Certification & Registration

You are required to:

1. have a high school diploma or GED equivalent,

2. pass the state certification exam, and

3. pass a state and federal criminal history background check.

The exam consists of:

• part A (the skills portion) and

• part B (the written knowledge portion).

Texas does not allow passing the skills exam in "legs"; the literary, jury charge, and Q&A portions of the exam must all be passed at the same time. Please refer to the Exam page of our website for details on the exam and the Initial Certification page of our website for additional details on certification. Refer also to the FAQ regarding criminal history requirements for certification.

Court reporting firms, as defined by the JBCC Rules, must register with the Commission. Refer to section 6.1 (f) of the JBCC Rules for additional information.

You must apply for registration by mail or via our online licensing and certification system. To apply online, please go to the online certification and licensing system on our home page. 

If there is an incident in your past that you are concerned may cause a problem with your becoming a Texas CSR, and you are enrolled or planning to enroll in court reporting school or planning to take the certification exam, you may first request a criminal history evaluation letter from the JBCC. Under section 3.5 of the JBCC Rules, you may request a criminal history evaluation letter by a written request in which you state the basis for your potential ineligibility. The Commission will notify you in writing of its determination. If you wish to sit for the exam before a determination has been made you may do so, with the understanding that even if you pass the exam a certification will not be issued until the Commission makes a determination on your eligibility status, and that a refund of the exam/application fees will not be issued. Also, if you take the exam and the Commission then determines you are not eligible, you will not receive a refund of the application and exam fees.

The Commission does not require attendance at a court reporting school, nor a degree, to become a CSR.  Please refer to the Initial Certification page of our website for information on the requirements to become a court reporter.

No.

Please refer to the Initial Certification page of our website for information on reinstating an expired certification or registration.

For information on reciprocity and endorsement, please refer to the Initial Certification page of our website.

Please refer to the Renewals page of our website for information on renewal requirements. 

Under section 154.107 of the statute, a certification or registration expires on the last day of the month of the second anniversary of the date the certification or registration was issued. For example, a certification or registration that was issued on 09/15/2018, when renewed, will expire 09/30/2020.

Please refer to the pdf Guide to Using the Online System located in the Online System Resources section of our home page for instructions on how to update your supervisor.

No. Under the rules, documents for good standing are not required for the apprentice applicant. The applicant's Texas CSR supervisor must currently be certified and in good standing though.

No. In order to become fully certified, you must complete all requirements for obtaining a full certification before we can issue one, including submitting the application for full certification along with its corresponding application fee. The Initial Certification page of our website provides the requirements for obtaining a full certification.

Under the rules, the application fees are non-refundable.