Court Interpreters

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The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit is committed to providing qualified interpreters to limited-English-proficient and deaf persons in order to eliminate communication barriers that may prevent full participation in court proceedings necessary to ensure due process and equal access to the courts.

Spoken Language Court Interpreters

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit provides spoken language court interpreters to limited-English-proficient persons in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 90.606, Florida Statutes, and Rule 2.560, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration.

Qualified spoken language court interpreters will be appointed where a fundamental interest is at stake and the inability of individuals to understand or express themselves in English may prevent full and necessary participation in court proceedings. Such cases include, but are not limited to, circuit and county criminal, juvenile delinquency and dependency, paternity, domestic violence injunction, mental health and incapacity proceedings, and any other matters in which the court determines an interpreter is necessary.

Qualified spoken language court interpreters will also be appointed for limited-English-proficient witnesses in any proceeding and for limited-English-proficient victims in any circuit or county criminal or juvenile delinquency proceeding.

Requesting a Court Interpreter

Requests for spoken language court interpreters must be received at least 7 days in advance of the scheduled proceeding. In the case of certain languages of lesser diffusion or unscheduled interpreting, more time may be necessary to arrange for a qualified interpreter and a remote interpreting service may be used. Interpreters may be requested or current requests cancelled using our online forms. When cancelling a request you will need the confirmation number from the Request Confirmation email.

For instructions on using the Interpreter Request App, please view the instructional video.

If you have any questions or issues, please send an e-mail to:
CAD-ALLCOURTINTERPRETERS@pbcgov.org.

Sign Language Interpreters

Additionally, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit provides interpreter services and reasonable accommodations for deaf persons in all cases in accordance with section 90.6063, Florida Statutes, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you need a sign language interpreter or accommodation, you are entitled to one at no cost to you. Requests for sign language interpreters should be made at least 7 days prior to the scheduled event when possible. To request a sign language interpreter or ADA Accommodation, please download and complete the ADA Request for Accommodations Form or call (561) 355-4380.

Download ADA Request for ASL

Announcements

Effective October 1, 2015, Rule 2.565(d) of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration requires that certified court interpreters be utilized when an interpreter is needed. Private interpreters must fit into one of the following four categories:

• Certified--preferred type of interpreter
• Provisionally Approved--have met a lower threshold
• Language Skilled--certification is currently not available in the language (such as Farsi)
• Registered--have complied with certain State Court requirements

If the Interpreter to be utilized DOES NOT fit into one of the four categories, then the attorney or pro se litigant who wishes to use the interpreter must fill out and file a Verified Written Declaration Under Rule 2.565(d) of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration.

Documents Pertaining to Rule 2.565

	Rule 2.565
	Verified Written Declaration Form
	Verified Written Declaration Instructions
	2.506 - Court Interpreter Policies

For additional information, please visit the Court Interperter page of the Florida Courts website. Under the "Find an Interpreter" section on the left hand side of the page, attorneys and pro se litigants will find the various registries of Interpreters who are available for hire.

Related Links & Associations

Become a Court Interpreter

If you are interested in the becoming a Court Interpreter, download the Spoken Language Court Interpreter Recruitment Brochure  for more information.

If you are interested in the State of Florida's Court Interpreter Certification and Regulations Program, you may view the Spoken Language Court Interpreter Recruitment Brochure  for more information.