Certification Renewal and Continuing Education (CEUs)

In order to maintain interpreter status, all rostered interpreters must renew their accreditation every two years from the date of their initial roster placement.

Purpose

Continuing education compliance requirements for court interpreters have the following purposes:

• To ensure that certified and qualified interpreters maintain and improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform their responsibilities professionally, competently, fairly, and efficiently.
• To promote adherence to the highest standards of official conduct as stated in the Pennsylvania Rules of Conduct and Professional Responsibility for Judiciary Interpreters.
• To ensure that certified and otherwise qualified interpreters listed on the Pennsylvania Interpreter Roster stay actively engaged in the field of court interpreting by attending seminars, professional conferences and workshops designed to improve their interpreting skills.
• To help improve the administration of justice, reduce court delays, and promote efficient court proceedings by ensuring that only qualified credentialed interpreters serve as official court interpreters in the Pennsylvania courts.
• To ensure that credentialed interpreters listed on the Pennsylvania Interpreter Roster achieve these purposes by completing a minimum of sixteen continuing education units (CEUs) every two years starting from the date of placement on the Roster.

What are the renewal requirements?

Once they are placed on the Roster, interpreters must:

• Complete sixteen (16) continuing education units (CEU) within the two-year compliance period
• Be in good standing with the program
• Pass a new background check
• Pay the $25 renewal fee
• Be signed up for the PA Interpreter Dashboard (PAID)

How do I obtain CEU credits?

Interpreters can do any of the following to obtain CEU credits:

• Attend training and skill development workshops and seminars sponsored by public or private institutions and professional organizations
• Participate in seminars or workshops related to legal interpreting during professional meetings and conferences
• Take academic courses in accredited colleges and universities in areas relevant to court and legal interpreting and language skills
• Take online courses with reputable and approved providers in areas related to court and legal interpreting, language and interpreting skills
• Present as faculty in courses, workshops or seminars on topics related to interpreting such as skill-building, ethics, language and professional issues
• Teach an academic course at an accredited college or university on a subject related to courts, legal interpreting or the interpreter’s language of expertise
• Volunteer their interpreting and language skills for approved charities or mentoring a candidate

What subject areas qualify for CEU credit?

The following subject areas are recommended for CEU credit:

• Interpreting skills (simultaneous, consecutive and sight)
• Language skills
• Professional conduct and responsibility (ethics)
• Courts, law, legal system, government institutions
• Business and professional development
• Technical skills related to interpreting and translation

What constitutes a CEU credit?

A CEU credit is equivalent to one contact hour of participation in an approved activity or event. The number of credits approved for a particular event may vary depending on the nature, content and requirements of the event or activity. Any in-person or live online courses led by an instructor or trainer and that include a final assessment or test of the participant’s performance, are eligible for credit at the rate of one (1) CEU per contact hour. The maximum number of credits that will be approved for a single in-person or live online training event is twelve (12). At least three (3) credits must be related to professional conduct (ethics). Up to three (3) CEUs will be approved for training related to medical interpreting. A full credit college course on an approved topic can be approved for up to sixteen (16) CEUs. Archived, recorded and self-study trainings will not be approved. The CEU approval process has been simplified for approved providers listed on the Resources page.

How do I know if an event or activity qualifies for CEU credit?

All CEU credits must be approved in advance by the Interpreter Program Administrator. Generally, requests for approval must be submitted at least 30 days before the scheduled event.

Exception: Interpreters DO NOT need to submit pre-approval requests for trainings that are given by the providers listed in our program's Resources page. Only proof of attendance is required to get credit for attending those trainings.

If a training provider is not listed on the ICP Resources page, interpreters must request approval by completing the CEU Approval Request Form on this page at least 30 days before the scheduled event.

Download the continuing education approval form.

Training providers can contact ICP for approval of their events. Approved providers will be listed in the program's Resources page. Please submit your request by completing the form found here with all supporting documentation as listed on the form, and allow a minimum of thirty (30) days for review and approval.

