Colorado
Translation and interpreting services in Boulder
The City of Boulder has written down who may interpret for it: trained interpreters only, Colorado court-certified interpreters for any legal proceeding, no minors, and no machine translation of vital documents. Spanish is the city's one primary translation language, and CU Boulder enrolls more international students than any other campus in Colorado.
Languages spoken in Boulder
14.9% of Boulder residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 3.1% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese and French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun.
| Language spoken at home | Residents | Speak English less than “very well” |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 6,307 | 1,685 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 2,426 | n/a |
| Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese | 1,854 | 703 |
| French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun | 1,019 | n/a |
| German and other West Germanic | 907 | n/a |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 894 | 146 |
| Russian, Polish, and other Slavic | 738 | n/a |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Boulder city (tables C16001, C16002, B05002, B05006) (opens in a new tab). Figures with a wide margin of error are not shown.
Boulder’s most-requested phone interpretation languages
The City of Boulder’s 2022 Language Access Plan lists the languages its staff most often requested from on-demand phone interpreters over the previous five years. Spanish is also the city’s sole primary language for translating vital documents.[1]
Who needs language services in Boulder
- City Language Access Plan
- Boulder's Language Access Plan, adopted in April 2022 and run by a Language Access Program Manager, names Spanish as the single primary language for translation of vital documents and flags Chinese for review at the plan's next revision.[1]
- Interpreter qualifications
- The plan requires the city to use only trained interpreters, including contract interpreters and staff, requires Colorado court-certified interpreters for any legal proceeding, and accepts proof such as a 40-hour interpreter training, a third-party language test, or CCHI, NBCMI, or court certification.[1]
- Minors and machine translation
- Minors may not interpret for City of Boulder staff except for a family member at an emergency scene until a professional is reached, and machine translation such as Google Translate or DeepL may not be used for vital documents or any print materials or slides shared with the public.[1]
- Courts
- Boulder Municipal Court, at 1777 Broadway, takes interpreter requests through an online form, and the 20th Judicial District interpreter office handles requests for the state district and county courts at 20Interpreters@judicial.state.co.us.[2]
- Boulder Valley School District
- BVSD's Language Services Department provides written translation and spoken interpretation free to parents and families; requests must be placed by a BVSD employee, and advance notice is required for all services.[4]
- Boulder County District Attorney
- The DA's office hired a dedicated Spanish interpreter-translator in October 2024; from January 1 to November 13, 2025, the position translated 98 legal documents (about 66,218 words), interpreted 137 meetings, and transcribed 317 jail calls.[5]
- University of Colorado Boulder
- CU Boulder enrolled 3,648 international students in 2024/25, the most of any Colorado institution.[6]
Language access rules in Colorado
- Court interpreter program
- Colorado Judicial Department, Office of Language Access (OLA), which oversees and pays for interpreters in the state courts (each judicial district’s managing interpreter schedules them) and maintains the rosters of authorized interpreters.
- Court-certified languages
- OLA offers certification in 18 languages: Spanish, Arabic, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, Cantonese, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Turkish, and Vietnamese (OLA's December 2024 pay schedule also lists Marshallese as certifiable). Interpreters in all other languages can become credentialed; below those tiers sit qualified, conditionally approved, and registered interpreters.
- The rule
- Chief Justice Directive 06-03 (amended March 2023) requires Colorado state courts to assign and pay for interpreters for all parties in interest during or ancillary to a court proceeding, citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166, and to use certified or credentialed interpreters when available, with registered interpreters only as a last resort; C.R.S. 13-90-204 separately requires a qualified auxiliary services provider for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind parties, witnesses, and jurors.
- Court interpreter standards
- Under Chief Justice Directive 06-03, absent exigent circumstances the court assigns two or more interpreters for proceedings scheduled to last two hours or longer, and courts with five or more certified or credentialed interpreters in a language residing within 25 miles must use them for every proceeding in that language.
- Child welfare language access (HB24-1031)
- Since August 7, 2024, county departments of human or social services, cities and counties, and their private contractors must take reasonable steps to provide timely, meaningful language access in a person's primary language, and courts must provide translation and interpretation in dependency and neglect cases to any party who requests it or has limited English proficiency.
- Statewide language access assessment (HB25-1153)
- Signed May 30, 2025, HB25-1153 directs the Department of Personnel, with the Office of New Americans, to assess whether principal state departments are ready to meet the standards of the state's language access universal policy, with a report due by December 31, 2026.
- Digital accessibility (HB21-1110)
- As enacted, HB21-1110 required state agencies to submit accessibility plans to the Office of Information Technology by July 1, 2022 and fully implement them by July 1, 2024, and treats an agency not in full compliance as violating Colorado's disability discrimination law.
- Sign language interpreter titles
- HB19-1069 (2019) added "translator" and "certified translator" for sign language to the titles a Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf-certified person may use, and authorized the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind to approve other certifications for those titles.
- Refugee program
- Under legislation signed June 1, 2023, the Colorado Refugee Services Program, the state refugee office whose primary funding comes from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, moved from the Department of Human Services to the Office of New Americans in the Department of Labor and Employment effective October 1, 2024.
