Court Reporters Certification
Rule 3.3 (a) of the JBCC's Rules states: "The Commission may waive any prerequisite to obtaining a certification, registration, or license for an applicant after reviewing the applicant's credentials and determining that the applicant holds a certification, registration, or license issued by another jurisdiction that has certification, registration, or licensing requirements substantially equivalent to those of this State."
- The certification by endorsement process does not extend to certifications held by associations.
- The certification by endorsement process does not extend to those with an expired TX certification. Please refer to section 3.2 (f)-(g) of the JBCC Rules for the requirements on how to reinstate a certification expired for 1 yr. or more.
To apply for Certification by Endorsement, you must do the following prior to registering for the exam:
1. Submit the Application for Certification and pay the required fee via the online system on our home page.
- Do not register for the exam using the JBCC online licensing system. You can only register for the exam with TCRA.
- Refer to the Exam Procedures on the Exam page of our website for additional information.
2. Submit all required documentation for the items indicated below:
- Verification from your licensing authority that your license is current and in good standing,
- Documentation from your licensing authority of the requirements for certification,
- Documentation from your licensing authority verifying the method of certification you’re licensed under (i.e., machine shorthand, or oral stenography),
- A copy of your resume,
- A copy of your exam results; scores, method (i.e., machine shorthand or oral stenography), and if it was a state or national test,
- Verification from your licensing authority that no audio backup was used at the skills test, and
- Verification of how the exam was taken (i.e., taken in legs or passed in one sitting)
3. Submit proof of the method you were certified under in your other jurisdiction.
4. Pass a criminal history background check by DPS and the FBI.
- Applicants that apply for certification online will receive the service code form via the automated email confirmation they receive after submitting their application for certification.
- They should check their inbox (and spam folder) for this correspondence.
Once we have all these documents, your application will be reviewed, and a determination made.
Court reporter's applications for certification by endorsement may be reviewed by the Court Reporter Certification Advisory Board on a case-by-case basis. You are welcome to submit additional documents that will help us to make a determination; for example: a description of what you did to become certified, any other certificates relating to court reporting certification that you hold.
You may not have to take the oral skills test, depending on your endorsement eligibility determination. If you do have to take the oral skills test, please be aware that the Texas oral skills exam consists of three parts. All three parts must be taken and passed in one sitting, and a passing score received on each part.
You will be required to take the written exam, which covers Texas laws governing court reporters. You can take the written exam prior to a determination being made on your eligibility for endorsement, if you choose.
Should you have questions not addressed online, please submit inquiries to courtreporting@txcourts.gov.