Application for Court Interpreter Registration Renewal

Application for Court Interpreter Registration Instructions and Board Operating Procedures

This renewal application will be considered pursuant to qualification criteria established in the Florida Rules for Certification and Regulation of Spoken Language Court Interpreters.

Please read the instructions carefully to avoid mistakes that can delay processing or result in the return of your renewal application.

If you have any questions while completing this application, please contact Court Interpreter Certification and Regulation Program (CICRP) staff at (850) 922-5107, or via e-mail at interpreters@flcourts.gov.

Biennial Renewal Requirements

Interpreters must also meet the following requirements to maintain their registration and any corresponding official state-level designation each biennial renewal period:

• All renewal materials, including the biennial renewal fee, completed and notarized renewal application, and any additional documentation should be submitted six (6) weeks in advance of an interpreter’s renewal date to allow for processing time and continued registration and, if applicable, official state-level designation. Pursuant to Rule 14.200(g), registration and any corresponding official state-level designation shall be suspended automatically upon failure to comply with all renewal and maintenance requirements under rule 14.200(c), but may be reinstated upon application to the CICB, accompanied by payment, and made within 60 days of the date of suspension.
• Payment of a late renewal fee is required if the fee or other required reporting forms are not received within the 60-day grace period following expiration of registration and any corresponding official state-level designation. Pursuant to Rule 14.200(g), upon expiration of the 60-day grace period, registration and any corresponding state-level designation shall be revoked and any request for reinstatement must be made pursuant to rule 14.450.
• All payments and forms must be received within sixty (60) days of one’s registration expiration date to avoid loss of registration and any corresponding official state-level designation.
• Completion of 16 CIE credits, to include a minimum 2 ethics-related credits, every two-year compliance period. (No more than 4 credits of self-study coursework may be submitted for credit.)
• Completion of 20 law-related professional interpreting assignments, or a lesser number of assignments totaling no fewer than 40 hours, every two-year compliance period.
• Unless previously designated as certified, language skilled, or provisionally approved:
  • take an oath to uphold the Code of Professional Conduct (see attached form);
  • undergo and pass a background check according to standards prescribed by the board and published in Board Operating Procedures; and
  • agree to diligently pursue official state-level designation and, within the first year of any two-year renewal period, submit to at least one approved oral testing measure applicable to the interpreter’s language of expertise as prescribed by rule 14.200(b)(7).
    • [See Oral Performance Exam and Oral Proficiency Interview Information]
    • [See section 5.3 - Failure to Satisfy Threshold Oral Performance Standards (pg. 17-21) of the Compliance Guide for Spoken Language Court Interpreters Registration Maintenance and Renewal Requirements]

Background Check - All registered-only interpreters are required to undergo a comprehensive background check conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) before submitting an application for registration renewal. (Interpreters officially designated as certified, language skilled, or provisionally approved are exempt from this requirement.)

Steps to Court Interpreters Background Screening Process

1. Applicants must request authorization from the Court Interpreter Certification and Regulation Program (CICRP) to undergo a Level 2 background check for purposes of determining initial registration and/or renewal of registration.

• Click the following link to access the authorization form to request the CICRP’s Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number:  http://www.flcourts.gov/content/download/866482/file/level-2-backgroundscreening-ori-authorization-request-form.pdf.
• Complete the ORI Request for Authorization form and submit via email to: CICRPbackgroundcheck@flcourts.gov.
• Upon successful review as to eligibility, CICRP staff will issue an ORI number and the applicant can proceed with the background check process.

2. Applicants are required to go to a Livescan Service Provider of their choosing to be fingerprinted. The list of providers throughout the state is found at: 

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Criminal-History-Records/Documents/InternetDoc_ServiceProviders_June.aspx

This list should not be seen as an endorsement or recommendation of one product or business over another by the board, the Office of the State Courts Administrator, or the Supreme Court of Florida, and does not imply any rating, ranking, or certification of the products or businesses themselves. This list is provided for informational purposes only. As provider prices will vary, applicants may wish to compare vendor fee schedules to obtain the best price. For reference, in addition to the Livescan Service Providers listed in the link above, Livescan fingerprints may also be taken at your local law enforcement agencies (Police Department or Sheriff’s Office).

• The applicant must provide the Court Interpreter Certification and Regulation Program’s (CICRP) Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number to the local law enforcement agency or Livescan Service Provider so that the background screening results are sent directly from FDLE to the CICRP.
• The cost of the background check is approximately $50 to $75 per person, which includes the FDLE fee, and the cost charged by the Livescan provider to perform the fingerprinting. As previously noted, the cost may vary depending on the Livescan provider.

3. The CICRP will receive the background check results from FDLE within 3 days.

4. Court interpreter renewal applications will not be considered complete and processed until the results of the background screening have been received by the CICRP.

5. Per Board Operating Procedures, the applicant must submit their interpreter renewal application within three months of being fingerprinted. Failure to do so will result in having to be re-finger printed at the interpreter’s expense.

Good Moral Character - No person shall be renewed for registration, or official designation as a state level certified, language skilled, or provisionally approved interpreter, or maintain this status, unless such person is of good moral character. The primary purpose of the requirement of good moral character is to ensure protection of the participants in the judicial process and the public, as well as to safeguard the justice system. An interpreter shall have, as a prerequisite to, and for maintenance of, registration and state-level designation, good moral character required under the standards of the Code of Professional Conduct as contained in Part III of the Florida Rules for Certification and Regulation of Spoken Language Court Interpreters.

Registration and State-Level Designation Disqualifications - If a record is found which, in the judgment of the Court Interpreter Certification Board, is relevant to the performance and professional responsibilities of a court interpreter, this record may be grounds for rejection of the application. The following shall apply in determining the character required for continued registration and state-level interpreter designation:

• An interpreter applying for renewal of registration and/or state-level interpreter designation who has been convicted of a felony shall not be eligible for renewal of registration and/or designation until such person has received a restoration of civil rights.
• An interpreter applying for renewal of registration and/or state-level interpreter designation who is serving a sentence of felony probation shall not be eligible for renewal of registration and/or designation until termination of the probation period and restoration of civil rights.

Notary - Your application and oath form, if applicable, must be legally notarized pursuant to the applicable requirements of Chapter 117, Florida Statutes.

Mail - Your completed renewal application, fee, continuing interpreter education form, law-related professional interpreting assignments form, and if applicable, interpreter oath form, and other accompanying documents (if any) should be mailed to:

Processing - You will be notified via e-mail or regular postal mail upon receipt of your renewal packet. If all required materials, fees, and information are submitted with the completed application, estimated processing time is six weeks.

Printable Version: Application Instructions for Court Interpreter Registration Renewal 

Revised: 2/27/2023