Legal Language Services ranks North Dakota as a state with lightly regulated legal interpreting requirements.
Legal Interpreting Guidelines in North Dakota
Requirements for Certified Interpreters in North Dakota
North Dakota does not require certified interpreters for any legal proceeding, nor does the state offer certification in any language.
The North Dakota Federal Clerk of Courts office reports that if legal interpreters are not available locally, individual judges may request the presence of a certified interpreter from outside the state if it is deemed necessary in court proceedings, arbitrations or depositions.
Call Legal Language Services at 1-800-788-0450 to find North Dakota interpreters for courtroom trials, hearings, depositions, arbitrations and other legal proceedings.
Classification of Interpreters in North Dakota
A certified interpreter is an interpreter who has scored a minimum of 70 percent on an oral exam as well as a minimum of 80 percent on a written exam and who has also completed a two-day orientation seminar.
If a certified interpreter is not available, an interpreter who has not achieved certification but has met minimum requirements to be approved by the court will be considered for legal interpreting assignments.
Common Languages Spoken in North Dakota
According to a recent American Community Survey, approximately 5.14% of the North Dakota population speaks a language other than English.
What’s more, almost 79% of the non-English speaking population in North Dakota speaks one of the following 10 languages:
Other languages spoken in North Dakota include Cushite, Russian, Czech, Arabic, Tagalog, other Indo-European languages, Swahili, Urdu, Bengali, other specified African languages, Algonquian, Polish, Serbian, Mande, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, American Indian, Nepali, Portuguese 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 North Dakota
This state has 8 regional judicial districts that encompass 53 counties:
- District: Northwest
Counties: Divide, McKenzie, Williams - District: Northeast
Counties: Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Rolette, Towner, Walsh - District: North Central
Counties: Burke, Mountrail, Ward
- District: Northeast Central
Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson - District: East Central
Counties: Cass, Steele, Traill - District: Southeast
Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Stutsman, Wells
- District: South Central
Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, Sioux - District: Southwest
Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, Stark
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 North Dakota is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; however, Legal Language Services is not responsible for any errors or omissions.
