An Interpreter In Court
ORS 45.275 and ORS 45.285 — appointed whenever necessary, at no charge to the person
An Oregon court appoints a qualified interpreter in a civil or criminal proceeding, and a hearing officer does so in an agency hearing, whenever it is necessary to interpret the proceedings to a non-English-speaking party, or to interpret a party's or witness's testimony. In a criminal case the court also appoints one for a non-English-speaking victim exercising a constitutional victim's right in open court.
No fee. No one may be charged for the appointment of the interpreter, or for an appointment made to find out whether the person needs one. The county, city or state pays, depending on the court.
A qualified interpreter is one who can transfer the meaning of statements to and from English, keeping their meaning, tone, level, style and register, without additions or omissions, and who can interpret the person's dialect, slang or specialized vocabulary. The interpreter states on the record whether the interpreter is certified.
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. For a party or witness who cannot readily understand or communicate because of deafness, a hearing impairment or a speaking impairment, the court appoints a qualified interpreter and makes assistive communication devices available, without charge to the person.
A party, victim or witness dissatisfied with the interpreter may ask for a different one, showing good cause if the change would delay the case. Interpreters at the lawyer's office are paid under other arrangements not on this page. Questions about a particular proceeding are for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- ORS 45.275 — Appointment of interpreter for non-English-speaking party, witness or victim
- ORS 45.285 — Appointment of interpreter for party, witness or victim with disability
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.