Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Colorado

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in Colorado

Colorado state authorities periodically offer exams, both written and oral, for certification.

The state of Colorado also offers federal court certification and accepts certification from NAJIT (National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators) and NJITCE (National Judiciary Interpreter & Translator Certification Examination).

Colorado offers certification in the following languages:

Classification of Interpreters in Colorado

The Colorado Judicial Department defines legal interpreters in the following two ways:

• Certified Interpreter: An interpreter who has attended a two-day orientation seminar, scored at least an 80% on the written examination, scored at least a 70% on the four-part oral certification exam, passed a criminal background check, and who abides by the Court Interpreter Code of Professional Ethics.
• Credentialed Interpreter:  An interpreter who has attended a two-day orientation seminar, scored at least an 80% on the written examination, completed an oral proficiency interview, passed a criminal background check, and who abides by the Court Interpreter Code of Professional Ethics.

Common Languages Spoken in Colorado

According to a recent American Community Survey, approximately 16.76% of the Colorado population speaks a language other than English.

What’s more, almost 88% of the non-English speaking population in Colorado speaks one of the following 10 languages:

Other languages spoken in Colorado include Italian, Amharic, Polish, Hindi, Persian, Hmong, Navajo, Portuguese, Cantonese,* Mandarin,* Dutch, Kru/Ibo/Yoruba, Thai, Telugu, Serbo-Croatian, Greek, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Hebrew and Swedish.

*This table was created based on respondents’ written answers, the majority of whom wrote “Chinese” while others specified “Cantonese” or “Mandarin.”

Judicial Districts in Colorado

Legal interpreting requirements can vary by district in Colorado. This state has 22 judicial districts that encompass 64 counties:

Call Legal Language Services at 1-800-788-0450 to find Colorado interpreters who meet state interpreting rules for courtroom trials, hearings, depositions, arbitrations, and other legal proceedings.

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 Colorado is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; however, Legal Language Services is not responsible for any errors or omissions.