How to Request a Court Interpreter for Your Small Claims Hearing in California

The Short Answer

If you do not speak or understand English well, you can ask the court for an interpreter for your small claims hearing. According to the California Courts Self-Help Guide, court interpreters are provided free of charge, but you must request one in advance: ask as soon as you find out that you need to go to court (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/request-interpreter).

Most courts use the Request for Interpreter (Civil) (Form INT-300), or a local form. You fill it out in English, file it with the court, and then confirm that the court received and approved it. Court proceedings are in English (Form INT-300), so this step matters even if you speak some English: the Self-Help Guide warns that the situations and language in court can be very difficult.

This guide walks through the request step by step. For the deposit rules behind your case, see our California security deposit law guide.

The Example: Mei's Deposit Case in Oakland

Mei speaks Mandarin and some everyday English. Her landlord kept her $1,900 security deposit, so she filed a Plaintiff's Claim (Form SC-100) in Alameda County. The clerk gave her a trial date about six weeks away.

Mei can read her lease, but she worries about following the judge's questions and the landlord's answers at the hearing. We follow her request for a Mandarin interpreter through the rest of this guide.

What to Know Before You Ask

How to Request an Interpreter, Step by Step

Step 1: Ask as soon as you have a court date

Do not wait until the hearing. Ask the court for an interpreter as soon as you find out that you need to go to court. Mei made her request the same week she received her trial date.

Step 2: Check your court's language access page

The steps are different from one court to another. Your court's website lists how many days in advance you must ask, and whether requests can be made online or by email (California Courts Self-Help Guide). Form INT-300 also tells you to check with your local court about the deadline and about when the court will answer your request.

Step 3: Fill out Form INT-300 in English

To complete the form, you need your case number, the language you need, and the date of your next hearing. The form lists common languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, and Punjabi, and has a line for any other language. If you speak an indigenous language, the form asks for your town of origin.

The form is available in many languages so you can understand it, but you must fill out the English version, in English (California Courts Self-Help Guide).

Step 4: Add a separate form for each witness who needs an interpreter

If a witness in your case needs an interpreter, complete a separate form for every witness (Form INT-300). A witness is someone who provides information in court, under oath.

Step 5: File the request and confirm it was approved

File the completed form in the clerk's office, or follow your court's process; some courts route requests to an Interpreter Coordinator or Language Access Representative. The court will tell you whether your request was granted (Form INT-300). Then contact the interpreter coordinator or language access representative by phone or email to confirm they received and approved your request (California Courts Self-Help Guide).

Step 6: Work with the interpreter at the hearing

The Self-Help Guide gives these tips: speak loudly and clearly, at a normal pace or a little slower; speak only in your language, even if you speak some English; listen only to the interpreter; and speak directly to the person asking the questions, not to the interpreter. If you cannot hear or understand the interpreter, tell the judge right away.

Remember that the interpreter must interpret everything that is said, so anything you say will be interpreted into English. Interpreters also cannot give you legal advice.

Step 7: Know what happens if no interpreter is available

If a court interpreter is not available at the time of your trial, it may be necessary to reschedule your trial. You cannot bring your own interpreter for the trial unless the court has approved that person as a certified, registered, or provisionally qualified interpreter (Form SC-100-INFO; California Rules of Court, rule 2.893). Under rule 2.893, a temporary interpreter may be used only in limited situations, such as a single, brief, routine matter, when a certified or registered interpreter is unavailable (Form INT-140).

Accommodations for a Disability

Interpreting for a spoken language is different from a disability accommodation. Assistive listening systems, computer-assisted real-time captioning, or sign language interpreter services are available if you ask at least five days before the hearing, using Request for Accommodations by Persons With Disabilities and Response (Form MC-410) (Form INT-300; Civil Code § 54.8).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a court interpreter free in California small claims court?

Yes. The California Courts Self-Help Guide states that court interpreters are provided free of charge. You must still ask in advance, as soon as you know you need to go to court.

Can my son or a friend interpret for me at the hearing?

Usually not. Only qualified court interpreters can interpret court proceedings, and you are usually not allowed to have a friend or relative who speaks English serve as your interpreter in the courtroom. A friend or relative may help you outside the courtroom, for example with getting information or filling out forms (California Courts Self-Help Guide).

How far in advance do I need to ask for an interpreter?

It depends on your court. Check your court's language access web page for the number of days in advance and whether you can ask online or by email (California Courts Self-Help Guide). The safest rule is to ask as soon as you get your court date.

What if the interpreter does not show up or none is available?

If a court interpreter is not available at the time of your trial, it may be necessary to reschedule your trial (Form SC-100-INFO). Tell the judge right away that you need an interpreter rather than going ahead without one.

Do I fill out the interpreter request in my own language?

No. The form is available in many languages to help you understand it, but you must fill out the English version, in English (California Courts Self-Help Guide).

Will my court papers be in English?

Yes. Court proceedings are in English (Form INT-300), and the forms you file, such as the SC-100, are completed in English. An interpreter helps you understand and speak at the hearing; it does not change the language of the case papers.

Let Accessible Justice Help You Prepare

Language should not decide whether you can recover your deposit. Accessible Justice can explain your case in English, Chinese, or Spanish, prepares your court documents in English as the court requires, and reminds you to request an interpreter early. A licensed California attorney reviews your case before anything is filed.

For what to expect at the hearing itself, see how small claims court works, our SC-100 guide, and where the rules actually matter in small claims.

This is general legal information, not legal advice for your specific situation. Accessible Justice's attorney reviews your case before any action is taken.

This is general legal information, not legal advice for your specific situation. Accessible Justice's attorney reviews your case before any action is taken.