Translation Services in Washington D.C., DC

D.C. language access by the numbers

The Office of Human Rights scores District agencies every year under the Language Access Act. These figures come from its fiscal year 2022 compliance review.^[4]

39: District agencies designated as having major public contact
3% or 500: Limited-English population, whichever is less, that triggers vital-document translation
186,009: Calls frontline staff placed to telephone interpreters in FY 2022
85: Languages spoken by limited-English customers agencies served in FY 2022
3,230: Vital documents District agencies translated in FY 2022

Language access rules in Washington, D.C.

Court interpreter program: The D.C. Interpreter Act establishes an Office of Interpreter Services (D.C. Code § 2-1911) that sets standards for qualified interpreters, keeps the list of qualified interpreters, coordinates and schedules all requests for interpreter services, and pays interpreter fees under rules it issues; § 2-1901 defines a qualified interpreter by reference to the list kept by the Office of Court Interpreter Services.
Court-certified languages: Rather than a certification exam in listed languages, the office sets standards that weigh interpreters' education, training, experience, current competence, and recognized certification, and keeps a current list of qualified bilingual and oral or manual (sign) interpreters; a qualified interpreter can also be one listed by the U.S. Department of State or found by the court to be skilled in the needed language.
The rule: D.C. Code § 2-1902 requires the appointing authority in any D.C. court proceeding, including civil, criminal, juvenile, child support, paternity, and mental health commitment proceedings, to appoint a qualified interpreter on request of a communication-impaired person (defined in § 2-1901 as a hearing-impaired person or a non-English or limited-English speaking person), and requires an interpreter whenever appointed counsel represents an indigent communication-impaired defendant in a criminal, delinquency, or child neglect case; under § 2-1912 the Office pays interpreter costs, and in civil actions the court may apportion them among the parties unless the person cannot afford them.
Language Access Act of 2004: oral services: D.C. Code § 2-1932 requires every covered entity (District government agencies, departments, and programs covered by the Language Access Act) to provide oral language services to limited- or no-English-proficient people seeking its services, programs, or activities, and to assess its language needs and collect language data at least annually.
Language Access Act: vital document translation: Under D.C. Code § 2-1933, a covered entity must translate vital documents (applications, notices, complaint forms, legal contracts, and outreach materials) into any language spoken by a limited- or no-English-proficient population that is 3% or 500 people, whichever is less, of those it serves or is likely to serve, and the duty extends to contractors when imposed by contract.
Biennial plans and OHR oversight: The Office of Human Rights' Language Access Program oversees the Act; agencies the Act designates as having major public contact build two-year Biennial Language Access Plans, report quarterly on their progress, and designate a Language Access Coordinator, and the Language Access Director investigates complaints and issues written findings of noncompliance (D.C. Code § 2-1935).
Interpreters in agency and legislative proceedings and at arrest: D.C. Code § 2-1902 also requires District departments, boards, commissions, agencies, and licensing authorities, and any legislative committee taking testimony, to appoint a qualified interpreter on request, and requires the arresting officer to use a qualified interpreter or qualified interviewer for custodial interrogation, rights warnings, or statement-taking from a communication-impaired person.
Refugee resettlement: The D.C. Office of Refugee Resettlement (DCORR) in the Department of Human Services administers the District's Refugee Resettlement Program, with providers including Catholic Charities Refugee Services Center, Community of Hope, and Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, focusing on refugees who have been in the U.S. five years or less.
Translated Act: The Office of Human Rights publishes translations of the Language Access Act in Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Sources

Who needs language services in Washington D.C.

D.C. Language Access Act of 2004: The Act covers every District agency, department, or program that provides information or services to the public, directly or through contracts; only Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are excluded.^[1]
Oral language services: Each covered agency must provide interpreters to residents with limited or no English who seek its services, and must assess its interpreting needs and collect data on the languages its customers speak every year.^[2]
Vital document threshold: Agencies must translate vital documents into any language spoken by 3% or 500 of the limited-English residents they serve or are likely to serve, whichever is less, and the same duty applies to contractors when the Act is written into their contracts.^[3]
Agencies with major public contact: Thirty-nine agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C. Public Schools, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Human Services, must also name a language access coordinator, train staff, and file a biennial Language Access Plan with quarterly progress reports.^[4]
Office of Human Rights Language Access Program: The Office of Human Rights enforces the Act and scores agency compliance each year; in fiscal year 2022, District agencies translated 3,230 vital documents, led by Spanish (1,566) and Amharic (634).^[4]
D.C. interpreter statute: D.C. Code § 2-1902 requires courts and District agencies, boards, and commissions to appoint a qualified interpreter for a party or witness who requests one, and requires police to obtain an interpreter for custodial interrogation after an arrest.^[5]
D.C. Public Schools: The DCPS Language Access Unit translates agency-wide documents into Spanish, Amharic, and Chinese (Mandarin), translates school-level documents into any language spoken by at least 3% of a school's students, and uses contract interpreters for face-to-face meetings.^[6]
Hospital interpreter services: Children's National Hospital provides qualified interpreters at no cost 24 hours a day in person, by video, and by phone, with on-site Spanish interpreters in its Emergency Department, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center provides medically certified or qualified interpreters around the clock.^[7]

Languages spoken in Washington D.C.

