Court reporters capture the words that everyone speaks during court proceedings.
They are highly skilled professionals who convert the spoken words of trials, hearings, depositions, or other proceedings into information that can be searched and read.
Preparing verbatim transcripts of various proceedings saves time and plays a valuable role in legal proceedings through their skills and their use of cutting-edge technology.
The licensure requirements for court reporters vary by state.
Some states require that court reporters have a license, while other states do not require their court reporters to have a license.
Some other states may require people to have a certification, training, or both before they can work as a court reporter.
Employers may have license, certification, or training requirements for their court reporters, even if the state does not require them.
There are several benefits to becoming a court reporter, even if states require licensure, certification, or training.
One such benefit is the fact that court reporters earn a good salary.
The average salary for court reporters in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was $67,310.
Getting a license and completing a training program can likely help people earn a higher salary in whatever state they choose to work in as court reporters.
The salary also varies according to the state where court reporters decide to work.
States that Require Court Reporters to Have a License
Many of the states that require court reporters to have a license also have their own state exams.
The court reporter exams usually include a written exam and a skills exam.
Applicants need to check to see if there are fees for taking the exams.
Paying the fees is the responsibility of the applicants.
Some states only charge a fee for one of the exams. Some other states do not charge applicants a fee for either of the exams.
Some states accept the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation from the NCRA.
Alabama
The state of Alabama requires court reporters to have a license.
They also need to hold a certification.
The Alabama Court Reporters Association (ACRA) administers the required Certified Court Reporters (CCR) exam twice each year.
People who register for the exam must pay the required fees.
Arizona
Court reporters must have a license to work in Arizona.
People who take the exam must pay the cost for the written exam.
License applicants must pass the skills exam with scores of 225 Q/A, 200 Jury Charge, and 180 Literary.
The state accepts the RPR for the skills exam.
There is no additional charge for the skills test.
Arkansas
The state of Arkansas requires that court reporters pass the written and skills exams to get the mandatory court reporter’s license.
Applicants who do not pass any portion of the exam can carry the parts that they did pass over to their next exam attempt.
The Arkansas Court Reporters Association lists the required credentials as Certified Court Reporter (CCR).
California
The state of California requires applicants who want to become court reporters to have a license.
They must pay the fee to take the written and skills exams.
Applicants need to have fingerprint cards, which they must pay for themselves.
The Disposition Reporters Association of California also requires court reporters who do not have the RPR credential or a license from a state with equal requirements to complete a court reporter education program.
The program must be recognized by the California Court Reporters Board.
Georgia
The state of Georgia requires court reporters to have a license.
Once applicants pass a national exam, they may apply for their certification in Georgia.
All court reporters who work in the state are required to meet the certification requirements of the National Court Reporters Association, or the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA).
Hawaii
The state of Hawaii accepts the RPR certification.
The state still requires that all court reporter applicants pass the state exam before they can work in the state.
Idaho
Idaho requires its court reporters to have a license.
Applicants pay the fees for the written and skills exams.
The exam is the same as the RPR exam.
All court reporter applicants in Idaho must also have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Iowa
Court reporters who work in Iowa are required to have a license.
The state accepts the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification, but applicants are still required to pass the state’s licensing exam.
Kansas
Court reporters must have a license to work in the state of Kansas.
The state also requires that applicants must have graduated from a court reporter course at a school that is licensed in Kansas or in the state where the school is located.
Louisiana
The state of Louisiana requires that applicants who want to become court reporters must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
They must also provide proof that they passed a qualifying test within a year of applying to the state board to take the licensing exam.
Michigan
The state of Michigan requires that court reporters have a license.
Michigan also requires court reporters to have a certification.
Applicants must have graduated from high school and be at least 18 years of age.
The state may also have additional requirements.
Mississippi
Court reporters must have a license to work in the state of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Court Reporters Association screens all applications.
Applicants must be of good moral character, a resident of the state, and at least 21 years of age to take the licensing exam.
Missouri
The state of Missouri has mandatory license requirements for court reporters.
Applicants pay a fee to take the written and skills exams.
The state also gives the certification exam at least twice a year.
Nevada
Nevada requires court reporters who work in the state to have a license.
They must pass both the RPR exam and the state exam.
The state gives the written test four times a year.
New Hampshire
The state of New Hampshire requires court reporters to have a license.
Applicants must pass both the RPR exam and the Nevada written state exam.
New Mexico
The state of New Mexico requires court reporters to have a license, but the state accepts reciprocity with the RPR certification exam.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has mandatory licensure for court reporters.
Applicants must pass the state exam to work as court reporters in Oklahoma.
Anyone who wishes to take the state exam must be of good moral character and have a high school diploma.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Court Reporter Act of 2009 made it a requirement that all court reporters who work in Tennessee have a license.
