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Minimum Qualifications Standards for Sign Language Interpreters

Ensuring a Skilled Interpreter Workforce for Louisiana

Sign language interpreting is a job that affects the public health, safety, and welfare of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL). In Louisiana and many other states, this job is regulated by law to make sure the public receives qualified sign language interpreting services. A skilled sign language interpreter workforce is critical to ensure effective and real-time communication access for all d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing ASL users.

On May 20, 2026 the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf published the new professional standard requirements for sign language interpreters working in working in general community and PreK-12 education settings in Louisiana. There are two important requirements: 1) any interpreter working in Louisiana – in person or virtually – needs to formally register with the state in order to continue to practice; and 2) interpreters need to demonstrate their education, knowledge, and experience to satisfy new minimum standards. These new requirements went into effect upon publication of the rule on May 20, 2026. Interpreters are encouraged to complete their registration as soon as possible, beginning July 1, 2026.

In order to provide interpreting services in this state, all sign language interpreters must meet minimum standards, or show active progress toward meeting the standards, and apply for inclusion in the Louisiana Interpreter Registry. Provisional registration status is available for interpreters working to make progress toward meeting the full registration requirements.

Currently, the following work settings require registration of interpreters: general community settings, including medical, and PreK-12 educational settings under the purview of the Louisiana Department of Education. Court and legal settings, along with requirements for Deaf Interpreters are being developed and expected to be published in the fall of 2026. Learn more by visiting the Louisiana Interpreter Registry webpage.  

Minimum Qualification Standards for Sign Language Interpreters in Louisiana

Sign language interpreting services are needed in all areas of life – in work, school, entertainment events, health care, and legal settings, and more. It is important that interpreting services are accurate across all settings. To ensure this, the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf has separated the minimum qualification standards into three work setting categories for sign language interpreters:

  • General community settings
  • PreK-12 education settings
  • Court and legal settings

Each of these settings has specific qualification requirements that interpreters must meet to be placed on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry.

Visit the Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46 Sign Language Interpreters to read the full list of minimum qualification standards for sign language interpreters working in Louisiana.

Requirements for Deaf Interpreters are expected to be published in the fall of 2026. Deaf Interpreters are encouraged to set up a new profile on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry.

Interpreter Standards for General Community Settings

General community settings include health care, conferences, workplaces, vocational rehabilitation, post-secondary, and more. Interpreters working in these settings are required to register as a Generalist on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry and maintain the following qualification standards:

Education Requirement:

A high school diploma or equivalent

Performance Requirement – one of the following:

Generalist provisional registration is also available for sign language interpreters making progress toward meeting the full registration requirements for Generalist registration. Visit the Louisiana Interpreter Registry webpage for more information about the generalist provisional registration and practice-permit pathways.

Learn more about workforce development and testing opportunities provided by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf by visiting our Interpreter Mentorship Program webpage.

Interpreter Standards
for Pre-K–12
Educational Settings

Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade educational settings typically includes employment directly through the school district or as an independent contractor, providing communication access to secondary students who are d/Deaf, Deafblind, or hard of hearing. Interpreters in these settings are required to register as PreK-12 on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry and maintain the following requirements:

Education Requirement:

An associate’s degree (or higher), or a minimum of 60 semester hours of college credits

Performance Requirement – one of the following:

Learn more about workforce development and testing opportunities provided by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf by visiting the Interpreter Mentorship Program webpage.

Knowledge Requirement:

Pass the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) Written Test – visit the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment Training Center webpage to learn more about the EIPA Written Test provided by Boys Town National Research Hospital.

Provisional PreK-12 registration is also available for sign language interpreters making progress toward meeting the minimum qualification standards for PreK-12 registration on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry. Visit the Louisiana Interpreter Registry webpage to learn more about the PreK-12 provisional registration and practice-permit pathways.

Learn more about workforce development and testing opportunities provided by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.

Interpreter Standards for Court and Legal Settings

Court and legal registration is for individuals providing sign language interpreting services in legal proceedings including courtrooms, law enforcement interactions, depositions, and attorney-client meetings.

