(a) The report of the official reporter, or official reporter pro tempore, of any court, duly appointed and sworn, when transcribed and certified as being a correct transcript of the testimony and proceedings in the case, is prima facie evidence of that testimony and proceedings.
§ 273.Reports prima facie evidence; Use of rough draft transcripts
Title 4. Ministerial Officers of Courts of Justice · Chapter 3. Phonographic Reporters · Last amended 2022 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 273 makes a certified court reporter’s transcript prima facie evidence of the testimony and proceedings it records, while barring an uncertified rough draft transcript from being used, cited, or distributed as the official transcript or to contradict it.
Full Text of § 273
(b) The report of the official reporter, or official reporter pro tempore, of any court, duly appointed and sworn, when prepared as a rough draft transcript, shall not be certified and cannot be used, cited, distributed, or transcribed as the official certified transcript of the proceedings. A rough draft transcript shall not be cited or used in any way or at any time to rebut or contradict the official certified transcript of the proceedings as provided by the official reporter or official reporter pro tempore. The production of a rough draft transcript shall not be required.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2022.
Plain-English Summary
§ 273 draws a sharp line between two kinds of transcript product. A reporter’s final, certified transcript — the version confirmed as a correct record of the testimony and proceedings — is prima facie evidence of what happened in court. Courts and parties can rely on it as accurate unless something rebuts it.
A rough draft transcript is different. It is an unofficial, uncertified product, and § 273(b) keeps it from being treated as if it were the real thing: it cannot be certified, cited, distributed, or transcribed as the official record, and it cannot be used to rebut or contradict the certified transcript once that exists. No reporter is required to produce one at all — a rough draft is a convenience some reporters offer, not an obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a rough draft transcript be used as evidence in a California court?
No. § 273(b) bars a rough draft transcript from being certified, cited, or used as the official transcript, and from being used to contradict the certified version.
Is a certified court reporter’s transcript treated as reliable evidence?
Yes. § 273(a) makes a duly certified transcript prima facie evidence of the testimony and proceedings it records.
Does a court reporter have to provide a rough draft transcript?
No. § 273(b) says producing a rough draft transcript is not required.
Amendment History
Added Stats 2009 ch 87 § 2 (AB 170), effective January 1, 2010, operative January 1, 2017. Amended Stats 2016 ch 703 § 7 (AB 2881), effective January 1, 2017, operative January 1, 2022.
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
Also known as: ccp 273 rough draft transcriptis a rough draft transcript official californiacertified transcript prima facie evidence california