Rule 7.3.Interpreters

Rule 7. PRETRIAL CONFERENCES · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 17, 2026

In one sentenceRule 7.3 requires written notice, at least five days ahead when practicable, from any party who needs a court interpreter, obligates the court to make a diligent effort to appoint a licensed interpreter at public expense, and allows the court to assess costs against a party whose late notice or late cancellation wastes an interpreter’s time.

Full Text of Rule 7.3

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(A) In all civil and criminal cases, the party or party’s attorney shall inform the court in the form of a notice of the need for a qualified interpreter, if known, within a reasonable time — at least 5 days where practicable—before any hearing, trial, or other court proceeding. Such notice shall be filed and shall comply with any other service requirements established by the court. The notice shall (1) designate the participants in the proceeding who will need the services of an interpreter, (2) estimate the length of the proceeding for which the interpreter is required, (3) state whether the interpreter will be needed for all proceedings in the case, and (4) indicate the language(s), including sign language for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, for which the interpreter is required.

(B) Upon receipt of such notice, the court shall make a diligent effort to locate and appoint a licensed interpreter, at the court’s expense, in accordance with the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Rule on Use of Interpreters for Non-English Speaking and Hearing Impaired Persons. If the court determines that the nature of the case (e.g., an emergency) warrants the use of a non-licensed interpreter, then the court shall follow the procedures as outlined in the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Commission on Interpreters’ Instructions for Use of a Non-Licensed Interpreter. Despite its use of a non-licensed interpreter, the court shall make a diligent effort to ensure that a licensed interpreter is appointed for all subsequently scheduled proceedings, if one is available.

(C) If a party or party’s attorney fails to timely notify the court of a need for a court interpreter, the court may assess costs against that party for any delay caused by the need to obtain a court interpreter unless that party establishes good cause for the delay. When timely notice is not provided or on other occasions when it may be necessary to utilize an interpreter not licensed by the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Commission on Interpreters (COI), the Registry for Interpreters of the Deaf (RID), or other industry-recognized credentialing entity, such as a telephonic language service or a less qualified interpreter, the court should weigh the need for immediacy in conducting a hearing against the potential compromise of due process, or the potential of substantive injustice, if interpreting is inadequate. Unless immediacy is a primary concern, some delay might be more appropriate than the use of an interpreter not licensed by the COI, RID, or other recognized credentialing entity.

(D) Notwithstanding any failure of a party or party’s attorney to notify the court of a need for a court interpreter, the court shall appoint a court interpreter whenever it becomes apparent from the court’s own observations or from disclosures by any other person that a participant in a proceeding is unable to hear, speak, or otherwise communicate in the English language to the extent reasonably necessary to meaningfully participate in the proceeding.

(E) If the time or date of a proceeding is changed or canceled by the parties, and interpreter services have been arranged by the court, the party that requested the interpreter must notify the court 24 hours in advance of the change or cancellation. Timely notice of any changes is essential in order to cancel or reschedule an interpreter, thus precluding unnecessary travel by the interpreter and a fee payment by the court. If a party fails to timely notify the court of a change or cancellation, the court may assess any reasonable interpreter expenses it may have incurred upon that party unless the party can show good cause for its failure to provide a timely notification.

End

Plain-English Summary

Rule 7.3 puts the burden of flagging a language or hearing barrier on the party who knows about it, and on a clock. Notice has to name who needs the interpreter, estimate how long the proceeding will run, say whether the need extends through the whole case, and specify the language — sign language for a Deaf or hard-of-hearing participant counts. Filing that notice at least five business days out, when it is practicable to do so, gives the court a fair shot at lining up qualified help.

Once notice arrives, the obligation shifts to the court, which must make a diligent effort to find and appoint a licensed interpreter at no cost to the party. Only when the nature of the case — an emergency, for instance — calls for it will the court turn to a non-licensed interpreter, and even then it follows a separate set of instructions from the Supreme Court’s Commission on Interpreters and keeps trying to line up a licensed interpreter for any later hearings in the case.

The court does not wait for paperwork if the need is obvious. If a judge notices on their own, or learns from anyone else, that a participant cannot meaningfully communicate in English, the court appoints an interpreter regardless of whether anyone filed notice. Where notice was skipped or a lesser-qualified interpreter has to fill in, the rule asks the court to weigh how urgently the hearing needs to happen against the risk that inadequate interpreting compromises due process — and unless urgency is a real concern, some delay is preferable to using an interpreter without recognized credentials.

Cost consequences run in both directions on timing. A party who fails to give timely notice can be charged for delay the court incurs finding an interpreter, and a party who arranged for an interpreter but does not give 24 hours’ notice of a postponement or cancellation can be charged for the interpreter’s wasted trip. Either charge can be avoided by showing good cause for the failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much advance notice must a party give the court that an interpreter is needed?

At least five days where practicable, filed in writing and specifying the participants needing the interpreter, the estimated length of the proceeding, whether the interpreter is needed for all proceedings, and the language required.

Who pays for the court interpreter?

The court, at its own expense, when it appoints a licensed interpreter in accordance with the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Rule on Use of Interpreters.

Can the court use a non-licensed interpreter?

Yes, if the nature of the case, such as an emergency, warrants it, following the Commission on Interpreters’ instructions for non-licensed interpreters, while the court still works to appoint a licensed interpreter for later proceedings.

What happens if a party cancels a hearing without telling the court about the interpreter?

If the party does not notify the court 24 hours in advance of the change or cancellation, the court may assess reasonable interpreter expenses against that party unless good cause is shown.

Does the court have to appoint an interpreter even without advance notice?

Yes. The court must appoint an interpreter whenever it becomes apparent from its own observations or from disclosures by anyone else that a participant cannot meaningfully communicate in English.

Amendment History

Amended effective November 8, 2001; amended effective July 13, 2017.

Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026. · Official source

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