Interpreting in North Carolina

We are commonly asked about the process and criteria to become a professional interpreter in North Carolina, so we’ve put together this resource page as a good place to start.

General Info

Generally, anyone starting* the journey to become a professional interpreter should plan to attend a college or university with an interpreter training program (ITP). Due to both the high level of skill and fluency required to work as an interpreter, and also the specific degree requirements for interpreting credentials, your first step should be to look at a 2- or 4-year degree in interpreting. This applies whether you’re planning to focus on educational or community interpreting. It is important to bear in mind that becoming an interpreter requires both the skills, knowledge, and techniques to effectively interpret and also the required credentials and criteria to comply with laws and policies governing the profession.

The typical pathway from just learning ASL to working as a professional interpreter often looks like this:
(Optional) Start Learning ASL -> Attend and Graduate from ITP -> Take and Pass Assessment Exam(s) -> Begin Work in Education OR Receive License and Begin Work in Community.

Please note that this page is written from the perspective of the requirements in North Carolina; other states have entirely different requirements and criteria for work.

*We are contacted most often by folks with little to no current fluency in ASL and who are just starting out. Folks in specific other circumstances may not feel they need a college or university degree, such as folks already fluent in ASL (growing up with Deaf family or planning to work as a Deaf interpreter), or folks who are already credentialed interpreters in other states and who are moving to NC and wishing to become licensed here.

In North Carolina, interpreting is often thought of as being separated into two domains: interpreting in educational settings, and interpreting in all other community settings, with different governing bodies and requirements applying to each.

Credentials for Educational Interpreting

Educational Interpreting in NC is generally governed by the Department of Public Instruction. They set the standards for two categories of educational interpreter job titles: Educational Interpreter I (which requires an EIPA score of 3.3 or 3.4), and Educational Interpreter II (which requires an EIPA score of 3.5–3.9). Interpreters hired at the EI-I level have 3 years to advance to an EI-II, else they cannot continue to work as educational interpreters.

The EIPA is the Educational Interpreting Performance Assessment, which assesses interpreters’ skills in interpreting in educational settings. The highest possible score is 5.0. They offer a written knowledge test as well as their signing performance test, but currently NC only requires the performance test.

It’s important to note that the DPI requirements outlined above are minimum scores, and specific school districts may choose to have a higher minimum EIPA score as an employment criterion.

As of the summer of 2025, some of the above might be changing. There is currently a push to require that educational interpreters be licensed under the NCTILB (see right), meaning they would have to meet the standard licensure requirements, even to work in educational settings.

Interpreter Training Programs

As mentioned above, both because of the specific degree requirements related to getting an interpreting license or national certification, as well as the high level of skills and fluency required to work as an interpreter, most people looking to enter the profession do so by going to a college or university which has a degree program related to interpreting.

North Carolina is lucky to have several 2-year interpreting programs and a couple of 4-year interpreting programs.

  • This is a 4-year interpreter education program, which has a reputation in the community for having a thorough and admirable program to prepare interpreters

Some folks are able to begin working after only receiving a 2-year degree (often folks who start the program already fluent in ASL), while others feel they need 4 years of post-secondary training before they are able to effectively work as an interpreter and before they are able to pass credentialing exams.

Some people start at a 2-year degree program, and at its completion transfer to finish 2 more years at a 4-year degree program.

Be sure to note: for licensure/credential exam requirements, you’d need a degree in interpreting. Certificates, diplomas, or minors would likely not suffice.

Credentials for Community Interpreting

Interpreting for pay in any setting (currently excluding educational and religious settings) requires an active license from the NC Interpreter and Transliterator Licensure Board.

Interpreting licensure in NC is set up with two tiers; you can first apply for and receive a provisional license, which has less-strict criteria and which has a limited duration of a few years, at which point you must qualify for and receive a full license to continue working.

Most folks qualify for provisional licensure by having at least a 2-year degree in interpreting and also a qualifying skill-based assessment credential. You can see the specific list of requirements for licensure here.

The licensure Board is actively working on changes to the licensure law, and the above information is accurate as of the summer of 2025. Potential upcoming changes include bringing educational interpreters under the licensure requirements, increasing the penalties for violating the licensure law, and adding other skill-based assessments/certifications as additional credentials to qualify for licensure.

Other Resources/References

See this section for other general resources and references that might be useful as you learn more about the process of becoming a professional ASL interpreter.

NC Interpreter and Transliterator Licensure Board - governs community work for pay as an interpreter in NC

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - our national professional organization for interpreters. Their website has a lot of various resources about interpreting.

Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation - This is the certifying body affiliated with RID, and oversees the NIC and CDI exams. These are nationally recognized credentials, and are the most common certifications NC interpreters seek to qualify for full licensure.

North Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - this is the state chapter of the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. They offer additional resources and supports, including mentoring opportunities and testing stipends to assist members in becoming credentialed.