Certified Interpreters

To join the DC Courts Interpreter Registry and work for the Courts as a certified contract interpreter you must be court certified or have passed an interpretation exam administered by one of the following:

1. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) American Sign Language and Deaf Interpreters
2. Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) (available in Spanish only)
3. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Please visit the NCSC website here for more information on the certification exam and the languages tested. If an NCSC certification exam does not exist for the subject language, a State Court Interpreter Certification Exam administered by a state court system will be accepted if available.
4. United States Department of State (DOS) Conference Level exam. Please visit the DOS website here for more information on the exams offered by DOS.

Interpreters certified or vetted by the above entities must also complete the following steps:

1. Email your resume and proof of certification to interpreters [at] dcsc.gov (interpreters[at]dcsc[dot]gov). "Proof of certification" means a copy of your Federal Court Interpreter Certification, NCSC Court Interpreter Certification, State Court Interpreter certificate, RID card, or State Department letter stating you have passed the Conference Level examination in the target languge.
2. Register as an entity with the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) at sam.gov. Once your SAM registration has been activated, contact OCIS staff to provide your Unique Entity ID and CAGE number.
3. Pass a criminal history background check.
4. Watch a video presentation and pass a quiz on the Interpreter Code of Ethics. Please see this page.
5. Complete an Orientation Workshop for New Interpreters in the District of Columbia Courts.