Illinois
Translation and interpreting services in Chicago
Chicago's Language Access Ordinance requires City departments to serve any language spoken by limited-English residents numbering 5% of the city's population or 10,000 people, whichever is less. In 2025 that meant Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu, while the Cook County courts and the county health system keep Spanish and Polish interpreters on hand without advance scheduling.
Languages spoken in Chicago
35.4% of Chicago residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 14.6% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Russian, Polish, and other Slavic and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese.
| Language spoken at home | Residents | Speak English less than “very well” |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 607,865 | 260,609 |
| Russian, Polish, and other Slavic | 67,932 | 29,281 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 61,672 | 17,995 |
| Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese | 52,032 | 28,312 |
| Other languages | 25,292 | 8,177 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 22,472 | 8,215 |
| Tagalog, including Filipino | 20,222 | 6,214 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Chicago city (tables C16001, C16002, B05002, B05006) (opens in a new tab). Figures with a wide margin of error are not shown.
Who needs language services in Chicago
- Language Access Ordinance
- Under Chapter 2-40 of the Municipal Code of Chicago, departments that serve the public must provide language services in any language that meets the 5% or 10,000-person threshold, and each department files an annual language access report with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights.[1]
- 2025 required languages
- The Mayor's Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights determined that certain City departments had to provide services in Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu in 2025, with other languages handled case by case.[1]
- Chicago Police Department
- In 2025, CPD officers used remote interpretation in 67 languages, led by Spanish (3,786 calls), Mandarin (511), Russian (258), and Arabic (235), and the department's language access coordinator delivered 113 translations in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu.[2]
- Circuit Court of Cook County
- The Office of Interpreter Services provides court interpreters at no cost; Spanish and Polish interpreters are available first come, first served, while other languages such as Arabic, Russian, French, Hindi, and Tagalog need at least 48 working hours' notice.[3]
- Chicago Public Schools IEP settlement
- A 2022 class-action settlement requires CPS to provide interpreters for limited-English parents at all IEP meetings, hire 10 full-time certified interpreters or translators, and deliver translated reports and evaluations within 30 days of the meeting.[4]
- Cook County Health
- The county health system staffs on-site Spanish interpreters 24 hours a day and on-site Polish interpreters on weekday and weekend day shifts, with phone interpreting in more than 240 languages and video interpreting in 45 languages, including ASL.[5]
Chicago by the numbers
- Residents
- 2,711,226
- Speak a language other than English at home
- 908,113 35.4%
- Speak English less than “very well”
- 374,404 14.6%
- Limited-English households
- 86,090 7.4%
- Born outside the U.S.
- 566,883 20.9%
Language access rules in Illinois
- Court interpreter program
- Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) Language Access Program, which administers the statewide court interpreter certification program, maintains the Court Interpreter Registry of certified and registered spoken and sign language interpreters, and oversees Language Access Plans in all 24 judicial circuits.
- Court-certified languages
- AOIC offers full NCSC oral certification exams in French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Khmer, Lao, Polish, Somali, and Spanish, and abbreviated exams in Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, Marshallese, and Turkish; candidates score 70% or higher for "Certified" or 60% or higher for "Registered," and in other languages an ALTA oral proficiency interview can earn "Qualified" status.
- The rule
- The Illinois Supreme Court Language Access Policy (effective October 1, 2014) states that courts should provide an interpreter for any limited English proficient party or witness in a legal proceeding and must make reasonable efforts to appoint a certified Registry interpreter first and a registered one second; according to the AOIC, courts must appoint interpreters by written order for LEP defendants in misdemeanor and felony cases under the Criminal Proceeding Interpreter Act (725 ILCS 140) and for LEP parties and witnesses in civil cases under 735 ILCS 5/8-1403, and must provide qualified sign language interpreters for deaf litigants, witnesses, victims, jurors, and spectators under 735 ILCS 5/8-1402.
- Court interpreter appointment order
- Under the Supreme Court Language Access Policy, a court may use an unregistered interpreter only when no certified or registered Registry interpreter is available, and must then examine that interpreter in open court for minimum qualifications and impartiality; circuit courts arrange and pay for interpreters.
- Language Equity and Access Act (SB3762)
- Signed August 2, 2024 and effective immediately, the Act charges the Governor's Office of New Americans, with the Department of Human Services, to set and oversee statewide language access requirements and prepare a Language Needs Assessment Report to help state agencies build language access plans, requires each state agency to develop an internal complaint and review process for language assistance services, and requires an annual compliance report to the Governor's Office and the General Assembly.
- English learner programs and parent notice
- Under Article 14C of the School Code and 23 Ill. Adm. Code Part 228, as summarized by ISBE, a school with 20 or more English learners of the same language background offers Transitional Bilingual Education, the Home Language Survey must be given in a language parents can understand, and parents must be notified of EL placement within 30 days after the school year begins or 14 days after enrollment during the school year.
- Sign language interpreter licensure
- According to the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007 (225 ILCS 443) requires anyone providing interpreting services in Illinois to be licensed unless specifically exempted under the Act.
