Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Connecticut

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in Connecticut

Connecticut state authorities periodically offer exams, both written and oral, for certification based on the guidelines of the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification.

Connecticut offers certification in Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese.

Additionally, qualifying examinations are offered in ten languages:

Classification of Interpreters in Connecticut

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

• Qualified Interpreter: An interpreter who has attended a two-day orientation seminar, scored at least an 80% on the written examination, completed an oral screening/qualifying 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.

Not all venues in Connecticut require certified interpreters, even for Spanish-language cases. Please consult with Legal Language Services for the rules pertaining to your specific venue and language.

Common Languages Spoken in Connecticut

According to a recent American Community Survey, approximately 20.51 percent of the Connecticut population speaks a language other than English.

What’s more, almost 85 percent of the non-English speaking population in Connecticut speaks one of the following 10 languages:

Other languages spoken in Connecticut include Vietnamese, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, Albanian, Korean, Arabic and Gujarathi.

Judicial Districts in Connecticut

Judicial districts in Connecticut are organized differently than in most states as they are divided by city or town rather than by county.

However, certification requirements in Connecticut are statewide and remain consistent across all local jurisdictions.

Call Legal Language Services at 1-800-788-0450 to find Connecticut 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 Connecticut is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; however, Legal Language Services is not responsible for any errors or omissions.