§ 271.Electronic transcripts; Provision of full text-searchable PDF copy if paper transcript delivered; Compliance with format requirements
Title 4. Ministerial Officers of Courts of Justice · Chapter 3. Phonographic Reporters · Enacted 2017 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 271 requires an official court reporter to deliver transcripts in electronic form under California Rules of Court format standards, with exceptions for a requested paper copy or a documented technical inability, and a 120-day window to supply a searchable PDF when a paper transcript is delivered instead.
(a)An official reporter or official reporter pro tempore shall deliver a transcript in electronic form, in compliance with the California Rules of Court, to any court, party, or person entitled to the transcript, unless any of the following apply:
(1)The party or person entitled to the transcript requests the reporter’s transcript in paper form.
(2)Prior to January 1, 2023, the court lacks the technical ability to use or store a transcript in electronic form pursuant to this section and provides advance notice of this fact to the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore.
(3)Prior to January 1, 2023, the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore lacks the technical ability to deliver a transcript in electronic form pursuant to this section and provides advance notice of this fact to the court, party, or person entitled to the transcript.
(b)If a paper transcript is delivered in lieu of an electronic transcript described in subdivision (a), within 120 days of the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore filing or delivering the paper transcript, the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore shall provide, upon request, a copy of the original transcript in full text-searchable portable document format (PDF) if the proceedings were produced with computer-aided transcription equipment. The copy of the original transcript in full text-searchable PDF format shall not be deemed to be an original transcript.
(c)Nothing in this section changes any requirement set forth in Section 69950 or 69954 of the Government Code, regardless of whether a transcript is delivered in electronic or paper form.
(d)Except as provided in subdivision (b), an electronic transcript delivered in accordance with this section shall be deemed to be an original transcript for all purposes, including any obligation of an attorney to maintain or deliver a file to a client.
(e)An electronic transcript shall comply with any format requirement imposed pursuant to subdivision (a). However, an official reporter or official reporter pro tempore shall not be required to use a specific vendor, technology, or software to comply with this section, unless the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore agrees with the court, party, or person entitled to the transcript to use a specific vendor, technology, or software. Absent that agreement, an official reporter or official reporter pro tempore may select the vendor, technology, and software to comply with this section and the California Rules of Court. In adopting transcript format requirements for the California Rules of Court, consideration shall be given on a technology-neutral basis to the availability of relevant vendors of transcript products, technologies, and software.
(f)After January 1, 2023, if new or updated rule of court format requirements for electronic transcripts necessitate a significant change in equipment or software owned by official reporters or official reporters pro tempore, the official reporters and official reporters pro tempore shall be given no less than one year to comply with the format requirements. If the change is necessary to address a security issue, then a reasonable time shall be given to comply with the new format requirements.
Plain-English Summary
§ 271 sets the default format for court transcripts: electronic, in the format the California Rules of Court specify. That default has three exceptions — the person entitled to the transcript can ask for paper instead, or, before January 1, 2023, the court or the reporter could document a genuine technical inability to handle an electronic transcript.
When a paper transcript is delivered under one of those exceptions, the reporter still owes a text-searchable PDF copy on request, within 120 days, if the proceedings were taken on computer-aided transcription equipment. That PDF copy is not itself treated as the original transcript — the paper copy keeps that status — but an electronic transcript delivered in the ordinary course under this section is treated as the original for every purpose, including an attorney’s duty to maintain or turn over a client file.
The section is deliberately vendor-neutral. A reporter is not required to use any particular software or technology to comply, absent an agreement with the court or the party, and rulemakers adopting format requirements must consider whether a range of vendors can meet them. Reporters also get at least a year to adapt to any new format requirement adopted after January 1, 2023, unless a security issue calls for faster action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a party still get a paper court transcript in California?
Yes. § 271(a)(1) lets the person entitled to the transcript request the paper form instead of the electronic default.
If I get a paper transcript, can I still get a searchable PDF version?
Yes, if the proceedings were taken on computer-aided equipment. § 271(b) requires the reporter to provide a text-searchable PDF copy on request within 120 days, though that copy is not treated as the original transcript.
Is an electronic transcript as legally valid as a paper one?
Yes. § 271(d) treats an electronic transcript delivered under this section as an original transcript for all purposes, except where a paper copy was substituted under subdivision (b).
Can a court require reporters to use one specific transcript software?
Not without agreement. § 271(e) lets reporters choose their own vendor and technology absent an agreement otherwise, and requires format rules to be adopted on a technology-neutral basis.
Amendment History
Added Stats 2017 ch 532 § 2 (AB 1450), effective January 1, 2018.
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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