The Tennessee Board of Court Reporting issues the license to qualifying applicants.
Texas
The state of Texas requires court reporters to have a license.
There are no prerequisites for applicants who want to get their license to be court reporters in Texas.
Virginia
Some sources indicate that Virginia does not require court reporters to have a license.
As of July 2021, no one is allowed to work as a court reporter without being licensed by the state board.
The state does accept the RPR designation.
Washington
Washington requires people who work as court reporters in the state to have a license.
The state does allow reciprocity with the RPR designation.
States That Do Not Require Licensure but Mandate Certification or Training
Several states require court reporters to be certified to work in that state.
States also have requirements for recertification.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) requires court reporter certification holders to renew their certification every three years.
Illinois
The state of Illinois gives the certification test three times a year.
Applicants must give proof of having a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Applicants must also prove that they have at least the minimum competency skills to sit for the exam.
This requirement is based on the determination of the state court reporters’ board.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is working on legislation that makes it mandatory for court reporters to have a license.
Court reporters are required to be members of the Massachusetts Court Reporters Association (MCRA).
The voluntary exam is given twice a year.
New Jersey
New Jersey accepts the designation of the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR).
Students who do not currently have an RPR designation can become an RPR and work as a court reporter.
The state allows any student to take the exam.
New York
People who want to work as court reporters in New York need to be aware of the unique state rules.
People who want to work in courts may voluntarily sit for one of two certifications.
They are the New York Realtime Certified Reporter (NYRCR) and the New York Association Certified Reporter (NYACR).
The applicants who want to work as freelance court reporters in New York need to have completed a court reporter program with a speed of 225.
People who are not licensed can offer services, but only those who have been certified by the Board of Regents are allowed to use the CSR title.
Oregon
The state of Oregon allows anyone to take the certification exam to become a court reporter.
They may do so without proof of completing a court reporter program.
The state usually offers the exam twice a year.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island has a unique requirement for people who apply to become court reporters.
They must sit in on an actual trial and type from the trial.
A qualified reporter is also there and takes down the legal record.
Applicants may take their notes home and transcribe 10 pages within two or three days.
The applicants’ transcribed pages are then compared to the qualified reporter’s notes.
A judge decides how applicants do in this process.
Utah
All court reporters who work in Utah must have RPR certification.
They must also be a notary public to work as court reporters.
States With No License Requirement but Employer-Based Standards
Alaska
The state of Alaska does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
Colorado
Colorado does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
Applicants must pass the CSCR exam to work as court reporters.
The exam is a real-time exam.
Connecticut
Connecticut does not require court reporters to have a license or a certification.
Delaware
The Delaware Court Reporters Association (DCRA) is not active currently.
Certification is not a requirement for court reporters in Delaware.
The court does require court reporters to pass the RPR or a state exam.
Florida
Florida offers applicants who want to work as court reporters in the state to sit for its voluntary certification.
Applicants do not have to be members of the Florida Court Reporters Association (FCRA) to attend the Florida Rules and Ethics Certification Seminar or to sit for the exam.
Applicants likely want to consider becoming members of the FCRA before sitting for the exam and future exams because their fees will be calculated at reduced rates.
The exam is academic.
Indiana
The state of Indiana does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
They must have passed the RPR to work in the courts.
Some courts in Indiana require that their court reporters have a Certified Realtime Reporter certification.
Kentucky
Kentucky does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
Maine
The state of Maine does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
Maryland
Court reporters who work in Maryland are not required to have a license or certification.
Minnesota
There are no requirements for court reporters who work in Minnesota to have a license.
Montana
The state of Montana does not require court reporters to have a license or a certification.
Nebraska
Nebraska does not require court reporters to have a license.
Earning a credential is voluntary, not a requirement.
North Carolina
The state of North Carolina does not require court reporters to have a license.
They are also not required to have a certification.
North Dakota
Court reporters who work in North Dakota do not need to have a license or a certification to work in the courts.
Ohio
Ohio does not require court reporters to have a license or certification.
The state is currently working on legislation to require court reporters to hold a certification.
The state requires court reporters to be notaries.
Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania does not have requirements for court reporters to have a license or certification.
South Carolina
South Carolina does not require court reporters to have a license or a certification.
The state does have a voluntary exam system.
South Dakota
South Dakota does not require its court reporters to have a license or certification.
Vermont
The state of Vermont has no requirement for court reporters to have a license or certification.
West Virginia
West Virginia does not require court reporters to have a license or to hold a certification.
Wisconsin
The state of Wisconsin does not require court reporters to have a license.
Applicants can apply to work in the courts if they have a diploma from a school that is approved by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA).
Wyoming
Wyoming does not require its court reporters to have a license.
They also do not have to have a certification.
