(a) Every written proceeding in a court of justice in this state shall be in the English language, and judicial proceedings shall be conducted, preserved, and published in no other. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a court from providing an unofficial translation of a court order issued pursuant to Section 527.6 or 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or Part 1 (commencing with Section 6200) of Division 10 of the Family Code, or Section 136.2 of the Penal Code, in a language other than English.
§ 185.Proceedings to be in English language
Title 2. Judicial Officers · Chapter 5. Miscellaneous Provisions Respecting Courts of Justice · Last amended 1999 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 185 requires that every written proceeding in a California court be conducted, preserved, and published in English, while allowing courts to provide unofficial translations of certain protective orders and requiring the Judicial Council to make non-English translations of domestic violence protective order forms available to every court.
Full Text of § 185
(b) The Judicial Council shall, by July 1, 2001, make available to all courts, translations of domestic violence protective order forms in languages other than English, as the Judicial Council deems appropriate, for protective orders issued pursuant to Section 527.6 or 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or Part 1 (commencing with Section 6200) of Division 10 of the Family Code, or Section 136.2 of the Penal Code.
Plain-English Summary
Section 185 sets English as the language of the written record for California court proceedings — pleadings, orders, and everything preserved and published as part of a case must be in English, and in no other language. That is the general rule, and it applies broadly across every kind of civil proceeding.
The section carves out a narrow, practical exception. A court may still provide an unofficial translation of specific protective orders — a civil harassment restraining order, a workplace violence restraining order, a domestic violence protective order, or a criminal protective order — in a language other than English, without that translation displacing the official English version. Subdivision (b) goes further for domestic violence cases specifically, requiring the Judicial Council to make translated protective order forms available to every court in whatever languages it determines are appropriate, so that a person seeking or subject to that kind of order can understand it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does California law require court proceedings to be conducted in English?
Yes. Section 185(a) requires every written proceeding in a California court to be conducted, preserved, and published in English and no other language.
Can a court give someone a translated copy of a protective order?
Yes. Section 185(a) allows a court to provide an unofficial translation of certain protective orders, including domestic violence and workplace violence protective orders, in a language other than English.
Does the Judicial Council have to provide non-English versions of domestic violence protective order forms?
Yes. Section 185(b) requires the Judicial Council to make translations of these forms available to all courts, in whatever languages it determines are appropriate.
Amendment History
Enacted 1872. Repealed and re-enacted Code Amdts 1880 ch 35 § 1. Amended Stats 1999 ch 662 § 1 (SB 218).
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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