Translation Services in Bloomington, MN

Where Bloomington 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.

Mexico2,012
Somalia1,540
Ethiopia1,293
Kenya1,012
Vietnam861
Guyana436
India396
Korea375

Languages spoken in Bloomington

19.8% of Bloomington residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 7.5% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Vietnamese and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese.

Language spoken at home	Residents	Speak English less than “very well”
Spanish	6,804	2,259
Other languages	4,422	1,962
Other Asian and Pacific Island languages	1,410	480
Vietnamese	1,049	598
Other Indo-European languages	928	n/a
Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese	626	470
French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun	243	n/a

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

Bloomington by the numbers

Residents: 88,665
Speak a language other than English at home: 16,663 19.8%
Speak English less than “very well”: 6,294 7.5%
Limited-English households: 1,230 3.3%
Born outside the U.S.: 13,671 15.4%

Detailed languages in Hennepin County, Minnesota

The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for counties, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Spanish69,291
Amharic, Somali, or other Afro-Asiatic languages43,690
Hmong16,241
Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)9,210
French (incl. Cajun)6,446
Vietnamese6,028
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or other languages of Western Africa5,717
Russian5,032

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

Language access rules in Minnesota

Court interpreter program: Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program, run by a Court Interpreter Program Coordinator assigned to the State Court Administrator's Office; the State Court Administrator maintains and publishes the statewide roster of certified and non-certified court interpreters (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 8).
Court-certified languages: Spoken-language interpreters qualify for the statewide roster in part by passing an English proficiency, ethics, and court terminology examination, and become certified by passing a court interpreting competency examination under Rule 8.05; certification is not available for all languages, and sign language interpreters are certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's Legal certification. Courts must appoint a certified interpreter when one is reasonably available, then a competent non-certified roster interpreter, and may go off the roster for spoken languages only after those options are exhausted.
The rule: Minn. Stat. § 611.32 requires the presiding judicial officer to appoint a qualified interpreter for a person who, because of difficulty speaking or understanding English or a communication disability, cannot fully understand a proceeding in which the person may be subjected to confinement, criminal sanction, or forfeiture, and Minn. Stat. § 546.43 requires the same for litigants and witnesses in civil actions; Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 8.02 sets the order of appointment.
Interpreters at arrest: Under Minn. Stat. § 611.32, subd. 2, when a person disabled in communication, including a person with difficulty speaking or understanding English, is arrested, the arresting officer must immediately make the contacts needed to obtain a qualified interpreter and must make one available before interrogating the person or taking a statement.
State and local agency proceedings: Minn. Stat. § 546.43, subd. 2 requires that when a witness or principal party in a proceeding before a state or local board, commission, agency, or licensing authority is disabled in communication, the pertinent proceedings be interpreted, in a language the person understands, by a qualified interpreter appointed by that body.
State agency bilingual staff and translations: Minn. Stat. § 15.441 requires state agencies that directly serve a substantial number of non-English-speaking people to employ enough qualified bilingual staff in public contact positions or enough interpreters, and encourages them to translate materials explaining their services, giving top priority to materials that notify people of legal rights, duties, and privileges.
Medicaid interpreter roster requirement: Minn. Stat. § 256B.0625, subd. 18a covers sign and oral language interpreter services in Medical Assistance, but covers face-to-face oral language interpreting only when the interpreter is listed in the registry or roster established under Minn. Stat. § 144.058.
Health care interpreter roster: The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a statewide, voluntary roster of spoken language health care interpreters under Minn. Stat. § 144.058, searchable by language and area, and notes that some insurers require roster listing before an interpreter can bill.
School notices: Minn. Stat. § 124D.60 requires districts and charter schools to notify parents of English learners in writing, in English and in the parents' primary language, that their child has been placed in a language instruction program, and the Department of Education must prepare the notice in that language at the district's request.

Sources

Language services in Bloomington

Bloomington questions

What languages are spoken in Bloomington?

19.8% of Bloomington residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 7.5% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Vietnamese and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are Mexico, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

How many Bloomington households have limited English?

1,230 of 37,601 households (3.3%), 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 Minnesota?

Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program, run by a Court Interpreter Program Coordinator assigned to the State Court Administrator's Office; the State Court Administrator maintains and publishes the statewide roster of certified and non-certified court interpreters (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 8). Spoken-language interpreters qualify for the statewide roster in part by passing an English proficiency, ethics, and court terminology examination, and become certified by passing a court interpreting competency examination under Rule 8.05; certification is not available for all languages, and sign language interpreters are certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's Legal certification. Courts must appoint a certified interpreter when one is reasonably available, then a competent non-certified roster interpreter, and may go off the roster for spoken languages only after those options are exhausted.

Do you provide on-site interpreters in Bloomington?

Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Bloomington and across Minnesota, 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 Bloomington?

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