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. The Court provides certified interpreters for criminal, juvenile, and DV cases. Parties who need an Interpreter for other proceedings (e.g., civil, family) must provide their own. 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)
or
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. View a copy of the Verified Written Declaration.
To find an interpreter for hire, view the listing on FLCourts.org.