A certified foreign language interpreter must be able to interpret simultaneously and consecutively and provide sight translation from English into the target language and from the target language into English. An interpreter will be eligible for certification upon establishing to the satisfaction of the State Court Administrator that the individual has:
§ 6-705.Certified foreign language interpreter requirements.
Article 7: Interpreters in the Nebraska Judicial Branch · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule sets the substantive qualifications for certified foreign-language interpreter status — minimum age, a clean criminal record, completed orientation, and passing scores on the national written and oral exams, or an equivalent federal or national certification — and requires ongoing continuing education to keep that status.
Full Text of § 6-705
(A) Reached the age of 19;
(B) Had no past felony convictions or pending felony criminal charges. In addition, in the preceding 5 years had no misdemeanor convictions or pending charges manifesting a significant deficiency in honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, or reliability. Disposition of any felony charges less than 5 years in the past other than by acquittal or dismissal (e.g., pretrial diversion) shall be the basis for denial of certification. Disposition of misdemeanor charges manifesting a significant deficiency in honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, or reliability less than 5 years in the past other than by acquittal or dismissal (e.g., pretrial diversion) may be the basis for denial of certified interpreter status;
(D) Achieved a qualifying score of 80 percent or higher on a National Center for State Courts written examination administered by the Nebraska Judicial Branch or any member of the National Center for State Courts Language Access Services Section; and
(E) Achieved a qualifying score of 70 percent or higher on each segment of the National Center for State Courts oral examination administered or approved by the Nebraska Judicial Branch as described in § 6-704(F). If an interpreter received a qualifying score of 70 percent on any of the three segments of a previous National Center for State Courts oral examination that was administered within the last 3 calendar years, the qualifying score shall be honored, and the applicant shall not be required to repeat that segment of a current examination.
(F) In addition, any interpreter possessing a Federal Court Interpreter Certification or a Court Interpreter Certification from a member of the National Center for State Courts Language Access Services Section, formerly known as the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts, is recognized as a certified interpreter.
(G) To maintain certified status, interpreters must comply with continuing education requirements as outlined in § 6-710. Failure to complete continuing education requirements shall be grounds for removal of the interpreter's name from the statewide register of interpreters.
[Originally numbered as] Rule 3(C)-(E) amended September 17, 2003. Renumbered and codified as § 6-704, effective July 18, 2008; § 6-704 renumbered to § 6-705 and amended October 21, 2009; § 6-705(G) adopted May 16, 2012, effective July 1, 2012; § 6-705(B) amended December 12, 2018; § 6-705, (A) and (C)-(F) amended April 14, 2021; § 6-705 amended June 12, 2024.
Plain-English Summary
Section 6-705 is where the certified interpreter category gets defined. A certified foreign-language interpreter must be able to interpret simultaneously, interpret consecutively, and sight-translate in both directions between English and the target language — the full range of skills a courtroom demands. To reach that status, an applicant must be at least 19, have no disqualifying criminal history, complete an approved orientation, score 80 percent or higher on the National Center for State Courts written exam, and score 70 percent or higher on each of the three segments of the oral exam.
The rule also builds in some practical relief. An interpreter who scored 70 percent on a segment of a previous oral exam within the last three years does not have to retake that segment. And an interpreter who already holds a Federal Court Interpreter Certification, or certification from another state that belongs to the National Center for State Courts’ Language Access Services Section, is recognized as certified in Nebraska without repeating the exam process.
Certification is not a one-time achievement. To stay on the register as a certified interpreter, the rule ties continued status to the continuing education requirements in § 6-710 — falling behind on those hours is grounds for removal from the statewide register.
Frequently Asked Questions
What score does an applicant need to become a certified interpreter?
80 percent or higher on the written exam, and 70 percent or higher on each segment of the oral exam.
Can an out-of-state or federal certification substitute for Nebraska’s exam?
Yes. An interpreter holding a Federal Court Interpreter Certification, or a certification from another member of the National Center for State Courts’ Language Access Services Section, is recognized as certified without repeating Nebraska’s exam.
Do I have to retake every part of the oral exam if I fail once?
No. A qualifying score of 70 percent on any segment within the past three years carries forward, so only the segments not yet passed need to be retaken.
What criminal history disqualifies someone from certification?
Any past or pending felony conviction, and any misdemeanor conviction or pending charge within the past five years that shows a real problem with honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, or reliability.
Does certification last forever once earned?
No. Certified interpreters must keep up with the continuing education requirements in § 6-710, and falling behind can lead to removal from the statewide register.
What skills does a certified interpreter need to demonstrate?
The ability to interpret both simultaneously and consecutively, and to sight-translate documents in both directions between English and the target language.
Source & verification. Section text is
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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