Court system has its own certification examinations for Spanish, Navajo, and Haitian Creole. This certification is provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. 

State and local courts often have their own specific certification requirements. The National Center for State Courts offers oral certification exams for the following foreign languages: Arabic, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, Cantonese, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Marshallese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

Interpreters for the deaf who pass an examination may qualify for either comprehensive or legal certification by the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

The U.S. Department of State has a three-test requirement for interpreters. These include conference-level interpreting (candidates may be tested in simultaneous and/or consecutive interpretation), seminar interpreting (candidates must be able to perform simultaneous interpretation at a basic skill level which requires a less formal vocabulary than that of the conference interpreter), and liaison interpreting (candidates must be able to interpret short passages or phrases at a time in a consecutive sequence). Applicants must have several years of foreign language practice, advanced education in the language (preferably abroad), and be fluent in vocabulary for a very broad range of subjects.

The International Association of Conference Interpreters provides certifications for its members, and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters offers the certified healthcare interpreter certification to applicants who have at least 40 hours of healthcare interpreter training (academic or non-academic program) and linguistic proficiency in English and the primary language for which they are seeking a credential. The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters also provides certification.