Obtaining a Translation Certificate from the County Clerk Recorder

California Government Code Section 27293 authorizes the County Clerk to issue a Translation

Certificate upon verification that the English translation of a foreign language document was

performed by a certified or registered court interpreter, or an accredited translator registered with

the American Translators Association.

To locate a certified or registered court interpreter or an accredited translator, please consult the

websites listed below:

California Courts for certified/registered court interpreters

http://www.courts.ca.gov/3796.htm

American Translators Association website for accredited translators

http://www.atanet.org/onlinedirectories/individuals.php

When contacting a certified or registered court interpreter, or accredited translator to have your

foreign document translated into English, pursuant to California Government Code Section

27293, be sure to ask for the following:

• An original English translation from the original foreign document

• A declaration by the interpreter or translator that the translation is true and accurate, and

includes the certification, qualification or registration of the interpreter or translator (see

sample attached)

• The signature of the interpreter or translator on the declaration must be acknowledged by

a notary public

Once the County Clerk has confirmed the document includes all of the required information as

listed above, and has verified the translation was performed by a certified or registered court

interpreter, or an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association, a

Translation Certificate will be issued.

Instructions for Processing Translation Certification Documents Pursuant to GC 27293

Customer should present the following:

1. Original document in the foreign language

2. Document translated into English

3. Original Declaration and Certification of the certified/registered court interpreter or an accredited

translator registered with the American Translators Association that must include the following:

a. Their name and declaration that they are a certified/registered court interpreter, or an

accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association

b. The language that they are certified/registered to interpret and translate from and to

c. Their certification/registration number(s)

d. Specific description of the document translated

e. Declaration by the interpreter or translator that they have translated the attached

document from whatever language it was in to the English language, and that the

translation is true and accurate

f. Be executed under Penalty of Perjury and include date and location where the

Declaration and Certification was executed and signed by the certified/registered court

interpreter or accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association

g. Original signature of certified/registered court interpreter or accredited translator

registered with the American Translators Association must be acknowledged by a notary

public

4. County Clerk staff confirm registration of court interpreter or accredited translator in database by

accessing the appropriate website:

California Courts for certified/registered court interpreter

http://www.courts.ca.gov/3796.htm

American Translators Association website for accredited translator

http://www.atanet.org/onlinedirectories/individuals.php

5. After verifying registration in the appropriate database, and confirming they are

certified/registered or accredited to translate in the language on the document, County Clerk staff

will prepare a Translation Certification Document (recommended on County letterhead). If the

Interpreter is not listed in the database, a certificate may not be issued.

6. Collect $10.00 processing fee

7. Staple the documents together as follows:

a. The original document in the foreign language

b. The English translation of the original document

c. The Declaration and Certification of the certified/registered court interpreter or accredited

translator

d. Clerk’s certificate

The County Clerk’s Office is not required to retain a copy of any of the documents.

DECLARATION AND CERTIFICATION

I, ______________________________________________________, declare that I am a

(Insert Name of Person Translating)

(Check one)

( ) CERTIFIED/REGISTERED COURT INTERPRETER as described in GC 68561

( ) AN ACCREDITED TRANSLATOR REGISTERED WITH THE AMERICAN TRANSLATORS

ASSOCIATION

I am certified/registered to interpret and translate from the ______________________________________

Language to the ________________________________________language.

My Certification/Registration Number(s) is/are: ___________________________________.

I further declare that I have translated the attached document from the

__________________________________ language to the ENGLISH language.

I declare to the best of my abilities and belief, that this is a true and accurate translation of the

____________________________________ language text of ____________________________.

(Insert title of document)

Specific Description of the Document

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

This declaration signed this ___________ day of ________________________, _______________________ in

(Date) (Month) (Year)

___________________________, California.

(City)

Print Name of Certified/Registered Court Interpreter or Accredited Translator registered with the American Translators Association

Signature of Certified/Registered Court Interpreter or Accredited Translator registered with the American Translators Association

NOTE: The signature of the Certified/Registered Court Interpreter or Accredited Translator registered with

the American Translators Association must be acknowledged by a notary public.

In all instances, when verifying the registration/certification of a Translator on the ATA website,

those who have been certified, will have ATA-Certified Translator and the language next to their

name. Just because they are listed on the website, does not mean they are certified/registered to

conduct translation. Please see terminology regarding status on the following page.

Examples:

Rocío M. Valle Voting Member ATA-Certified Translator: Spanish into English

Yongmei Liu Voting Member ATA-Certified Translator: English into Chinese

Yahsuan Lo Voting Member ATA-Certified Translator: English into Chinese

Alexander E. Dalati Voting Member ATA-Certified Translator: Arabic into

English

Membership

Membership Types

ATA membership is open to anyone with an interest in translation and interpreting as a profession or as a

scholarly pursuit. All individual applicants are first accepted as Associate or Student members before

gaining eligibility for Active or Corresponding membership.

Membership for Individuals

Associate

Open to any individual interested in the goals and objectives of ATA. All individual applicants must

remain Associate members for four weeks before applying for Active Membership Review or taking an

ATA certification exam. Passage of a certification exam automatically advances Associate members to

Active or Corresponding member status. Associate members possess full rights and privileges, as

defined by the ATA Bylaws, except the right to vote and hold Association office.

Student

Open to college and university students enrolled full-time or part-time in an undergraduate or graduate

credit program related to translation or interpreting, including foreign language study. Student

membership is limited to 4 years and requires written documentation of student status. Student

membership is no longer valid upon passage of an ATA certification exam. Members of this status are

required to convert their membership if they wish to become certified. Student members possess the

same rights and privileges as Associate members except they cannot list their services in the Online

Services Directories.

Active

Open to Associate or Student members who have passed an ATA certification exam or who are

established as having achieved professional status through an Active Membership Review. Active

members must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. Active members possess full rights and

privileges as defined by the ATA Bylaws.

Charter

An original ATA Member. Charter members possess the same rights and privileges as Active members.

Corresponding

Open to any person who meets all qualifications for Active membership, except U.S. citizenship or

permanent residency. Individuals must be members for four weeks before applying for Active

Membership Review or taking an ATA certification exam. Corresponding members possess the same

rights and privileges as Active members except the right to hold Association office.

Honorary

Honorary membership may be conferred upon individuals who have distinguished themselves in the

translation or interpretation professions by a vote of two-thirds of the Board of Directors. The total

number of living honorary members shall not exceed fifteen at any one time, and not more than two may

be elected in any one year.

Life—Active/Associate/Corresponding

Life membership is available to any person who has reached sixty years of age and has completed at least

twenty (20) consecutive years as a member of the Association. Rights and Privileges depend upon the

membership category—Active, Associate, Corresponding—of the member.

Membership for Organizations

Corporate

Open to businesses with an interest in the translation and/or interpreting profession. Membership is in the

name of the institution, not of an individual. Employees of Corporate members are not eligible to take

the ATA certification examination unless they are also individual members.

Institutional

Open to nonprofit institutions with an interest in the translation and/or interpreting profession.

Membership is in the name of the institution, not of an individual. Documentation of nonprofit status

must be included with the application. Employees of Institutional members are not eligible to take the

ATA certification examination unless they are also individual members.