American Sign Language Interpreters

Only American Sign Language Interpreters who are listed on the Approved American Sign Language Court Interpreter List are eligible to work in a courtroom setting in Utah. An interpreter must meet specific requirements to be included on the Approved ASL Court Interpreter List, which is posted and maintained by the Utah Interpreter Program, a program within the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

• Approval Process FAQ - PDF
• Legal Requirements - PDF

Requirements to be on the Approved ASL Court Interpreter List

Possess RID SC:L in good standing.

OR ALTERNATIVELY AN APPLICANT MAY QUALIFY BY MEETING FOLLOWING THE REQUIREMENTS

1. Provide verification of at least one of the following Certifications in good standing:

      2.Complete an online application HERE. 

      3.Pass a background check. The candidate will not be charged a fee for this.

      4.Complete a 1-day Court Interpreting Orientation class offered by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The class is scheduled from 9:00 - 4:30; please arrive 15 minutes ahead of time to allow for parking and registration. The class is held at the Matheson Courthouse 450 S. State St. Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. The deadline to register is 5:00 pm the Friday before the class. There is no fee for this class. Registration.

      5. Interpreters must pass the Ethics Exam at the completion of the 1-day Court Interpreting Orientation class.

      6. Provide proof of 10 observation hours of court interpreting in any language. Documented time must be actual time of observing the interpreting process with a certified language interpreter or approved ASL interpreter. To receive the verification form and arrange observation hours, contact any court interpreter coordinator listed on the following link coordinators.html

Both methods of approval require the following

1. Achieve a verifiable clean background check provided by the court. A criminal background check (BCI) will be conducted upon submitting an application to become a court interpreter for ASL.
2. Sign an Interpreter's Oath with the court. This will be provided at the time of acceptance.

Remaining on the Approved ASL Court Interpreter list

To remain on the Approved ASL Court Interpreter list the interpreter must:

1. Maintain approved certification in good standing.
2. Complete 80 CEHs in a four year cycle, with 20 of the 80 being in legal training.
   - OR -
3. Provide proof of RID SC:L in good standing.

The list of court approved ASL interpreters will be posted and maintained on the Utah Interpreter Program website at http://uip.utah.gov

Additional Resources

For free legal interpreting materials, including an ASL legal dictionary, visit , visit the University of Northern Colorado: Project Climb.