19.1% of Washington D.C. residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 5.6% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese.

Language spoken at home	Residents	Speak English less than “very well”
Spanish	60,423	21,522
Other languages	14,310	4,936
Other Indo-European languages	12,593	1,643
French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun	10,998	1,942
Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese	5,861	1,730
Other Asian and Pacific Island languages	4,376	1,278
Russian, Polish, and other Slavic	3,859	396

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Washington city (tables C16001, C16002, B05002, B05006) (opens in a new tab). Figures with a wide margin of error are not shown.

Language services in Washington D.C.

Agency contracts and grants
Interpreting and certified translation for District agencies and for the contractors and grantees that must meet the Language Access Act under their agreements.
Vital document translation
Translation of applications, notices, and complaint forms into Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, and Korean, the languages District agencies translated most in fiscal year 2022, with a signed statement of accuracy.
Hearings and police interviews
On-site, phone, or video interpreters for administrative hearings, board and commission proceedings, and other settings where D.C. Code § 2-1902 requires a qualified interpreter.
School family meetings
Interpreters in Amharic, Spanish, Chinese, and other languages for DCPS enrollment, special education, and parent-teacher meetings.
Federal agency programs
Translation and interpreting for federal agencies and their contractors, delivered on-site in Washington or by phone and video, under TE's GSA contract.

Washington D.C. by the numbers

Residents: 681,294
Speak a language other than English at home: 122,363 19.1%
Speak English less than “very well”: 35,729 5.6%
Limited-English households: 10,001 3.1%
Born outside the U.S.: 97,388 14.3%

Detailed languages in District of Columbia, District of Columbia

The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for counties, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in District of Columbia, District of Columbia.

Spanish61,754
Amharic, Somali, or other Afro-Asiatic languages14,706
French (incl. Cajun)11,931
Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)7,561
German3,303
Russian2,673
Arabic2,612
Persian (incl. Farsi, Dari)2,051

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001, District of Columbia, District of Columbia.

Where Washington D.C. 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.

El Salvador11,003
Ethiopia6,985
Mexico4,788
China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan3,529
India3,174
Guatemala3,047
Colombia2,961
Jamaica2,343

Washington D.C. questions

Which D.C. agencies must provide language services?

Every District agency, department, or program that serves the public, directly or through contractors, is covered by the Language Access Act of 2004. The 39 agencies designated as having major public contact carry additional duties: a language access coordinator, staff training, and a biennial Language Access Plan.

When must a D.C. agency translate a document?

An agency must translate vital documents, such as applications, notices, complaint forms, and materials that explain rights or eligibility, into any language spoken by 3% or 500 of the limited-English population it serves or is likely to serve, whichever is less.

Do contractors and grantees have to comply with the Language Access Act?

Yes, when the Act's requirements are imposed by contract, the contractor must meet the same translation duty as the agency. The Office of Human Rights applies the Act to public-facing contractors and grantees and publishes a Grantee/Contractor Language Access Implementation guide.

Did the 2025 executive order on English end federal language services?

The March 1, 2025 executive order designating English as the official language revoked Executive Order 13166, but it states that agency heads are not required to stop producing documents or services in other languages. It does not change the District's own Language Access Act, which binds D.C. government agencies.

What languages are spoken in Washington D.C.?

19.1% of Washington D.C. residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 5.6% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Mexico.

How many Washington D.C. households have limited English?

10,001 of 324,491 households (3.1%), 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 Washington, D.C.?

The D.C. Interpreter Act establishes an Office of Interpreter Services (D.C. Code § 2-1911) that sets standards for qualified interpreters, keeps the list of qualified interpreters, coordinates and schedules all requests for interpreter services, and pays interpreter fees under rules it issues; § 2-1901 defines a qualified interpreter by reference to the list kept by the Office of Court Interpreter Services. Rather than a certification exam in listed languages, the office sets standards that weigh interpreters' education, training, experience, current competence, and recognized certification, and keeps a current list of qualified bilingual and oral or manual (sign) interpreters; a qualified interpreter can also be one listed by the U.S. Department of State or found by the court to be skilled in the needed language.

Do you provide on-site interpreters in Washington D.C.?

Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Washington D.C. and across Washington, D.C., and by phone and video nationwide, in 250+ languages including Spanish and ASL. Book less common languages as early as you can.

Do you provide conference and meeting interpreters in Washington D.C.?

Yes. We staff conferences, conventions, trade shows, seminars, corporate training, and client meetings in Washington D.C. with simultaneous or consecutive interpreters. For simultaneous interpreting, our own technicians deliver, run, and strike the booths, transmitters, and receivers, shipped from our own inventory.

Translation and interpreting services in Washington D.C.

D.C. language access by the numbers

Language access rules in Washington, D.C.

Who needs language services in Washington D.C.

Languages spoken in Washington D.C.

Language services in Washington D.C.

Agency contracts and grants

Vital document translation

Hearings and police interviews

School family meetings

Federal agency programs

Washington D.C. by the numbers

Detailed languages in District of Columbia, District of Columbia

Where Washington D.C. residents born abroad come from

Washington D.C. questions

Sources

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