Rule 78.Stenographic Reports — Transcripts of Testimony.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 78
Amendment History
Rhode Island does not publish a per-rule amendment history inside the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own February 2024 printing; for the underlying adopting orders and any later amendments, see the Rhode Island Judiciary’s compiled rules page.
Plain-English Summary
The party who asks the reporter to transcribe testimony taken in court pays for the transcript. The rule sets ceilings rather than prices: no more than three dollars a page for an original and no more than one dollar and fifty cents a page for a copy. A transcript carries a minimum charge of five dollars, so a short one does not cost pennies.
Government does not get a discount. The rule applies the same three dollar and one dollar fifty cent per page ceilings to transcripts ordered by any branch, department, agency, board or commission of the State of Rhode Island. One rate structure covers the private party and the state alike.
The rule stops at price. How to order a transcript, how to pay for it and how it reaches you are governed by policies and procedures promulgated by the Supreme Court Finance and Budget Office of the Administrative Office of State Courts. The rule points readers to the current version of that transcript policy on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov, under the Quick Links heading on the home page, which means the steps can change without the rule changing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Rhode Island Family Court transcript cost?
The rule caps the rate at three dollars per page for an original transcript and one dollar and fifty cents per page for a copy. Those are maximums a reporter may charge, not set prices, and the rule says nothing about what a reporter may charge below them.
Who has to pay for the transcript of a Family Court hearing?
The party who requests the court reporter to transcribe the testimony. The rule places the cost on whoever asks for the transcription and says nothing about shifting that cost to anyone else.
Do state agencies pay a lower transcript rate?
No. The rule applies the same ceilings to transcripts ordered by any branch, department, agency, board or commission of the government of the State of Rhode Island as it applies to everyone else.
Is there a minimum charge for a short transcript?
Yes, five dollars. Even a transcript of a few pages carries that floor, so the per page ceilings only control once the page count pushes the total above it.
Where do I find out how to order a transcript in Rhode Island?
On the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov, under the Quick Links heading on the home page. The ordering, payment and delivery procedures are promulgated by the Supreme Court Finance and Budget Office of the Administrative Office of State Courts, and the site carries the current version.