Minimum standards for court registration are being developed with the Louisiana Supreme Court Office of Language Access and are expected to be published in the fall of 2026.  Interpreters currently registered by the Louisiana Supreme Court should maintain their registration with the Office of Language Access and apply for Generalist Registration with the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. Interpreters will be notified when it is time to complete their court and legal registration on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry.

Louisiana Interpreter Registry

The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf developed and maintains an online, centralized, and searchable Louisiana interpreter Registry of sign language interpreters who have met or are making progress to meet the minimum qualification standards in Louisiana.

In order to provide interpreting services in this state, all sign language interpreters must meet the minimum qualification standards or show active progress toward meeting the standards and apply for placement on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry.

Currently, the following settings require registration of interpreters: General community settings, including medical, and PreK-12 educational settings under the purview of the Louisiana Department of Education. Court and legal settings, along with requirements for Deaf Interpreters are being developed and expected to be published in the fall of 2026. See Registration Types below for more information.

There are multiple interpreter registration types based on interpreter work settings and an interpreter’s progress level toward meeting the minimum qualification standards:

  • The generalist registration type is for interpreters working in a community setting, which include health care, conferences, workplaces, vocational rehabilitation, post-secondary, and more, who have also fully met the requirements for placement on the registry.
  • The PreK–12 registration type is for interpreters working in a PreK-12 educational settings under the purview of the Louisiana Department of Education, who have also fully met the requirements for placement on the registry.
  • The court and legal registration type is for interpreters working in legal proceedings including courtrooms, law enforcement interactions, depositions, and attorney-client meetings, who have fully met the requirements for placement on the registry.
  • The provisional registration type is available for interpreters working toward meeting full registration requirements for placement on the registry. Provisional registration is intended to be a stepping stone for interpreters on the path to achieving full registration. Sign language interpreters at this registration level will have different registration, maintenance, and renewal requirements.
  • Interpreter students may register for practice permits on the Louisiana Interpreter Registry to gain access to some settings in the profession and gain “hands-up” experience.
Learn more by visiting the Louisiana Interpreter Registry webpage.

Support for Sign Language Interpreters to Meet Louisiana’s Requirements

The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf is committed to ensuring that Louisiana’s interpreter workforce stays up to date with the best practices for qualification standards for sign language interpreters working in various settings. The Commission offers several kinds of support to sign language interpreters working in the state, during all stages of their professional development, including:

  • Mentoring for sign language interpreters through the Statewide Interpreter Mentorship Program. This program offers one-on-coaching, internships for college students, job-shadowing observation assignments, and more.

 

Facilitated study group sessions for sign language interpreter knowledge-based exams offered throughout the year to help interpreters prepare for the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI) and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) written exams.

  • In-state local testing for the professional assessment exams that satisfy key requirements for interpreters working in Louisiana. The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf administers the Center for Assessment of Language Interpretation (CASLI) exam and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) exams. (Note: Testing sites for the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters certification exams are not offered in state, but can be found by visiting their website.
  • Access to professional development opportunities, including workshops, training, and webinars—some at no cost to the participant through formal partnership with the Louisiana Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (LRID), Louisiana Association of the Deaf (LAD), and New Orleans Black Deaf Advocates (NOBDA) in providing additional training and engagement opportunities. Visit our Professional Development and Workforce Support webpage to learn more.
  • Coordinated resources and information through our collaborations with state agencies, such as the Louisiana Department of Education, local education agencies, the Louisiana Department of Health, and the Louisiana Supreme Court.
  • Support for the ongoing development and implementation of interpreter training programs.
  • Advocacy efforts for increased awareness and support for improving the quality and quantity of interpreters working in Louisiana.