Sources
- Colorado Chief Justice Directive 06-03 (amended March 2023)
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Frequently Asked Questions – Interpreters
- Colorado OLA: Certified and Credentialed Independent Contractor Interpreter Pay Rates (rev. Dec. 16, 2024)
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 13 (Office of Legislative Legal Services, uncertified printout), including C.R.S. 13-90-204, Appointment of auxiliary services providers
- Colorado General Assembly: HB24-1031, Accessibility for Persons in Child Welfare Matters
- Colorado General Assembly: HB25-1153, Statewide Government Language Access Assessment
- Colorado General Assembly: HB21-1110, CO Laws for Persons with Disabilities
- Colorado General Assembly: HB19-1069, Sign Language Interpreters Title Certification
- Colorado Department of Human Services bulletin: State Refugee Office moves to the Office of New Americans
Boulder by the numbers
- Residents
- 106,433
- Speak a language other than English at home
- 15,498 14.9%
- Speak English less than “very well”
- 3,269 3.1%
- Limited-English households
- 685 1.5%
- Born outside the U.S.
- 11,542 10.8%
Language services in Boulder
City vital documents
Certified Spanish translation of applications, consent forms, complaint forms, and notices that affect access to city services, with a signed statement of accuracy.
Legal proceedings and hearings
Colorado court-certified interpreters for Boulder Municipal Court, state court, and city legal proceedings, as the city's plan requires.
Public meetings and engagement
Spanish interpretation for city council, board, and community meetings, in person or on virtual and hybrid platforms.
School family meetings
Interpreters and translated documents for BVSD conferences and special education meetings, requested through school staff with advance notice.
International students and scholars
Certified translations of foreign diplomas, transcripts, and civil records for CU Boulder students, researchers, and their families.
Where Boulder residents born abroad come from
Countries of birth point to the languages behind the Census groups above, and to the documents (birth certificates, diplomas, court records) that arrive for translation.
- China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan1,241
- Mexico947
- India858
- Germany635
- Canada583
- Korea402
- United Kingdom, excluding England and Scotland353
- England319
Detailed languages in Colorado
The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for states, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in Colorado.
- Spanish635,821
- Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)26,417
- German23,021
- French (incl. Cajun)19,969
- Russian18,696
- Amharic, Somali, or other Afro-Asiatic languages17,530
- Korean15,965
- Vietnamese15,961
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001, Colorado.
Boulder questions
Which languages does the City of Boulder translate into?
Spanish is the single primary language for translation of vital documents under the city's 2022 Language Access Plan. The plan notes that Chinese-speaking residents with limited English are approaching the federal safe harbor threshold and should be re-evaluated at the next revision. Other languages are served by phone interpretation.
Can a family member or a translation app interpret for the City of Boulder?
No. Minors may not interpret for city staff except at an emergency scene until a professional is reached, automatic voice translation devices are not a substitute for a qualified interpreter, and machine translation cannot be used for vital documents or public print materials.
What qualifications must interpreters have for City of Boulder work?
Interpreters must be trained, whether contract or staff. Acceptable evidence includes a third-party language test, a 40-hour interpreter training program, a degree in interpretation, or certification from a body such as the federal courts, the National Center for State Courts, CCHI, or NBCMI. Legal proceedings require a Colorado court-certified interpreter, and the city builds its approved interpreter list through procurement every three years.
How do BVSD parents get an interpreter or a translated document?
Contact your school's main office; a BVSD employee places the request, services are free to parents and families, and advance notice is required. Questions go to translation@bvsd.org, interpretation@bvsd.org, or 720-561-5079.
What languages are spoken in Boulder?
14.9% of Boulder residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 3.1% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese and French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan, Mexico, and India.
How many Boulder households have limited English?
685 of 44,432 households (1.5%), according to the Census Bureau: households in which no one age 14 or older speaks only English or speaks English “very well.” These are the households most likely to need an interpreter or translated documents.
How are court interpreters credentialed in Colorado?
Colorado Judicial Department, Office of Language Access (OLA), which oversees and pays for interpreters in the state courts (each judicial district’s managing interpreter schedules them) and maintains the rosters of authorized interpreters. OLA offers certification in 18 languages: Spanish, Arabic, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, Cantonese, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Turkish, and Vietnamese (OLA's December 2024 pay schedule also lists Marshallese as certifiable). Interpreters in all other languages can become credentialed; below those tiers sit qualified, conditionally approved, and registered interpreters.
Do you provide on-site interpreters in Boulder?
Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Boulder and across Colorado, and by phone and video nationwide, in 250+ languages including Spanish and ASL. Book less common languages as early as you can.
Sources
- City of Boulder Language Access Plan (2022, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Boulder: Municipal Court Interpreter Request Form (opens in a new tab)
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Managing & Staff Interpreter Contact Information (updated Apr. 9, 2026, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Boulder Valley School District: Language Services (opens in a new tab)
- Boulder County (Dec. 30, 2025): District Attorney's Office highlights new language access services (opens in a new tab)
- Open Doors 2025: Colorado State Facts and Figures (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Colorado Chief Justice Directive 06-03 (amended March 2023) (opens in a new tab)
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