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Interpreters in Downey, CA
Yes: we book interpreters in Downey by video at $80 an hour (one-hour minimum) or in person at $110 an hour (two-hour minimum), plus $0.70 per mile of travel, confirmed before you pay. 68,648 people in Downey speak a language other than English at home, Spanish most of all. For a green card or marriage interview at the USCIS Los Angeles County Field Office you bring your own interpreter, while immigration court, the nearest in Los Angeles, provides its own for the hearing.
In person in Downey
$110 an hour per interpreter, two-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile from the interpreter's location.
By video or phone
$80 an hour, one-hour minimum, no travel. Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or a phone call.
Quote within minutes
We reply within minutes, four business hours at most, with the interpreter, the exact price and any travel, before you book. Asking costs nothing.
68,648 people in Downey speak a language other than English at home, Spanish most of all
The Census Bureau counts 105,505 residents of Downey aged five and over, in Los Angeles County. 36,857 speak only English at home and 68,648 (65%) speak another language. The largest group speaks Spanish: 59,871 people, 18,667 of whom speak English less than "very well". Next come Tagalog (1,973) and Korean (1,569). (ACS 2024 5-year, table C16001.)
In all, 22,649 people in Downey speak English less than "very well" by the Census Bureau's own measure, 21% of residents five and over. They are the people most likely to need an interpreter at a USCIS interview, a deposition, a parent-teacher conference or a medical appointment. The smaller groups in the table are estimates from a sample and carry wide margins of error.
Downey's nearest immigration court is in Los Angeles, about 10 miles away
EOIR lists the Los Angeles - N. Los Angeles Street Immigration Court at 300 North Los Angeles Street, Room 4330, Los Angeles, CA 90012, about 10 miles from Downey in a straight line; the next nearest is the Los Angeles - West Los Angeles Immigration Court, about 14 miles away. Immigration courts provide interpreters at government expense for the hearing, to respondents and witnesses. Attorneys book us for the work around it: finding out what the respondent and each witness actually speak before the interpreter request is filed, preparing witnesses to testify through an interpreter, and reading declarations back. EOIR also lists the Otay Mesa Immigration Court, about 116 miles away, inside a Department of Homeland Security detention facility.
For green card, marriage and naturalization interviews, USCIS's field office by ZIP code table assigns Downey's ZIP codes to the USCIS Los Angeles County Field Office at 300 North Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, about 11 miles away; the appointment notice names the office for each interview. USCIS does not provide the interpreter for a green card or marriage interview: an applicant who is not fluent in English brings one, who interprets word for word under oath (USCIS Policy Manual), and both sign Form G-1256 in front of the officer. With us, a two-hour interview in person is $220, plus $0.70 a mile of travel from the interpreter's location, confirmed before you pay. See interpreters for USCIS interviews.
What California's courts provide, and what is left to the attorneys
California's courts provide court interpreters free of charge to people who do not speak or understand English well, and the person must ask for one in advance. Only qualified court interpreters interpret court proceedings; a friend or relative usually cannot interpret in the courtroom. Ask the court as soon as you know you have to go to court; the steps differ by court and are on each court's language access page. Where a form is required, Request for Interpreter (Civil), form INT-300, is completed in English and filed in the clerk's office. (Judicial Council of California, Court Interpreters Program.) The California Constitution gives a person charged with a crime who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings, and Evidence Code section 756 authorizes courts to provide interpreters to all parties in civil matters regardless of income, with a priority order when courts lack the resources to provide them for everyone.
Court interpreters typically do not work outside the courtroom, although some courts have interpreters in their self-help centers; for getting information or filling out forms outside the courtroom, a person may get help from a friend or relative who speaks English. That is where private bookings in Downey come in. A three-hour deposition in person is $330, plus $0.70 a mile of travel: a 30-mile round trip adds $21, for $351. By video it is $240. See interpreters for depositions.