Frequently Asked Questions

Through Act 128 of the 2022 Regular Session, the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf was charged with the establishment of minimum qualification standards and oversight of the state’s sign language interpreter workforce. Historically, the Louisiana Department of Education credentialed educational interpreters practicing in prekindergarten-12 educational settings. The Louisiana Supreme Court regulated interpreters providing services on behalf of the state’s courts. There were no further regulations for interpreters working in community-based services, such as medical or vocational. Act 128 established a unified process and system for credentialing all sign language interpreters working in Louisiana, regardless of setting, and shifted the responsibility to the Commission.

The requirements and processes for sign language interpreters to register with the state are promulgated in rule under the Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46-Professional and Occupational Standards. The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf also maintains an online Interpreter Registry of credentialed sign language interpreters (see Louisiana Revised Statute (46:2353). Through this work, the Commission aims to increase the quality and quantity of sign language interpreters working in Louisiana.

Click here to watch the American Sign Language video discussing the background of the minimum qualifications standards for interpreters working in Louisiana.

In an effort to better understand the state of sign language interpreters and the services provided, the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf implemented in 2022 a six-month assessment process for engaging interpreters statewide in focus groups, meetings, and other opportunities to provide feedback. The assessment was facilitated by Innivee Strategies, Inc. Read the full Interpreter Needs Assessment Report. A summarized version of the report has been provided in written English, and in American Sign Language with closed captioning.

The Board of Commissioners for the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf, staff, professional Louisiana interpreters, and other key community organizations worked together to identify standards for sign language interpreters working in various settings.

Sign language interpreting is a job that affects public health, safety, and welfare. In Louisiana and many other states, this profession is regulated by law to make sure the public receives qualified sign language interpreting services.

Per Act 128 of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, amendments were made to the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf’s authorizing statute, Louisiana Revised Statute 46:2351-2355 to modernize the programs and services provided by the Commission. This included changes to how the Commission is involved with sign language interpreters working in Louisiana. The law required the Commission to establish and provide oversight of an interpreter registry, and to define the minimum standards interpreters must have to be registered and able to provide interpreting services in Louisiana.

All sign language interpreters currently working or intending to work in Louisiana are required to meet minimum standards and comply with registration requirements. This applies to all sign language interpreters, regardless of setting, and includes interpreters in prekindergarten–12 educational settings and court and legal systems. These standards were previously managed and administrated by the Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana Supreme Court Office of Language Access, respectively.

The Louisiana Interpreter Registry is a publicly-accessible online platform of sign language interpreters who have met the minimum standards developed and administered by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. All sign language interpreters working in Louisiana are required to meet the minimum standards, defined by the Commission, to be listed on the Interpreter Registry with the state. Documentation must be submitted to verify the qualifications of all sign language interpreters regardless of the work setting.

There are different registration types available for sign language interpreters meeting various levels of compliance with the minimum standards:

  • Registered: For sign language interpreters who meet the full registration requirements defined by the Commission. This includes proof of valid certification(s).
  • Provisional: For sign language interpreters who hold some requirements yet have not met the full requirements defined by the Commission, and are actively working towards full registration.
  • Temporary Practice Permits: For sign language interpreters who do not yet have formal credentials but do have professional experience, and are actively working towards full registration.

There are specific qualification requirements based on the setting(s) in which sign language interpreters wish to work. To learn more about the qualification requirements for the Louisiana Interpreter Registry, visit the webpage.

Complaints or grievances are submitted through the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. The formal complaint process will be available on the Commission’s website soon. For complaints before the process is available, email lcd@la.gov

  • Stay informed about the latest updates, events, and announcements by visiting the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf news webpage.
  • Sign up to be part of the Commission’s email list to receive direct communications about topics of interest to you. Visit (enter constant contact link here)
  • For inquiries, support and more information about Louisiana Commission for the Deaf programs and services, email lcd@la.gov.
  • Engage and stay informed with the Commission’s decision-making process and stay updated on policy discussions by attending quarterly public meetings. Meeting details and schedules are available on the Commission Board webpage.
  • Receive real-time updates, community announcements and events information by following the Commission on Facebook.
  • Connect with key organizations:

For additional questions, reach out to the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf at lcd@la.gov.