Licensing

Section 57.002 of the Texas Government Code requires the appointment of a licensed court interpreter by a court in certain situations. For more information about those situations, see the General FAQs on this page.

Please refer to the Initial Licensure page of our website for information on this process. Under the JBCC Rules, all requirements for licensure must be satisfied within one year of the date of application; otherwise, you must start the process over again. 

You must apply online. To apply online, please go to the online certification and licensing system on our home page.

The Commission will not process incomplete applications.

Yes. Each license will have one or more language endorsements other than English. Knowledge of English is mandatory.

No. The license is only for individuals, not for companies or organizations. Each person practicing as a licensed court interpreter must hold a separate license.

An individual whose license has been expired for 90 or less may renew for 1½ times the normally required renewal fee. An individual whose license has been expired more than 90 days but less than one year may renew for twice the normally required renewal fee. If your license is not renewed within a year of expiration, you will be required to meet the requirements for a new license, including examination. Exceptions will not be granted and fees will not be waived, refunded, or transferred. Please refer to section 3.2 of the JBCC Rules for more information.

Master – Permits the interpreter to interpret court proceedings in all courts in this state, including justice courts and municipal courts.

Basic – Permits the interpreter to interpret court proceedings in justice courts and municipal courts that are not municipal courts of record, other than a proceeding before the court in which the judge is acting as a magistrate.