Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Louisiana

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in Louisiana

Louisiana does not require certified interpreters for any legal proceeding. However, the state periodically offers oral exams for certification in accordance with NCSC testing protocols.

Louisiana offers certification in the following languages:

Classification of Interpreters in Louisiana

There are two levels of classification for court interpreters in Louisiana.

Registered Interpreter: An interpreter who has attended a two-day orientation seminar, passed a standard written English examination as provided by the National Center for State Courts, passed a written translation examination, passed a criminal background check, and who abides by the Court Interpreter Code of Professional Ethics.

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.

Common Languages Spoken in Louisiana

According to a recent American Community Survey, approximately 8.74% of the Louisiana population speaks a language other than English.

What’s more, just more than 90% of the non-English speaking population in Louisiana speaks one of the following 10 languages:

Other languages spoken in Louisiana include Italian, Urdu, Korean, Japanese, Laotian, Russian, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarathi, Polish and Mandarin.

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