Licensing by state / New Jersey

Court reporter licensing in New Jersey

New Jersey requires a state credential to work as a court reporter.

State credential required

Yes

Credential

Certified Court Reporter (CCR); optional Certified Realtime Court Reporter

Issued by

New Jersey State Board of Court Reporting, Division of Consumer Affairs

How you qualify

N.J.S.A. 45:15B-3 requires the applicant to have passed an examination in court reporting under rules the Board prescribes, be a US citizen over 18 of good moral character with a high school education or equivalent, and reside or have a regular place of business in New Jersey. Exam speeds and format were not confirmed from an opened source.

NCRA RPR accepted

Not yet verified

Fees

N.J.A.C. 13:43-6.1 (amended effective December 19, 2016): application fee $150 (CCR, certified realtime, or temporary registered reporter); initial CCR certification $250 in the first year of a biennial renewal period or $125 in the second year; initial certified realtime certification $100 or $50; biennial renewal $250 (CCR) and $100 (certified realtime); temporary registered reporter initial registration $125 and annual renewal $125; late renewal $100; reinstatement $150; duplicate certification $20; replacement wall certificate $40.

Renewal

Biennial (N.J.A.C. 13:43-6.1 biennial renewal fee; N.J.A.C. 13:43-7.1 biennial certificate renewal).

Continuing education

Minimum of 15 credits per biennial renewal period, at least 10 of them in core areas such as computer-assisted technology, realtime technology and proficiency, speed and accuracy, and ethics (N.J.A.C. 13:43-7.2, effective April 7, 2008). Holders are exempt during their initial certification period (13:43-7.1).

N.J.S.A. 45:15B-9: no person shall engage in the practice of court reporting in New Jersey without first obtaining a certificate from the Board; no exemption for court-employed (official) reporters was found in the sections opened. The only exception is temporary employment of an uncertified person until a certified reporter is available, and only if the person registers with the Board as a temporary registered reporter and discloses the lack of certification to all participants in writing; the temporary registration lasts one year. Penalties are up to $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each later violation. A 2020 rule proposal to accept an NCRA RPR exam taken before May 1, 2006 appeared in search results but its adoption was not verified.

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.