Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Florida

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in Florida

The State Courts System in Florida periodically offer exams, both written and oral, for certification based on the guidelines of the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification.

The state of Florida also recognizes certified interpreters from states offering Consortium-based certification as well as federal certification.

Certification examinations in Florida are available in the following languages:

Classification of Interpreters in Florida

There are currently three levels of classification for interpreters in the state of Florida.

• Certified Interpreter: An interpreter who has scored a minimum of 70 percent on an oral exam as well as 80 percent on each section of a three-part written exam, completed a two-day training program, documented twenty hours of courtroom observation, passed a background check and agreed to earn 16 credits of continuing education.
• Language-Skilled Interpreter: An interpreter who is skilled in a language for which no certification exam is available, passed an oral proficiency interview, completed a two-day training program, documented twenty hours of courtroom observation, passed a background check and agreed to earn 16 credits of continuing education. Language-skilled interpreters are required to complete certification requirements within two years of an exam in his or her language becoming available.
• Provisionally Approved: An interpreter who has met all of the basic requirements, scored a minimum of 65 percent on the oral performance exam and a minimum of 60 percent on each section, completed a two-day training program, documented twenty hours of courtroom observation, passed a background check and agreed to earn 16 credits of continuing education. Provisionally approved interpreters must complete certification requirements within two years of being granted provisionally approved status.

Common Languages Spoken in Florida

According to a recent American Community Survey, approximately 26.64% of the Florida population speaks a language other than English.

What’s more, more than 91% of the non-English speaking population in Florida speaks one of the following 10 languages:

Other languages spoken in Florida include Russian, Polish, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Hebrew, Gujarathi, Urdu, Japanese, Dutch, Hungarian, Thai, Serbo-Croatian, Bengali, Romanian, Persian, Albanian, Telugu and Yiddish.

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

Judicial Districts in Florida

There are 20 judicial districts in Florida that encompass 67 counties. However, certification requirements in Florida are statewide and remain consistent across all local jurisdictions.

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