Licensing by state / California

Court reporter licensing in California

California requires a state credential to work as a court reporter.

State credential required

Yes

Credential

Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR)

Issued by

Court Reporters Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs)

How you qualify

Three parts, all to be passed within three consecutive years: English and Professional Practice written exams at a PSI test center, and a Dictation/Skills exam of four-voice dictation at 200 words per minute for 13 minutes (last 10 minutes transcribed) at 95% accuracy, given remotely three times a year (March, July, November). To sit, an applicant must be over 18 with a high school education and show one of: 12 months (at least 1,400 hours) of full-time verbatim reporting experience; a certificate of completion from a California Board-recognized court reporting school; or an NCRA RPR, Certificate of Merit, or NVRA CVR or CVR-S certificate. NVRA CVR/CVR-S holders (AB 3252, effective January 1, 2025) and NCRA RPR holders (AB 2783, effective September 18, 2026) take only the two written exams.

NCRA RPR accepted

Yes

Fees

Board FAQ (read 2026): $40.00 exam application fee, one time per three-year cycle, plus $25 for each portion of the exam; renewal fee $225.00 (effective January 1, 2019) with a $112.50 delinquent fee after a 30-day grace period (the renewal form shows $225.00 annual renewal and $337.50 if postmarked more than 30 days after expiration). The initial license fee amount was not found on the pages opened.

Renewal

Annual. The license expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month; a license not renewed within three years of expiration cannot be renewed.

Continuing education

No mandatory continuing education requirement was found. The Board's FAQ states it has supported mandatory CE but the most recent bill, SB 671, was vetoed on September 30, 2011.

The Board states that all persons desiring to practice as Certified Shorthand Reporters in California must hold a valid CRB license; this covers freelance deposition work as well as official reporting. Voice writers may be licensed as CSRs following A.B. 156. Court reporting firms must be wholly CSR-owned or registered with the Board with a CSR reporter-in-charge. Military spouses and domestic partners holding an active unrestricted out-of-state license get temporary licensure with fee waivers. There is no general out-of-state reciprocity route; out-of-state reporters qualify to sit via the RPR/CVR or the experience path. Fingerprinting is required for licensure.

Exam speeds and legs for the national credentials are on the certifications page; the path from school to the exam is in how to become a court reporter.