- Right to state language services
- The Governor's Office of New Americans states that people seeking services from the State of Illinois have a legal right to free translation and interpretation in their language of choice, and counts 1,030,616 Illinoisans (9%) as limited English proficient.
- Interpreter license renewal
- Illinois sign language interpreter licenses expire every December 31, with a $175 full-year initial license fee plus a $50 application fee and a $150 annual renewal.
- Refugee services
- The Illinois Department of Human Services Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services funds employment, case management, English language training, school impact, and behavioral health services for refugees and other ORR-eligible arrivals, with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago as the active grantee.
Sources
- Illinois Judicial Branch: Court Personnel Information Card on Limited English Proficient Individuals
- Illinois Courts: Language Interpreter – Getting Certified
- Illinois Courts: Find a Language Interpreter/Language Access Program
- Office of the Governor (Aug. 2, 2024): Gov. Pritzker Signs Language Equity and Access Act
- Illinois Governor's Office of New Americans: Language Access
- Illinois State Board of Education: English Learner Rules and Responsibilities (2019 Bilingual Parent Summit)
- Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission: Statute and Rules of the Licensure Act
- Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission: License Applications
- Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance: Refugee Resettlement Program (CSFA 207)
Where Chicago 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.
- Mexico222,978
- China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan35,481
- India28,235
- Poland26,188
- Philippines21,740
- Ecuador14,043
- Guatemala11,016
- Nigeria9,223
Detailed languages in Cook County, Illinois
The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for counties, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in Cook County, Illinois.
- Spanish1,038,736
- Polish113,466
- Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)79,742
- Arabic59,885
- Ukrainian or other Slavic languages45,340
- Tagalog (incl. Filipino)44,339
- Russian32,556
- Korean31,436
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001, Cook County, Illinois.
Language services in Chicago
City department notices
Certified translation of applications, notices, and outreach materials into Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu for departments covered by the Language Access Ordinance.
Cook County court proceedings
Interpreters for attorneys and litigants in Arabic, Russian, Hindi, Tagalog, and other languages, scheduled ahead of the court's 48-hour notice window, plus certified translation of exhibits.
Special education meetings
Qualified interpreters for IEP meetings and translation of IEPs, evaluations, and reports for Chicago-area families with limited English.
Public safety materials
Translation of directives, notices, and community outreach materials for public safety agencies, with a signed statement of accuracy.
Hospital and clinic care
On-site, phone, or video medical interpreting in Spanish, Polish, and less common languages, including CCHI-certified interpreters where the credential exists.
Chicago questions
Which languages must Chicago City departments provide services in?
For 2025, the Mayor's Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights set the list as Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu, based on the ordinance's threshold of 5% of the city's population or 10,000 limited-English residents, whichever is less.
How do I get an interpreter in Cook County court?
Tell the court clerk or the judge that you need one. If the court finds an interpreter necessary, staff submit the request to the Office of Interpreter Services at no cost to you. Spanish and Polish are available first come, first served; most other languages need at least 48 working hours' notice.
What must Chicago Public Schools provide at IEP meetings?
Under a 2022 settlement, CPS must provide interpreters for limited-English parents at all IEP meetings, provide translated reports, evaluations, and recommendations within 30 days, and let parents ask that the interpreter not be a member of the IEP team.
Which languages does the Chicago Police Department interpret most?
In 2025, Spanish led CPD's remote interpretation calls at 3,786, followed by Mandarin (511), Russian (258), and Arabic (235), out of 67 languages used, including American Sign Language.
What languages are spoken in Chicago?
35.4% of Chicago residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 14.6% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Russian, Polish, and other Slavic and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are Mexico, China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan, and India.
How many Chicago households have limited English?
86,090 of 1,160,205 households (7.4%), 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 Illinois?
Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) Language Access Program, which administers the statewide court interpreter certification program, maintains the Court Interpreter Registry of certified and registered spoken and sign language interpreters, and oversees Language Access Plans in all 24 judicial circuits. AOIC offers full NCSC oral certification exams in French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Khmer, Lao, Polish, Somali, and Spanish, and abbreviated exams in Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, Marshallese, and Turkish; candidates score 70% or higher for "Certified" or 60% or higher for "Registered," and in other languages an ALTA oral proficiency interview can earn "Qualified" status.
Do you provide on-site interpreters in Chicago?
Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Chicago and across Illinois, 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 Chicago?
Yes. We staff conferences, conventions, trade shows, seminars, corporate training, and client meetings in Chicago 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.
Sources
- City of Chicago Office of Inspector General: 2025 Language Access Compliance Report (April 2026, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Chicago Police Department: 2025 Language Access Annual Report (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Circuit Court of Cook County: Office of Interpreter Services (opens in a new tab)
- Chalkbeat Chicago (July 1, 2022): Legal settlement requires Chicago to offer translation services to parents of students with disabilities (opens in a new tab)
- Cook County Health: Patient & Visitor Information (opens in a new tab)
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