LEGAL LANGUAGE SERVICES

Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Arkansas

Regulations for legal interpreters in Arkansas differ from those in other states. Legal Language Services ranks Arkansas as a state with moderately regulated legal interpreting requirements.

Your legal interpreter must have the appropriate level of certification that meets your language needs. This is especially true if you require an interpreter who will be working in a courtroom. This does not mean, however, that you should hire a certified interpreter for every situation.

Whether or not an interpreter is certified — let alone the level of certification — will have an effect on how much you are charged for legal interpreting services. Due to the added cost of certified professionals, it may not be a sound strategy to use certified legal interpreters if certification is not legally required for your proceeding.

In fact, some situations may not benefit from certified interpreters. In particular, where subject matter expertise and/or special skills are required, certification may be a secondary consideration in securing a competent interpreter.

As previously noted, non-certified legal interpreters can provide professional interpreting services at a more affordable price. As in other states, a certified interpreter in Arkansas will command a higher fee for legal interpreting services. Prices will be affected based on the level of certification.

Legal Language can help you determine the best interpreter, certified or otherwise, for your legal interpreting needs in Arkansas.

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in Arkansas

Arkansas has one level of certification for legal interpreters.

With the exception of misdemeanor and felony arraignments, certified interpreters are required in Arkansas courts.

Please be aware that some counties in Arkansas may have specific legal interpreting regulations in addition to the statewide requirements.

Arkansas state authorities periodically offer exams, both written and oral, for certification in Spanish and several other languages based on the guidelines of the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification.

The state of Arkansas accepts certification from the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification.

In addition to Spanish, Arkansas offers certification in more than a dozen other languages:

• Arabic, Modern Standard
• Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial
• Arabic, Levantine Colloquial
• Cantonese
• Bosnian
• Croatian
• Serbian
• French
• Haitian Creole
• Hmong
• Ilocano
• Korean
• Laotian
• Mandarin
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Somali
• Turkish
• Vietnamese

Judicial Districts in Arkansas

In addition to the statewide requirements, some counties in Arkansas may have additional legal interpreting regulations.

There are 28 judicial districts in Arkansas that encompass 75 counties:

Please Note

The content provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The information about legal interpreting guidelines in Arkansas is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; however, Legal Language Services is not responsible for any errors or omissions.