How to Become a Court Reporter in Minnesota

A court reporter is often referred to as a court stenographer, a real-time writer, or a certified shorthand reporter (CSR).

They meticulously transcribe every spoken word during trials and other legal proceedings.

This role positions a court reporter as an integral component of the justice system.

Individuals aspiring to become court reporters must obtain a license, and in the following sections, I will outline the essential pathway to licensure.

Pursuing Your Education as a Court Reporter in Minnesota

Embarking on the journey to licensure requires the successful completion of a comprehensive training program.

Moreover, the program’s accreditation by the Minnesota Board of Court Reporting is imperative.

To enroll in such a program, certain prerequisites must be met:

• Minimum age of 18
• High school graduation or GED attainment

The training programs cater to a range of specializations, including:

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

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

Key subjects covered typically encompass:

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

These programs are typically at the postsecondary level, offering certificates, diplomas, associate’s, and bachelor’s degrees.

Here are several educational institutions you might consider for your training.

Green River College

Situated in Auburn, Washington, the Green River College stands as a public educational establishment.

This institution extends opportunities for individuals seeking to pursue a career as court reporters through two distinct degree pathways.

An option is the 2-year associate’s degree program in Realtime Transcription, which comprises 149 credit hours.

Alternatively, the college provides a 4-year bachelor’s degree program in Realtime Reporting: Court Reporting & Captioning, requiring a total of 180 credit hours.

Worth noting is that all court reporting programs available at Green River College hold accreditation from the National Court Reporters Association.

Cypress College

Situated in California, the school provides three distinct programs in the field of court reporting:

• a 1-year Court Reporting Certificate,
• a 1-year Captioning Certificate,
• a 2.5-year Associate of Science Degree in Court Reporting

The court reporting programs offered at Cypress College hold accreditation from the National Court Reporting Association.

Become Licensed as a Court Reporter in Minnesota

Upon completion of your education, the next step is to pass an examination to secure your license.

This examination must be completed within 18 months of completing your training.

During this timeframe, obtaining a temporary license is an option, although it cannot be renewed.

There are two widely recognized certifications you can earn:

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

To obtain a license in Minnesota, you must also excel in a skills examination, available through organizations like NCRA, NVRA, and ACRA.

This process encompasses:

• Payment of appropriate fees, including a $200 license fee and a $50 application fee
• Provision of evidence of graduation from the training program
• Completion of the application form

The ACRA examination closely mirrors the NCRA and NVRA exams, with the latter two available only in-person and the NCRA skills test also offered online.

For those aiming to become a registered professional reporter, the associated fees are:

• $120 for non-members
• $95 for members
• $77 for student members

The NVRA exam incurs a fee of $125.

Becoming a certified verbatim reporter involves a $50 transfer fee for registered professional reporters.

The Certified Court Reporter (CCR) skills exam costs $75 and comprises three 5-minute sections:

• Literary at 180 wpm
• Jury charge at 200 wpm
• Testimony/Q&A at 225 wpm

Candidates are allocated 75 minutes to transcribe their notes, with a minimum passing accuracy score of 95%.

For the registered professional reporter’s knowledge written exam, featuring 120 questions covering:

• Technology,
• Professional practices,
• Ethics,
• Reporting practices

A minimum passing score of 70% is necessary.

The associated fees are as follows:

• $220 for non-members
• $195 for members
• $160 for student members

Court Reporter License Renewal in Minnesota

Renewal of licenses is a common requirement for various professions, including court reporters.

In Minnesota, the Board mandates an annual license renewal deadline of September 30th.

A reminder email is typically sent around August 1st.

There’s a grace period extending until the end of November 30th, beyond which unrenewed licenses will expire.

As anticipated, there is a renewal fee structure:

• $200 for on-time renewals
• $240 for renewals up until September 31st
• $280 for renewals by November 30th

To facilitate license renewal, individuals must complete 5 hours of continuing education each year.

These hours can be carried forward to the next year.

Continuing education is offered through organizations like NCRA, NVRA, and ACRA.

Note that personal development courses might not be commonly accepted.

Court Reporter Salary in Minnesota

For those intrigued by the court reporter profession and its potential earnings, it’s noteworthy that the median annual salary for a court reporter in Minnesota hovers around $63,354.

The chart below illustrates cities in the state with the highest median salaries for this occupation.

Regional Salary in Minnesota

Court Reporter by State