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Interpreter Contractor Resources

Interpreter Contractor Resources

Welcome to the Court’s Interpreter Contractor Resources page. Here you will find all the needed documents, forms, and contact information needed to carry out your duties as a Court Interpreter Contractor.

Interested in Employment? | Information for New Contractors  | Interpreter Intelligence  | Daily Activity Log Instructions  | Interpreter Timesheet Instructions  | Travel Expenses  | 100 Day Interpreter Contractor Policy  | Professional Standards and Ethics 

Interested in Employment?

If you are interested in serving as a Court Interpreter, job applications may be found on our Employment Opportunities  page. The court may only hire certified or registered interpreters as employees. The court does hire provisionally qualified interpreters as contractors when needed.

The Judicial Council Qualifications of a Noncertified or Nonregistered Spoken Language Interpreter (INT110.pdf) form must be completed by any interpreter who is not certified or registered by the judicial council. This form must be submitted prior to any work assignment in order to be provisionally qualified to work in our court.

The Judicial Council's Become an Interpreter page provides information about becoming an interpreter and the testing process to become registered or certified.

Information for New Contractors

Thank you for your interest in working for Santa Clara County Superior Court.

We are offering State Certified/Registered interpreters the following rates:

  • Half Day: $175.00
  • Full Day: $350.00

We are offering Noncertified/Nonregistered interpreters the following rates:

  • Half Day: $110.00
  • Full Day: $220.00

A half day assignment is from 8:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. or 1:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. or until the court session ends, whichever comes first. A full day assignment is from 8:15 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. or until the court session ends, whichever comes first. Contractors are required to check-in with the Interpreters Unit after their assignment is complete for potential re-assignment(s).

We offer travel time and mileage at the current state rate based on Google Map's  shortest distance and travel time from the agreed upon starting point to the courthouse to which you are assigned. If we assign you to different courthouses during a full day, we will pay mileage between courthouses. Travel (car fare, cab fare, mileage) to and from lunch will not be reimbursed.

If you are seeking to stay in our area during your assignment, prior permission must be granted by the Supervisor and/or Manager. Additional paperwork will be required if you are seeking reimbursement for lodging and other travel expenses. (Click this link to go to the Travel Expenses section of this page for more details and guidelines involving travel.)

The following documents must be completed prior to your first assignment:

  1. Contract
  2. Payee Data Record (W-9) Form
    Only fill out this form if you have no vendor number with the Judicial Council.
  3. Live Scan Form
    Please complete the live scan service at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Schedule your live scan service through their website. Appointment availability is limited. There are four different locations to choose from. This form is required for the appointment. If you choose to complete a Live Scan out of our county, it will not be reimbursed.
  4. Security Background Questionnaire
    Email completed form to EQin@scscourt.org.
  5. Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization (if you choose to expedite payments)
    If you have direct deposit already set up with other courthouses in California, do not fill out this form.

Please review our CONTRACTOR INFORMATION SHEET which provides a basic orientation to our court including court locations, parking information, and equipment.

Contractors must enter the courthouses through the public entrances and must comply with all metal detector requirements. No shoes may be carried into the courthouse and no glass items will be allowed. Please give yourself enough time for arrival in case there are long lines entering the building.

For Spanish and Vietnamese contractors, please submit your availability to: sccavailability@scscourt.org. Availability for each week must be submitted by Thursday of the previous week. If we have specific needs for certain days, we may contact you to ask if you are available. The weekly schedule will be emailed on the Friday before. If you have any questions, please call David Ortiz at (408) 808-6680. 

Interpreter Intelligence – New Scheduling System Information!

We are migrating over to a new interpreter scheduling system called Interpreter Intelligence. We are currently live by scheduling all new assignments for exotic language interpreters through this new system. We will soon schedule Vietnamese interpreters through this system and move on to Spanish early this year.

  • You can log in to the program by going to https://scscourt.interpreterintelligence.com/app/login
  • If you do not have an account, please email sparker@scscourt.org to create one for you.
  • When you first log in you will be prompted to reset your password.
  • After setting up your new password in the online portal, you can also download the APP Interpreter Intelligence to your mobile device and login with the same credentials (the token for our court is scscourt).

