To work as a certified ASL interpreter in California, you need the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, earned by passing two exams administered by the Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters (CASLI). California has no separate general interpreter license, so the NIC is what most employers and agencies look for. Plan on several years of preparation and roughly $1,000 to $1,500 in exam and membership fees before you’re finished. If you want to interpret in courtrooms or K-12 schools, expect an additional credential on top of the NIC.
What You Need Before You Test
RID requires a bachelor’s degree in any field before you can sit for the NIC performance exam. The major does not matter; the four-year degree does.1Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. What Are the NIC Interview and Performance Exam Educational Requirements Many candidates also complete an Interpreter Preparation Program to build the ASL fluency the exam demands, though a formal IPP is recommended rather than required.
Without a bachelor’s degree, you can apply through RID’s Alternative Pathway Program. The Educational Equivalency Application awards points for college coursework, interpreting experience, and professional development hours. Once approved, it satisfies RID’s educational requirement for exam purposes only, and RID will not verify it to employers or third parties. Standard processing takes 7 to 10 business days.2Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Alternative Pathway Program
The Two CASLI Exams
NIC certification requires passing two exams in sequence. You cannot register for the second until you clear the first, and each has its own retake rules.
Knowledge Exam
The CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam is a multiple-choice test covering interpreting theory, ethical decision-making under RID’s Code of Professional Conduct, Deaf culture, and the logistics of managing assignments.3Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. National Interpreter Certification NIC Exam Results arrive by email within ten business days. Fail, and you wait three months from your original test date before retaking. If you pass one portion but fail the other, you only retake the failed portion, but the three-month wait still applies.4Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Exam Results and Retakes
Performance Exam
After passing the knowledge exam, you have five years to complete the CASLI Generalist Performance Exam: NIC. This is a computer-based, video-recorded assessment covering six simulated community interpreting assignments, working between ASL and English in both directions.5Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. For NIC Candidates Results take around 90 days. Fail the performance exam, and the retake window is six months from your original test date. A passing score is reported simply as “Pass,” with no detailed breakdown.4Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Exam Results and Retakes
What Certification Costs
RID membership is not required to test, but it lowers exam fees and is effectively necessary once you’re certified. The main line items:
- CASLI Knowledge Exam: $450 regular, $350 for RID members
- CASLI Performance Exam: $500 regular, $450 for RID members
- RID Associate Membership (pre-certification): $175 per year
- RID Certified Membership: $220 per year, or $140 at age 55 and older
Member pricing on exams only applies if you’re already a paying RID member at the time of purchase. You cannot pay the regular rate and request a refund after joining.6Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Payment Information
The Deaf Interpreter Track
Deaf and hard-of-hearing candidates follow a separate track toward the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) credential rather than the NIC. CDI candidates must submit an audiogram showing a hearing loss of 65 dB or more in at least one ear and complete a 40-hour training requirement before testing.7Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Certified Deaf Interpreter CDI Exam CDI exam fees are lower than NIC: $280 regular or $225 member for the knowledge exam, and $395 regular or $310 member for the performance exam.
Court Interpreting Requires More
The NIC alone does not qualify you for court assignments in California. The Judicial Council of California maintains a Master List of Certified Court and Registered Interpreters, and courts pull from that list. If you’re not on it, you don’t get the work.8Judicial Council of California. Compliance Requirements for California Certified Court and Registered Interpreters
To qualify for the list, ASL interpreters must hold either RID’s Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L) or a Court Interpreter Certification from the Texas Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI). There’s a practical wrinkle: RID has placed the SC:L under moratorium, so no new SC:L exams are being offered.9Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Available Certifications Current SC:L holders can continue using it, but new candidates aiming for court work will need to go through BEI in Texas, which involves a written test and a court performance test on top of holding a qualifying base certification like the NIC.10Texas Health and Human Services. Chapter 4 Court Interpreter Certification
Applicants also clear a criminal background check through California’s Livescan fingerprinting system, with fingerprint fees generally between $17 and $42 depending on the provider. Once on the list, you pay a $100 annual renewal fee. Miss the deadline and you’re removed; reinstatement costs $350 ($100 renewal plus a $250 reinstatement fee).11Judicial Branch of California. Annual Renewal Compliance and Continuing Education Court interpreters must also complete 40 professional interpreting assignments during each two-year compliance period and take an online Ethics Refresher course every two years. Other continuing education stays with whichever body issued your certification, RID or BEI, rather than the Judicial Council.12Judicial Branch of California. 2025 Compliance Memorandum to Active Interpreters
School Interpreting Uses Different Standards
K-12 educational interpreters in California work under Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. An educational interpreter facilitates communication between deaf or hard-of-hearing students and others in the general education classroom, including extracurricular activities identified in a student’s IEP.13Legal Information Institute. Cal Code Regs Tit 5 3051.16 – Specialized Services for Low-Incidence Disabilities
RID certification is the preferred qualification. Without RID certification, you must score at least 4.0 on one of these assessments:
- Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)
- Educational Sign Skills Evaluation — Interpreter and Receptive (ESSE-I/R)
- National Association of the Deaf / American Consortium of Certified Interpreters assessment (NAD/ACCI)
These standards apply whether the district employs you directly or contracts you through an outside agency.14California Department of Education. Educational Interpreter Regulations
Keeping Your Certification Active
The NIC is not permanent on its own. RID’s Certification Maintenance Program requires 8.0 continuing education units, equivalent to 80 contact hours of approved professional development, in each four-year cycle. Workshops, college courses, mentoring, and professional conferences all qualify, with RID setting limits on how many hours can come from each category.
You also stay bound by RID’s Code of Professional Conduct for the length of your career. Ethical violations or a failure to complete continuing education can lead to suspension or revocation of the NIC, and in California that also puts your court Master List spot and your eligibility to work in schools at risk, since both rest on the underlying national credential.