Licensing by state / Mississippi

Court reporter licensing in Mississippi

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

State credential required

Yes

Credential

Certified Court Reporter (CCR)

Issued by

Mississippi Board of Certified Court Reporters (created under Miss. Code 9-13-101 et seq., under the Supreme Court of Mississippi)

How you qualify

Mississippi Court Reporter Examination, given twice a year: Part A skills dictation of five minutes each at 225 wpm two-voice Q&A, 200 wpm jury charge and 180 wpm literary, each at 95 percent accuracy (about 57, 50 and 45 allowed errors), and Part B a 50-question written knowledge test passed at 75 percent (Rule XI). Pen shorthand, machine shorthand and voice (steno mask) are all testable methods. Certification by reciprocity is available to applicants who have passed the NCRA RPR exam or the NVRA CVR exam or hold a credential from a state with substantially equivalent requirements (Rule VIII).

NCRA RPR accepted

Yes

Fees

Application packet $25; application fee $100 (Rules III and VII); exam fees under Rule XI: one-time application fee $50, written knowledge only $75, skills only $100, written and skills $125; annual fee $100 due on or before January 2; reinstatement penalty $50 within 120 days of expiration; CE reinstatement $100; regrade $50 (Rules and Regulations Governing Certified Court Reporters, courts.ms.gov PDF). The rules state $100 in Rule III and $50 in Rule XI(B)(1) for the application fee; confirm with the Board.

Renewal

Annual; the CCR remains in effect on payment of the $100 annual fee on or before January 2 each year (Rule VII(D)).

Continuing education

30 continuing education credits over each three-year period beginning January 2 of the year of initial certification, in Board-approved courses or in compliance with NCRA or NVRA CE requirements; no carryover (Rule X(B)).

Certification is required for both official and freelance reporters: court reporting is defined to include taking depositions, engaging in the practice of court reporting without certification or temporary permission is a disciplinary violation (Rule XII), and the Board may fine $500 per day anyone who practices court reporting for pay without a certificate or temporary permission under Sections 9-13-101 through 9-13-123, who also may not sue to recover fees. Applicants must be 18 and Mississippi residents; nonresidents may apply annually for temporary permission ($100) and Mississippi residents who have not yet passed the exam may get temporary permission as a noncertified reporter for up to 36 months on proof of a 200 wpm Q&A pass from a reporting program. The licensure card lists the method of reporting and the reporter may use only that method. Official reporters must post a bond of at least $2,000 (Miss. Code 9-13-9). The PDF read does not print its effective date; Justia lists Supreme Court orders amending the rules in 2011 and 2022.

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.