Okla. Stat. tit. 20, § 20-1703

methods of interpreting or translating.

A. Every applicant who seeks to be examined for enrollment as a

certified or registered spoken language courtroom interpreter shall

prove to the satisfaction of the State Board of Examiners of

Courtroom Interpreters that he or she:

1. Is of legal age;

2. Meets the requisite standards of ethical fitness as

established by the Board pursuant to the recommendation of the State

Ethics Commission; and

3. Has at least a high school education or its equivalent.

B. The Board shall promulgate rules establishing interpreter

credentialing standards and requiring the use of oral and written

interpreter examinations consistent with nationally recognized state

court interpreter certification standards including but not limited

to those developed through the National Center for State Courts

language access programs. Candidates shall be required to attend a

training program approved by the Board, and shall be required to

establish their proficiency in English and in the foreign language

through the written and oral examinations required by the Board.

1. A candidate seeking to become a registered courtroom

interpreter shall:

a. complete a courtroom interpreter orientation program

conducted or sponsored by the Board which shall

educate the candidate about interpreting in the

Oklahoma courts, interpreter skills development,

courtroom procedure and decorum, legal terminology,

methods and modes of interpretation and interpreter

ethics and professionalism,

b. successfully pass the court interpreter Written

English Examination approved by the Board with a score

of eighty percent (80%) or better in order to

demonstrate the candidate's knowledge of three areas

central to the work of a court interpreter (1) the

English language including language comprehension,

vocabulary, synonyms, antonyms and idioms; (2) court-

related terms and usage including legal terminology

and court procedures; and (3) interpreter ethics and

professional conduct,

c. establish basic proficiency in the foreign language by

successfully passing either an oral proficiency

interview or a written translation examination for the

foreign language being tested, as specified by the

Board, and

d. agree in writing to be bound by the Code of

Professional Responsibility for Courtroom Interpreters

in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 20. Courts Page 497

2. A candidate seeking to become a certified courtroom

interpreter shall:

a. be currently enrolled as a registered courtroom

interpreter in this state in accordance with the

Board's rules and examination standards, and

b. successfully pass the court interpreter oral

examination authorized by the Board for the language

being certified with an overall score of seventy

percent (70%) or better in each of the sections of the

exam in order to demonstrate the candidate possesses

the requisite degree of skill and ability in all three

modes of interpreting: simultaneous interpreting,

consecutive interpreting and sight translation.

3. The Board may adjust the examinations and the scores

required to pass each of the interpreter examinations in this state

in order to maintain equivalency with the nationally recognized

interpreter credentialing standards and maximize the reciprocity

between Oklahoma's interpreter credentialing program and other state

and national credentialing programs. For languages in which a

recognized three-part oral exam is unavailable, the Board may

authorize an abbreviated oral examination from the National Center

for State Courts, or other approved entity, if one is available. If

no abbreviated oral examination is available, the Board may, at its

discretion, recognize other oral proficiency examinations or

interviews on a per-language basis.

C. An applicant who is academically dishonest when taking any

authorized examination is disqualified and may not take the
al examination from the National Center

for State Courts, or other approved entity, if one is available. If

no abbreviated oral examination is available, the Board may, at its

discretion, recognize other oral proficiency examinations or

interviews on a per-language basis.

C. An applicant who is academically dishonest when taking any

authorized examination is disqualified and may not take the

examination again until five (5) years have elapsed from the date of

the examination at which the applicant is disqualified.

D. All applicants who satisfy the credentialing requirements

set forth in this section and in the Board's rules and have

otherwise been found and approved by the Board to be fit and proper

persons shall be recommended by the Board to the Supreme Court for

official enrollment as certified or registered courtroom

interpreters. Any individual enrolled as a certified or registered

courtroom interpreter is qualified to engage in the translation of

written text and the interpretation of spoken words in the courts of

this state.

E. In district court proceedings, the court shall endeavor to

obtain the services of a courtroom interpreter with the highest

available level of credential prior to accepting services of an

interpreter with lesser credential and skill, pursuant to the

requirements set forth in the Rules of the Supreme Court and Section

1710 of this title.

F. In determining whether an applicant meets the requisite

standards of ethical fitness as set forth in this section, the Board

is authorized to conduct a criminal history record check including

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 20. Courts Page 498

but not limited to a criminal history record check through the

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), or a national

criminal history record check through the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI) pursuant to Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the

Oklahoma Statutes or other applicable statute. This paragraph is

specifically intended to provide the statutory authority required by

the OSBI and FBI to provide criminal history background check

services and information to the Board for this purpose. Applicants

shall furnish all releases, authorizations, fingerprints or other

items necessary to enable the Board to conduct the background check.

The Board shall charge the applicant a fee in an amount approved by

the Supreme Court for the background check.

G. The Board may maintain a registry of certified interpreters

for the deaf and hard-of-hearing to serve as qualified legal

interpreters pursuant to the provisions of Section 2408 of Title 63

of the Oklahoma Statutes. Applicants shall establish to the

satisfaction of the Board that they hold at least one of the sign

language interpreting credentials which the Board deems appropriate

for interpreting in the courts of this state, and shall satisfy the

registration requirements as set forth in the rules of the Board.