Languages spoken at home in Downey
The most common languages other than English, from the U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024), table C16001, Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, Downey city, California. A language that links has its own page on what to get right when booking an interpreter for it.
| Language | People who speak it at home |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 59,871 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 1,973 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 1,927 |
| Korean | 1,569 |
| Arabic | 1,024 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 880 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 612 |
| French, Haitian, or Cajun | 286 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages | 203 |
| Vietnamese | 150 |
Where interpreters are needed in Downey, and who provides them
Some of these places must provide the interpreter themselves, and then you should not be paying for one. Where that is so, the official page is linked.
| Place | Who provides the interpreter |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles - N. Los Angeles Street Immigration Court (EOIR), 300 North Los Angeles Street, Room 4330, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | The nearest immigration court EOIR lists, about 10 miles away. It provides the interpreter for the hearing at government expense; attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses. |
| Otay Mesa Immigration Court, 7488 Calzada de la Fuente, San Diego, CA 92154, San Ysidro, CA 92143-8150 | A court inside a DHS detention facility, about 116 miles away. It interprets its hearings; preparation is arranged by counsel. |
| USCIS Los Angeles County Field Office, 300 North Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | USCIS's ZIP code table assigns Downey's ZIP codes to this office; the appointment notice names the office for each interview. For a green card or marriage interview, applicants who are not fluent in English bring their own interpreter, and both sign Form G-1256. |
| Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles | Interpreter services are free. Spanish interpreters are at each courthouse for eviction, small claims, civil, family law, probate and traffic cases; other languages are requested before the court date through the online portal. Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Judicial Council of California, Court Interpreters Program | California's courts provide court interpreters free of charge to people who do not speak or understand English well, and the person must ask for one in advance. Only qualified court interpreters interpret court proceedings; a friend or relative usually cannot interpret in the courtroom. Court interpreters typically do not work outside the courtroom, although some courts have interpreters in their self-help centers; for getting information or filling out forms outside the courtroom, a person may get help from a friend or relative who speaks English. |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey, Pih Health Downey Hospital and LAC/Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center | A hospital that receives federal financial assistance from HHS must offer a qualified interpreter free of charge and may not require a patient to bring or pay for one (45 CFR 92.201). Ask the hospital's language services first. |
| Depositions and attorney meetings in Downey | Arranged by the attorneys, and so is the interpreter: no court or agency provides one. This is where private bookings come in. |
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What an interpreter costs, worked out
These are the published rates multiplied out: $80 an hour by video or phone, $110 an hour in person, $0.70 a mile of travel.
| Booking | How it is worked out | Total |
|---|---|---|
| One-hour video or phone call | 1 hour × $80 | $80 |
| Two-hour video interview | 2 hours × $80 | $160 |
| Two-hour meeting in person, 20-mile round trip | 2 hours × $110 + 20 miles × $0.70 | $234 |
| Three-hour deposition or closing in person, 40-mile round trip | 3 hours × $110 + 40 miles × $0.70 | $358 |
| Full day in person (six hours), two interpreters in relay | 2 interpreters × 6 hours × $110 | $1,320 plus travel |
The quote confirms the interpreter, the exact travel figure and the total before you book; nothing is charged until you confirm.
How the travel charge works out
Travel is charged at $0.70 per mile from the interpreter's location, which means you can work it out rather than wait for a quote: a 20-mile round trip is $14, a 60-mile round trip is $42, a 150-mile round trip is $105. There is no separate call-out fee on top.
We will not pretend to know in advance where the interpreter will be coming from — that depends on the language, the date and the venue. What we do is confirm the interpreter and the exact travel figure before you book, so it is never a surprise on the invoice. Virtual assignments carry no travel charge at all, which is one reason most of what we do is virtual.
By video, by phone or in person
Virtual interpreting runs on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, or over the telephone. It is quicker to arrange, costs less and carries no travel charge, and it suits appointments, calls and most meetings.
In person is what venues with their own rules tend to expect, and the right choice when documents are being signed or several people are speaking at once. Tell us the platform, or the city and the venue, when you send the request.
