Licensing by state / Virginia

Court reporter licensing in Virginia

Virginia does not require a state license to work as a court reporter. Our source for this page is a secondary summary; treat it as a lead, not the rule.

State credential required

No

Credential

None. No state credential exists.

Issued by

No state board; courts and agencies set their own hiring standards (see notes).

How you qualify

No state exam. Employers commonly ask for an NCRA or NVRA credential.

NCRA RPR accepted

Not applicable

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Continuing education

None required by the state

Virginia has no state license or mandatory certification for court reporters, official or freelance. The NCRA state table lists the Virginia Court Reporters Association requirement as Voluntary, with the RPR as the credential the association expects. Bills to create a Virginia Board for Court Reporters (SB 334 and two House bills from Del. Miyares, 2020 session) were killed in committee on January 27, 2020, after opposition from digital-reporting and agency interests during the stenographer shortage. Freelance reporters commonly rely on a Virginia notary commission to swear witnesses. Employers often ask for the NCRA RPR or NVRA CVR, but that is a hiring preference, not law.

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.