Learn about the state standards of professional practice for court reporters and transcript preparation requirements.
Laws and rules
The Department of Licensing is responsible for regulating the Court Reporting Practice Act for Washington State under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 18.145. The following rules describe the standards of professional practice for court reporters and the requirements for transcript preparation:
- Standards of professional practice (WAC 308-14-130)
- Transcript preparation format (WAC 308-14-135)
It's your responsibility as a licensed court reporter to make sure you follow these rules. Failure to follow these rules can result in revocation of your court reporter certificate or other disciplinary sanctions under RCW 18.235.020(2)(vi) and RCW 18.235.110.
Transcript certification
It has come to our attention that there is software available that stretches transcripts so there are fewer characters per standard line. This is a reminder to all licensed court reporters in Washington State that it's your responsibility to adhere to the standards of professional practice (WAC 308-14-130) and transcript preparation format (WAC 308-14-135):
- Certify only those transcripts that follow the transcript preparation format guidelines.
- If you don't format your own transcripts, make sure you review the final version of the formatted transcript before you sign the certification sheet.
- Never sign blank certification sheets as this may result in disciplinary action against your license.
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