Translation Services in Savannah, GA

Where Savannah 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.

Mexico1,280
India1,091
China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan550
Canada268

Languages spoken in Savannah

10.4% of Savannah residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 3.2% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by German and other West Germanic and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese.

Language spoken at home	Residents	Speak English less than “very well”
Spanish	7,557	2,716
Other Indo-European languages	1,969	514
Other Asian and Pacific Island languages	788	n/a
German and other West Germanic	688	n/a
Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese	650	334
French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun	621	n/a
Other languages	415	n/a

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

Savannah by the numbers

Residents: 147,898
Speak a language other than English at home: 14,396 10.4%
Speak English less than “very well”: 4,494 3.2%
Limited-English households: 1,085 1.9%
Born outside the U.S.: 11,183 7.6%

Detailed languages in Georgia

The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for states, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in Georgia.

Spanish972,043
Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)64,396
Korean60,398
Vietnamese56,785
French (incl. Cajun)45,563
Hindi41,443
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or other languages of Western Africa35,557
Gujarati34,673

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

Language access rules in Georgia

Court interpreter program: Judicial Council of Georgia Standing Committee on Court Interpreters, created in 2021 as successor to the Supreme Court of Georgia Commission on Interpreters, which licenses court interpreters and keeps the statewide Interpreter Roster with staff support from the Administrative Office of the Courts' Office of Court Professionals.
Court-certified languages: Since January 1, 2024, Georgia licenses legal interpreters in four designations (master licensed legal interpreter, licensed legal interpreter, conditionally licensed legal interpreter, and apprentice), which replaced the former Certified, Conditionally Approved, and Registered Interpreter lists. Performance exams vary by language, and candidates in languages without a National Center for State Courts exam may qualify through an oral proficiency interview or other recognized credentials; ASL interpreters are licensed in the same tiers through RID or NAD credentials.
The rule: The Rules for Legal Interpreting in the State of Georgia (effective January 1, 2024) apply to all criminal and civil proceedings with non-English-speaking persons in need of interpreters, and the judicial bench cards state that Title VI and Georgia law require courts to provide qualified interpreters to LEP participants, who cannot be required to arrange or pay for their own; under the ADA and O.C.G.A. 24-6-650 to 24-6-658, courts must provide auxiliary aids such as qualified sign language interpreters to deaf and hard of hearing participants, and O.C.G.A. 15-1-14(a) gives the Supreme Court authority to set rules for court interpreters.
Title VI duty for all court-managed functions: The Rules for Legal Interpreting require all court-managed functions, including information counters, filing offices, sheriff's offices, probation and parole offices, pro se clinics, diversion programs, and detention facilities, to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Team and Deaf interpreters: Rule 5-5 calls team interpreting the recognized best practice and recommends it for long or complex assignments, and Rule 5-4 provides that when a Deaf Interpreter and a team are both required, the team consists of no fewer than four interpreters; these Article V appointment recommendations are not binding on courts.
No statewide pay scale: Rule 2-3 provides that there is no uniform, statewide compensation system for language interpreters, while the Official Code of Georgia Annotated governs compensation of sign language interpreters.
Child support agency language access: Georgia DCSS Policy 16.0 requires staff to provide meaningful access to limited English proficient and sensory impaired customers, citing Title VI and O.C.G.A. 24-6-650 to 658, and directs local and state offices to inform customers of free language assistance.
Official language: Georgia designated English its official language by 1986 Session Resolution 70, but Attorney General Opinion 95-44 concluded the resolution neither mandates exclusive use of English nor prohibits other languages, leaving the Department of Public Safety to decide whether to keep offering driver's license exams in other languages.
Refugee program: The Georgia Department of Human Services, through the Division of Family & Children Services, administers the federally funded Refugee Program, with a State Refugee Coordinator and contracted support services delivered through refugee voluntary agencies.

Sources

Language services in Savannah

Savannah questions

What languages are spoken in Savannah?

10.4% of Savannah residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 3.2% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by German and other West Germanic and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are Mexico, India, and China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan.

How many Savannah households have limited English?

1,085 of 58,192 households (1.9%), 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 Georgia?

Judicial Council of Georgia Standing Committee on Court Interpreters, created in 2021 as successor to the Supreme Court of Georgia Commission on Interpreters, which licenses court interpreters and keeps the statewide Interpreter Roster with staff support from the Administrative Office of the Courts' Office of Court Professionals. Since January 1, 2024, Georgia licenses legal interpreters in four designations (master licensed legal interpreter, licensed legal interpreter, conditionally licensed legal interpreter, and apprentice), which replaced the former Certified, Conditionally Approved, and Registered Interpreter lists. Performance exams vary by language, and candidates in languages without a National Center for State Courts exam may qualify through an oral proficiency interview or other recognized credentials; ASL interpreters are licensed in the same tiers through RID or NAD credentials.

Do you provide on-site interpreters in Savannah?

Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Savannah and across Georgia, 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 Savannah?

Yes. We staff conferences, conventions, trade shows, seminars, corporate training, and client meetings in Savannah 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.