Explore court services for interpreters
The Wisconsin Director of State Courts Office is committed to ensuring equal access to justice for all individuals throughout the court system regardless of the language they speak. To protect the rights of limited English speakers the Director of State Courts office maintains a program to improve interpreter services by certifying candidates who wish to interpret during legal proceedings.
All candidates who would like to interpret in court must complete a series of steps and requirements in order to become certified. Being a certified court interpreter means an individual has attained the highest credential for court interpreting conferred by our state. The Director of State Courts office is the only entity that grants credentials to spoken language court interpreters in Wisconsin. The US Administrative Office of the Courts has a separate system for certifying spoken language interpreters to work in federal courts. Find more information on the federal court interpreter certification system here (external link).
Use the navigation to the right to explore the requirements for people interested in court interpreting and find detailed information about each stage of Wisconsin's certification process.
For more information about the court interpreter certification program, please contact:
Alexandra Wirth
Court Interpreter Program Manager
Office of Court Operations
110 East Main Street Suite 410
Madison, WI 53703
Ph: (608) 266-8635
Email: Interpreter.info@wicourts.gov
Quick resources
- Guidelines for recorded evidence in a non-English language
- A Handbook for Court Interpreters Working in Teams
- Language Access Plan (rev. December 21, 2021)
- Court Interpreter Program Policies (rev. November 08, 2024)
- Americans with Disabilities Act Policies and Procedures
The Wisconsin Court System is committed to providing equal access to court programs consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other state and federal laws.
For additional information on court interpreters visit the court services for judges section.