How booking an interpreter works
- You send the request with the form below: the language, the setting, the format, the date and how long it should last.
- We confirm before you commit: the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one. We reply within minutes, four business hours at most, and no payment is taken at this stage.
- You confirm and pay, and the interpreter is booked for your date. The interpreter's name and credentials are sent to you once the booking is paid.
What to have ready
The more of this comes in the first message, the fewer exchanges before you have a price:
- The language, the date, the start time and how long it should run.
- Virtual or in person: the platform, or the city and the venue.
- The setting and the subject matter.
- How many people need interpreting for.
- Any credential the venue requires of the interpreter. We confirm before you book whether we can staff it; the interpreter's name and credentials follow once the booking is paid.
Interpreters by language in Downey
- Spanish interpreters in Downey
- Tagalog interpreters in Downey
- Korean interpreters in Downey
- Arabic interpreters in Downey
Request an interpreter
Tell us the date, the language and the setting and we will come back with the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one — before you commit to anything.
Thank you — we have your request
We will reply within minutes, four business hours at most, with the interpreter, the exact price and the travel figure if there is one, before you commit to anything.
Sources
What this page says about Downey was checked against these sources on November 3, 2026. Rules change; the source is always the authority.
- U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 5-year, table C16001, Downey city, California
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Los Angeles - N. Los Angeles Street Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Los Angeles - West Los Angeles Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Otay Mesa Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Immigration Court Practice Manual, chapter 3.10, Interpreters
- USCIS — Field office by ZIP code (August 28, 2026)
- USCIS — Field Office Locator
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5
- USCIS — Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview
- Superior Court of Los Angeles County — Interpreter Request Portal (read October 29, 2026)
- California Courts Self-Help Guide (Judicial Council of California) — Ask for an interpreter
- Judicial Council of California — Court Interpreters Program, Fact Sheet (December 2024)
- Judicial Council of California — Language Access Services, About
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Hospital General Information (July 22, 2026)
- eCFR — 45 CFR 92.201, Meaningful access for individuals with limited English proficiency
Frequently asked questions
Where is the nearest immigration court to Downey?
The Los Angeles - N. Los Angeles Street Immigration Court, at 300 North Los Angeles Street, Room 4330, Los Angeles, CA 90012, about 10 miles away in a straight line, per EOIR's court directory. It provides the interpreter for hearings at government expense; preparing the respondent and witnesses is arranged by the attorney.
Which USCIS office handles interviews for Downey?
USCIS's ZIP code table assigns Downey's ZIP codes to the USCIS Los Angeles County Field Office, 300 North Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012; check the office on your appointment notice. For a green card or marriage interview, you bring your own interpreter, and you both sign Form G-1256.
Do California courts provide interpreters?
California's courts provide court interpreters free of charge to people who do not speak or understand English well, and the person must ask for one in advance. Only qualified court interpreters interpret court proceedings; a friend or relative usually cannot interpret in the courtroom. (Judicial Council of California, Court Interpreters Program.)
What does an in-person interpreter cost in Downey?
$110 an hour with a two-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile from the interpreter's location, confirmed before you book. A three-hour deposition with a 30-mile round trip is $351. Video is $80 an hour with a one-hour minimum.
Is the price per person or per interpreter?
Per interpreter, per hour, billed from the scheduled start time. One interpreter covers a meeting; a full-day hearing may need two working in relay.
What if the venue provides its own interpreter?
Then you should not be paying us. Immigration court provides one, and hospitals and school districts frequently must. Ask them first.
Can I see the interpreter's credentials before I pay?
Tell us the credential the venue or the other side requires when you request, and we confirm before you book whether we can staff it. The interpreter's name and credentials are sent once the booking is paid.
How is travel charged?
$0.70 per mile from the interpreter's location — a 20-mile round trip is $14. We confirm the exact figure before you book, and virtual assignments carry none.
Need an interpreter in Downey?
Tell us the date, the language, the venue and how long it runs, and we will confirm the interpreter and the exact price, travel included.