Translation and interpreting services in Kaneohe

Language access rules in Hawaii

Court interpreter program

Hawaii State Judiciary, Office on Equality and Access to the Courts (OEAC), which runs the statewide Court Interpreter Certification Program, recruits, registers, educates, and tests court interpreters, and publishes the list of registered court interpreters.

Court-certified languages

Under the Hawaii Rules for Certification of Spoken-Language Interpreters (effective July 1, 2019), interpreters in any language who complete orientation, pass written English proficiency and ethics exams, and clear a background check are Tier 1 Registered, and they advance to Conditionally Approved, Approved, Certified, or Certified Master by scores on approved oral proficiency exams (NCSC, LionBridge, the federal court exam, or U.S. Department of State exams); courts should give preference to qualified interpreters within their circuit, who are paid by designation.

The rule

The Judiciary's Language Assistance Policy (Judiciary Policy #12) commits the courts, in all case types, to reasonably provide competent court interpreters free of charge and in a timely manner to parties, witnesses, and individuals with a substantial interest in a case; HRS ch. 321C defines the judicial branch as a state agency, and HRS § 321C-3 requires each state agency to provide competent, timely oral language services to limited English proficient persons.

Hawaii language access law (HRS ch. 321C)

HRS § 321C-3 requires every state agency and every covered entity receiving state financial assistance to take reasonable steps, weighed by a totality of circumstances, to ensure meaningful access for limited English proficient persons, including competent, timely oral language services and written translations of vital documents for each limited English proficient group that makes up five percent or 1,000 people, whichever is less, of the population served (or, for groups under 50 people, written notice of the right to free oral interpretation).

Who counts as a covered entity

HRS § 321C-2 defines covered entities as organizations receiving state grants, purchase-of-service contracts, or other state funds to serve the public, and defines vital documents to include applications, outreach materials, and written notices of rights, denials, losses, or decreases in benefits or services.

Language access plans

HRS § 321C-4 requires each state agency and covered entity to establish a language access plan, and each state agency to designate a language access coordinator and file its plan with the Office of Language Access every two years.

Official languages

HRS § 1-13 makes English and Hawaiian the official languages of Hawaii, with the English version of a law controlling in a conflict and Hawaiian not required for public acts and transactions.

Office of Language Access rulemaking

The Department of Health's Office of Language Access proposed Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 11-220 in 2026 to set uniform statewide procedures under HRS ch. 321C, including language access planning requirements, an interpreter and translator roster system, compliance monitoring, and complaint procedures, with written comments due September 3, 2026.

Court language materials

The Judiciary publishes language access pages in Cantonese, Chuukese, Hawaiian, Ilokano, Japanese, Korean, Kosraean, Mandarin, Marshallese, Pohnpeian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, Tongan, and Vietnamese, and its guides on how to request an interpreter are published in Chuukese, Ilokano, Korean, Marshallese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.