Keep an eye out for availability emails from scinterpreter@scscourt.org. You will have the ability to click "Available" or "Not Available" directly from the email or in the app. Once confirmed through the application, find the job on your dashboard/app and Confirm the Job. You are responsible for Closing A Job. Information is below.

Quick Guides and Resources:

Note: Do not enter financial information and incidentals when closing a job. We are working towards using the financial calculation parts of the program but for the time being we will continue with the current timesheet and expense request process. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns and trust that any kinks will be worked through as we move through this transition phase.

Daily Activity Log Instructions

NEW! All contractors are required to submit electronic daily activity logs via the interpreter portal within two (2) business days of assignment. For detailed instructions, click here!

Click here for the Activity Log. See below for instructions:

  1. Complete top of form in full. If you are assigned to two locations in one day, indicate both. (Do not indicate time in, out, or mileage).
  2. Indicate case type. See Case Type Codes at the bottom of the form. For criminal indicate M for misdemeanor or F for felony.
  3. Indicate # of interpretations.
  4. Case numbers are not needed.
  5. Indicate T for Trial or NT for Non-Trial.
  6. Event details are not needed.
  7. Indicate if interpretation was via Video Remote. If not, leave blank.
  8. Sign.
  9. Submit to timesheets@scscourt.org

Interpreter Timesheet Instructions

All assignments for two consecutive weeks should be submitted on one timesheet or immediately after an assignment, if there are no future assignments. If you are submitting more than one timesheet, submit in separate emails. When attaching a parking receipt, scan and attach as a separate PDF. Title the subject line to your email as your name and the first date of work you are claiming.

Effective January 1, 2024, the state mileage amount was raised to 67 cents. Please choose appropriate timesheet below:

For sample timesheets, please refer to the following links for the electronic version , and a key for helpful instructions on filling out the timesheet.

Please note: If any of the timesheet is left blank, handwritten, is incorrect, or is missing information, the timesheet will be sent back for correction. Mileage and travel time correlate to the signed independent contractor contract. You must also know your vendor number.

All timesheets are required to be submitted electronically – no handwritten timesheets will be accepted. Timesheets must be saved and emailed to timesheets@scscourt.org. Do not send scanned electronic versions.

Note: Recommended internet browser to use is Google Chrome for PC users and Firefox for Mac users. Fill timesheet within your browser, then download document with your changes when complete.

See below for detailed instructions:

