Available Interpreter Services

Court Support Services for the Tuolumne Superior Court makes arrangements for interpreters for all case types and languages. If you need a foreign language interpreter or an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter, please call the Court at (209) 533-6672.

If you require the services of an Assistive Listening Device, you may request one for any hearing, as well as for jury duty. For further information on this and other access and accommodation needs, please visit the ADA page of this site. The Court’s ADA clerk is located in the Self Help Center, at 12855 Justice Center Drive. The clerk will be happy to assist you.

Whether you need a foreign language interpreter or a sign language interpreter, you should notify the court as soon as possible as to your interpretation needs. If you wait until your court date, it is likely that your matter will have to be continued to a future date.

The Court Support Services Division of the Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne, makes arrangements for interpreters for mandated hearings. Mandated hearings consist of criminal, juvenile dependency, and juvenile traffic cases.

Furthermore, through a grant provided by the Judicial Council of California, Judicial Council of California, we are currently providing interpreters for indigent litigants in family law cases where a domestic violence restraining order was sought or issued.

If you require the services of a sign language interpreter, you may request one for any type of hearing you may have.  This includes civil hearings, small claims hearings, and jury duty. For further information on this and other access and accommodation needs, please visit the ADA page of this site.

If you need an interpreter, you should notify the court as soon as possible as to your language needs. If you wait until your court date, it is most likely that your matter will be continued to a future date.

If you are involved in a civil or small claims hearing, the court will not provide you with an interpreter.

Living Toolkit for Language Access

Click here to view the Living Toolkit for Language Access on the California Courts website

LEP Plan (Limited English Proficiency)

Click here to view LEP Plan

If you require a sign language interpreter, or a foreign language interpreter, please call the court at (209) 533-6672.

NOTE: We recommend that you contact the court as soon as possible to ensure the availability of the accommodation you are requesting at the time of your hearing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a certified interpreter?

A certified interpreter is an individual who has passed the Court Interpreter Certification Examination, or the required examination for American Sign Language, and fulfills the Judicial Council requirements. The certified interpreter must pass a written and oral exam in English and any other language they are being certified for.

What is a registered interpreter?

Interpreters of spoken languages for which there is no state certifying examination are required to pass the English Fluency Examination, and fulfill the corresponding Judicial Council requirements, in order to become registered interpreters of a non-designated certified language.

What can I expect from an interpreter?

Interpreters have an important job in the courtroom. They interpret court proceedings for witnesses and defendants with limited English skills, or for parties who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Which languages are State Certified?

There are fifteen (15) languages currently certified by the State: American Sign Language, Arabic, Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, Cantonese, Farsi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

When does a case qualify for a court-appointed interpreter?

When needed, a foreign language or American sign language interpreter may be requested to assist at any calendared hearing in all case types.

Who pays for the services of an interpreter in Superior Court?

Court appointed interpreters are provided at no charge to the party needing these services. The cost of the court appointed interpreter will be paid by the Superior Court.

In all judicial proceedings instituted by the Superior Court wherein the codes mandate the appointment of an interpreter, (criminal, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile traffic), the cost of the court appointed interpreter will be paid by the Superior Court from appropriations available to the judiciary.  [When an interpreter has been scheduled for a specific mandated matter at the request of counsel, and said counsel either appears late or does not appear at all, or is not ready to proceed and has failed to cancel the services of the interpreter, then the resulting interpreter fees shall be paid by the attorney.]

Who pays for the interpreter when the interpreter is needed for non-court proceedings away from the courthouse?

When the District Attorney, Public Defender or defense counsel need the services of an interpreter away from the courthouse, they should make arrangements to contact, contract, and pay the interpreter.

How do I request an interpreter for my hearing?

To obtain a court provided interpreter, the party or the party's attorney may call (209) 533-6672.