How to Become a Court Reporter in Arkansas

A court reporter, identified also as a court stenographer, real-time writer, or certified shorthand reporter (CSR), holds the responsibility of transcribing every spoken word during legal proceedings.

This role assumes a crucial function within the realm of the justice system.

For those individuals aspiring to embark on a career as a court reporter in Arkansas, the acquisition of a license stands as a pivotal step.

In the ensuing passages, I will explain the route leading to licensure.

Complete Your Education as a Court Reporter in Arkansas

The attainment of a licensed court reporter status mandates the successful completion of an accredited training program.

Furthermore, procuring a license is a prerequisite before commencing employment as a court reporter in this state.

The chosen program must garner approval from the Arkansas Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners.

Prospective enrollees must satisfy the ensuing prerequisites:

• Attain a minimum age of 18 years
• Hold a high school diploma or possess a GED equivalent

Training programs are available across various domains of specialization, encompassing:

• ART/Captioning
• Judicial Reporting
• Scoping/Proofreading
• Professional Transcription
• Office Assistant
• Court and Realtime Reporting

Aspiring students must ascertain that the curriculum is endorsed by the CASE (Council on Approved Student Education).

The educational content typically encompasses subjects such as:

• Applied Writing I
• Medical Terminology
• Legal Terminology
• Civil and Criminal Law Terminology
• Realtime Reporting I
• Realtime Reporting II

These educational programs typically operate at the postsecondary level, conferring certificates, diplomas, associate’s degrees, and bachelor’s degrees as valid options for completion.

When it comes to training schools in this state, we have one that could offer what you need.

Arkansas Court Reporting Academy

This college might be just what you need when looking for a training program.

It offers online courses, which offer flexibility.

This means you will have more free time to pursue other activities or even another job.

The program lasts for 19 weeks, and at the end, you will be fully prepared to pass the State or National Board exam.

This school is accredited by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Obtaining Licensure as a Court Reporter in Arkansas

Upon the culmination of your educational journey, the achievement of success in an examination becomes imperative in securing a court reporter license.

This objective should be accomplished within a span of one and a half years subsequent to your training’s conclusion.

Throughout this duration, an option exists for obtaining a temporary license, although this option is non-renewable.

A pair of certifications, widely acknowledged on a national level, stand at your disposal:

• National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification
• National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) certification

To secure official licensure in Arkansas, a proficiency examination must also be successfully tackled.

This assessment is administered by the ensuing organizations:

• NCRA
• NVRA
• ACRA

The prescribed course of action involves:

• Payment of the requisite fees: $200 for the license and $50 for the application
• Provision of substantiation of the completion of your training program
• Submission of the application form

The ACRA examination bears a striking resemblance to both the NCRA and NVRA assessments.

While the NCRA skills test is accessible online, the NVRA and ACRA examinations necessitate an in-person appearance.

For aspirants pursuing the designation of Registered Professional Reporter, the associated fees are as follows:

• $120 for individuals not affiliated with the membership
• $95 for members
• $77 for student members

The NVRA examination incurs a fee of $150.

Enthusiastic candidates aspiring to hold the certified verbatim reporter title can facilitate the transfer of their Registered Professional Reporter status by remitting a fee amounting to $50.

Meanwhile, the Certified Court Reporter (CCR) skills examination entails a cost of $75.

This evaluation is comprised of three distinct segments.

Achievement of the requisite word count is a prerequisite for triumph in these three domains:

• Literary transcription at a speed of 180 words per minute
• Jury charge transcription at a pace of 200 words per minute
• Testimony/Q&A transcription at a velocity of 225 words per minute

Aspirants are accorded a 75-minute window to transcribe their recorded notes, with a minimum accuracy score of 95% being pivotal for success.

Furthermore, a comprehensive written knowledge examination is administered in the context of the registered professional reporter certification.

This assessment encompasses 120 questions spanning a spectrum encompassing technology, ethical considerations, professional norms, and reporting methodologies.

A score of at least 70 is mandated for passage, accompanied by the following fee structure:

• $220 for individuals not associated with membership
• $195 for members
• $160 for student members

The NVRA examination carries a fee of $125.

Renewing Your Court Reporter License in Arkansas

Like many licenses, a court reporter’s license requires periodic renewal.

In Arkansas, license renewal is mandated on January 1st by the Board.

The certification should be renewed once at 3 years.

At that time, you should also have 30 hours of continuing education.

Any additional credits can be used in the next cycle.

You can get this continuing education through RPR and CVR.

Another organization offering credit hours is ACRA, the Arkansas Court Reporters Association.

For that, you will need to get a membership that costs $100.

Besides continuing your education, you can also get various employment opportunities here as well as the chance to meet other professionals.

Court Reporter Earnings in Arkansas

After getting your license, you might want to know how much you will make as a court reporter in Arkansas.

You should know that the average salary for this job is about $56,338 a year.

If you read the table below, you will get a better idea of the salary ranges for this profession in Arkansas.

Your salary might also be influenced by other factors like where you work and the area you live in.

Court Reporter by State