Every party requesting a court reporter to transcribe testimony taken in court by the court reporter shall be required to pay for the transcript at a rate not to exceed three dollars ($3.00) per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per page for copies. The rate to be charged for transcripts ordered by any branch, department, agency, board, or commission of the government of the State of Rhode Island shall not exceed three dollars ($3.00) per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per page for copies The minimum charge of a transcript shall be five dollars ($5.00). Policies and procedures regarding the ordering, payment, and delivery of transcripts shall be promulgated by the Supreme Court Finance and Budget Office of the Administrative Office of State Courts. The most current version of the transcript policy and procedure is located on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov under the heading of Quick Links on the home page.
Rule 78.Stenographic Reports — Transcripts of Testimony.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified July 8, 2026
In one sentenceRule 78 caps what a court reporter can charge for a transcript of testimony given in Superior Court, sets a minimum transcript charge, and points to the judiciary's own published policies for how transcripts are ordered, paid for, and delivered.
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
Rule 78 sets a ceiling on what a court reporter can charge a party for transcribing testimony taken in Superior Court: no more than three dollars ($3.00) a page for the original and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) a page for each copy, with a five-dollar ($5.00) minimum charge overall. The same per-page caps apply when a branch, department, agency, board, or commission of Rhode Island state government orders the transcript.
Rule 78 leaves the day-to-day mechanics — how to order a transcript, how to pay for it, and how it gets delivered — to policies set by the Supreme Court Finance and Budget Office of the Administrative Office of State Courts, with the current version posted on the judiciary's website under Quick Links.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a court reporter charge for a transcript?
No more than three dollars ($3.00) a page for the original and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) a page for each copy, with an overall minimum charge of five dollars ($5.00).
Does the government pay a different rate for transcripts it orders?
No. The same $3.00-a-page original and $1.50-a-page copy caps, and the $5.00 minimum, apply when any branch, department, agency, board, or commission of Rhode Island state government orders a transcript.
Where do I find the current procedure for ordering a transcript?
Rule 78 says the Supreme Court Finance and Budget Office of the Administrative Office of State Courts sets the policies for ordering, paying for, and receiving transcripts, and that the current version is posted on the judiciary's website under Quick Links.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Rhode Island Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (R.I. Super. Ct. R. Civ. P. 78). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-6-2). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. ·
Official source
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