What is the Renewal Procedure?

1. Ninety (90) and thirty (30) days before renewal dateline ICP will send a certification renewal reminder.

2. No later than sixty (60) days before the renewal dateline interpreters must submit the CEU Compliance Form and attach proof of attendance of all sixteen (16) CEUs.

3. Upon receipt of the CEU Compliance Form and attached proof of attendance, the ICP will mail the renewal package to the interpreter. The renewal package includes:

    a. Authorization of Information form
    b. Interpreter's Oath
    c. Background Check form
    d. Additional informational documents to keep

4. The interpreter must complete the renewal forms, attach renewal payment of $25 and mail the paperwork back to the ICP by the deadline on the forms. Please complete the background check form in full. AOPC uses its own background check process and does not accept any other previously completed background investigations. AOPC will not share your background check results with any other organization. NOTE: $25 renewal fee is waived for PA courts staff interpreters.

5. Upon receipt of the completed renewal forms and satisfactory completion of background check, the ICP sends the interpreter a certification renewal letter and the roster is updated with the interpreter information. A certificate and ID card are mailed to the interpreter. Your certification is renewed for two (2) years. The next renewal date is the expiration date on the certificate and ID card.

How do I Report Continuing Education Credits?

Certified and otherwise qualified rostered interpreters are responsible for tracking their CEU hours during their compliance period. The ICP will not track them for interpreters. Interpreters will receive automated renewal reminders about ninety (90) and thirty (30) days before the end of the compliance period. The expiration date on the interpreter's ID card is the date when their compliance period ends.

All rostered interpreters are required to submit a completed Continuing Education Compliance Reporting Form along with proof of attendance to the Interpreter Certification Program staff no later than two (2) months before the end of their two-year compliance/renewal period.  

Suitable proof of attendance includes certificates of successful completion (must contain the name of the participant and number of CEU hours) and official transcripts from accredited colleges and universities. A signature on a sign-in sheet and/or proof of payment for an educational activity are not acceptable as proof of attendance. Sign language interpreters may submit a copy of their RID transcript as proof of attendance.

Interpreters should submit proof of attendance only together with the CEU Compliance Form upon the completion of the required sixteen (16) CEU hours, and not after the completion of each activity. Submissions after completion of each training will not be accepted. CEU Compliance Forms with an incomplete number of CEU hours will not be accepted and will be returned.

To submit, interpreters may mail, e-mail, or fax the completed Continuing Education Compliance Reporting Form and proof of attendance should be submitted to:

Interpreter Certification Program
1515 Market Street, Suite 1414
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Fax (215) 560-5492
Email InterpreterProgram@pacourts.us or Natalia.Petrova@pacourts.us

Alternatively, interpreters may use the feature for uploading CEUs directly to the ICP via the personal folder within the PA Interpreter Dashboard. Login to the Dashboard to find a guide explaining the process. This feature was developed in response to many interpreter requests and has been well-received. If choosing this option, only the first page of the Continuing Education Compliance Reporting Form must be submitted, along with each certificate with the applicable information filled out per certificate. For more information about the Dashboard, visit this page.

Incompliance with CEUs

Interpreters will receive automated renewal reminders about ninety (90) and thirty (30) days before the end of the compliance period. Interpreters will also receive automated warnings when they are thirty (30) and ninety (90) days past due. The final warning will notify about likely removal from PA roster, unless the ICP is contacted within one (1) week of receiving the reminder to discuss obtaining the required CEUs.

Interpreters who do not meet the continuing education requirements by the end of their compliance period will be temporarily removed from the Court Interpreter Roster as non-compliant. Although an interpreter’s certified or otherwise qualified status will not be revoked, the interpreter will not be allowed to interpret in the Pennsylvania courts until all CEU requirements are fulfilled.

Once an interpreter fulfills the CEU requirements, they will be reinstated to the Roster and allowed to accept court assignments. An interpreter who would like to be reinstated to the Roster must complete sixteen (16) CEU hours for each two-year period they were non-compliant.