An Interpreter In Court
G.S. 8B-2 — a qualified interpreter for a deaf party or witness, and at arrest
North Carolina's chapter is written for deaf persons, and it reaches further back than the courtroom.
- When a deaf person is a party to or a witness in any civil or criminal proceeding in superior or district court, including juvenile proceedings, special proceedings and proceedings before a magistrate, the court appoints a qualified interpreter.
- When a juvenile whose parent or parents are deaf is brought before a court for any reason, the court appoints an interpreter for the parents.
- Administrative proceedings before a state, county or city body, and legislative committee hearings, carry the same duty.
At arrest. If a deaf person is arrested, the arresting officer immediately procures a qualified interpreter for any interrogation, warning, notification of rights, arraignment, bail hearing or other preliminary proceeding. No answer, statement or admission taken from the deaf person without a qualified interpreter present and functioning is admissible in court for any purpose. A person otherwise eligible for release on bail is not held in custody waiting for the interpreter.
The right interpreter. An interpreter is not appointed until the appointing authority makes a preliminary determination that the interpreter can communicate effectively with and interpret accurately for the deaf person. If no qualified interpreter can, the person may select their own.
Interpreters for spoken languages other than English are provided under court rules and other statutes not on this page. Court rules on interpreter certification, scheduling, and the interpreter's code of conduct sit alongside the statute and are not on this page. Whether a particular proceeding was interpreted adequately, and what follows if it was not, are questions for a licensed North Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.S. 8B-2 — Appointment of interpreters in certain judicial, legislative, and administrative proceedings; removal
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.