Downtown Superior Court

Depts. 1-16

DTS

Old Courthouse

Depts. 17-22

OCH

Hall of Justice

Depts. 23-54

HOJ

Santa Clara

Depts. 55-58

Traffic

Family Justice Center

Depts. 60-79

FJC

Juvenile Justice

Depts. 80-83

JJ

Palo Alto

Depts. 84-89

PA

Morgan Hill

Depts. 105-110

MH
  1. Enter your Name.
  2. Enter your Phone Number.
  3. Enter your Name and/or Business Name. For contractors working under a business name, please print your business name for Name and your name for From Interpreter. These must match the information on file.
  4. Enter your Address. If you have two addresses, use the address connected to your vendor number.
  5. Enter the first Monday of the week worked, regardless if it was a Monday or not. All dates will auto-populate on the timesheet.
  6. Select the assignments for the date worked (AM, PM, or Full Day). Please note: if a full day is worked, only select Full Day, do not select AM and PM.
  7. Enter total amount of Remote Hours, if applicable. If you have a flat remote rate instead of an hourly rate, enter 1 hour for a half-day session.
  8. Enter Dual Language differential amount, if applicable. If dual language is used, note the second language in the Comments section.
  9. Enter Mileage (Round Trip) based on the courthouse assigned to. Refer to contract for exact number. This must be the same as the contract signed with our court. If this number deviates from the number(s) listed on your contract, it will delay processing of timesheet. If you are working three days or more, the mileage total should be entered on the last date worked.
  10. Enter Travel Time (Round Trip) based on the courthouse assigned to. Refer to contract for exact number. Do not divide the travel time hours in half if you are working more than one day. Enter the total travel time for the week on the last date worked. For example, for 10 hours of Travel Time, enter 10 on the last date worked, instead of 5 hours on the date of arrival and 5 hours on the date of departure.
  11. Enter Parking, if applicable. Parking to be claimed on timesheets are for parking at courthouse locations when a permit or validation is unavailable. A receipt must be accompanied with your timesheet for proof. If you have bridge tolls, enter under the parking column as well.
  12. Enter the courthouse for which you were assigned under the Comments column.
  13. Using drop-down menu, enter your status, as Certified, Registered, Non-Certified, Non-Registered or ASL for American Sign Language.
  14. Leave WBS Type blank.
  15. Enter your Vendor Number. This is the vendor number used by the Judicial Council. If you do not have the vendor number handy, please ask us for it to avoid any delays in processing your timesheet.
  16. Enter name in Signature field and enter date. Do not electronically sign the timesheet and do not print timesheet to sign. Entering your name is sufficient.
  17. Using the drop-down menu, enter the language for assignment. Please note: Only one language is allowed per timesheet.
  18. Enter your AM Rate, if applicable.
  19. Enter your PM Rate, if applicable.
  20. Enter your Full Day Rate, if applicable.
  21. Enter your Remote Rate, if applicable. If remote rate is a flat rate, enter the flat rate.
  22. Enter your Travel Time Rate, if applicable.
  23. The timesheet will auto-populate the remainder of the timesheet, providing a total amount due.

If you are claiming overtime, a separate timesheet must be submitted for the day it occurred by checking the AM, PM or Full Day box, entering the amount of overtime in the Remote Hours column, and entering your overtime rate in the Remote Rate section of the timesheet.

Once timesheets are processed, a copy will be sent via email for your reference when it is sent to the Finance Department for processing. Payment(s) will occur approximately 21 days after submission. If there are any issues with payment, please email timesheets@scscourt.org.

Additional Forms:
Change of Address Form
Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization Form

Travel Expenses

If you qualify for reimbursement on travel expenses, you must submit a Contractors Travel Expense Request Form along with your timesheet. Travel expenses are not reimbursed for all assignments. The Interpreter Coordinator will determine if the expenses are allowed prior to assignments. If there are any changes needed or missing information, the form will be returned for correction.

Effective January 1, 2024, the state mileage amount was raised to 67 cents. Please choose appropriate Travel Expense Request form below:

Guidelines for Travel Expense Reimbursement include:

  1. Maximum occupancy rate is $245/night.  This is separate from applicable taxes and service fees. 
  2. Lodging and transportation must NOT be booked directly with a third-party site. For example, the hotel express check-out receipt from a third-party provider booked via the internet does not represent a valid receipt.
  3. For lodging, a zero-balance receipt will be needed. Each day of lodging must be itemized with tax and fees itemized for each day in order for reimbursement to be approved.
  4. If self-parking and valet parking at a hotel is available, we will reimburse for self-parking only.
  5. Incidentals not to exceed (NTE) $5 is allowed after 24 hours of arrival.
  6. Meals are reimbursed for the first day of assignment – Breakfast NTE $13, Lunch NTE $15 and Dinner NTE $26. Dinner is reimbursed for the night of travel to San Jose.
  7. Do not place mileage on the Travel Expense Request Form. Mileage should only be claimed on the timesheets.
  8. If booking flight(s) to travel to our county, please note that all airfare must be booked with the least costly carrier and as coach class. In the event of an audit, a cost comparison for flights may be requested to support that the purchase of the least costly flight was booked.
  9. Carfare reimbursement does not include tips.
  10. Submit all Travel Expense Request Forms and receipts to timesheets@scscourt.org. Receipts should be attached as PDF files and as separate documents to the travel expense form.

Please note that reimbursement for lodging takes a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks. If you have any questions, please email sparker@scscourt.org.

100 Day Interpreter Contractor Policy

Pursuant to Government Code Section 71802 , the court may not utilize a contractor's services over 100 days per calendar year.

Professional Standards and Ethics

Click here for the Judicial Council Professional Standards and Ethics for California Court Interpreters Manual.