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Interpreters in Honolulu, HI
Yes: we book interpreters in Honolulu 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. 115,448 people in Honolulu speak a language other than English at home, Chinese most of all. For a green card or marriage interview at the USCIS Honolulu Field Office you bring your own interpreter, while immigration court in Honolulu provides its own for the hearing.
In person in Honolulu
$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.
115,448 people in Honolulu speak a language other than English at home, Chinese most of all
The Census Bureau counts 330,053 residents of Honolulu aged five and over, in Honolulu County. 214,605 speak only English at home and 115,448 (35%) speak another language. The largest group speaks Chinese: 24,627 people, 15,905 of whom speak English less than "very well". Next come Tagalog (15,622) and Korean (8,930). (ACS 2024 5-year, table C16001.)
In all, 60,544 people in Honolulu speak English less than "very well" by the Census Bureau's own measure, 18% 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.
Honolulu has its own immigration court and its own USCIS field office
EOIR lists the Honolulu Immigration Court at PJKK Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 8-112, Honolulu, HI 96850; the next nearest is the Concord Immigration Court, about 2,417 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.
For green card, marriage and naturalization interviews, USCIS's field office by ZIP code table assigns Honolulu's ZIP codes to the USCIS Honolulu Field Office at 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 2-403, Honolulu, HI 96813; 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 Hawaii's courts provide, and what is left to the attorneys
Hawaiʻi's state courts provide competent court interpreters free of charge in all case types to parties, witnesses and individuals with a substantial interest in a case, and free language help for dealing with court staff outside the courtroom. At the hearing, ask the judge for an interpreter, give the judge a letter asking for one, or show a Language ID Card; an attorney may ask the judge orally or in writing. For help at the counter or by phone, tell court staff. (Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Office on Equality and Access to the Courts.) A party may bring a privately retained interpreter to court if the court finds the interpreter qualified, and in that case the party, not the court, pays for the interpreter.
Depositions, witness interviews and attorney-client meetings are arranged by the attorneys, and so is the interpreter for them. That is where private bookings in Honolulu 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 Honolulu
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, Urban Honolulu CDP, Hawaii. 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 |
|---|---|
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 47,836 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 24,627 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 15,622 |
| Korean | 8,930 |
| Vietnamese | 5,994 |
| Spanish | 5,863 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 1,953 |
| Other and unspecified languages | 1,340 |
| French, Haitian, or Cajun | 1,107 |
| German or other West Germanic languages | 996 |
Where interpreters are needed in Honolulu, 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 |
|---|---|
| Honolulu Immigration Court (EOIR), PJKK Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 8-112, Honolulu, HI 96850 | The immigration court in Honolulu. It provides the interpreter for the hearing at government expense; attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses. |
| USCIS Honolulu Field Office, 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 2-403, Honolulu, HI 96813 | USCIS's ZIP code table assigns Honolulu'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. |
| Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Office on Equality and Access to the Courts | Hawaiʻi's state courts provide competent court interpreters free of charge in all case types to parties, witnesses and individuals with a substantial interest in a case, and free language help for dealing with court staff outside the courtroom. |
| The Queens Medical Center, Kuakini Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation Hospital and 3 more hospitals in Honolulu | 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 Honolulu | Arranged by the attorneys, and so is the interpreter: no court or agency provides one. This is where private bookings come in. |
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 Honolulu
- Mandarin interpreters in Honolulu
- Cantonese interpreters in Honolulu
- Tagalog interpreters in Honolulu
- Korean interpreters in Honolulu
- Vietnamese interpreters in Honolulu
- Spanish interpreters in Honolulu
- French interpreters in Honolulu
- Haitian Creole interpreters in Honolulu
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 Honolulu 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, Urban Honolulu CDP, Hawaii
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Honolulu Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Concord 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
- Hawaiʻi State Judiciary — Judiciary Language Assistance Policy (Judiciary Policy #12)
- Hawaiʻi State Judiciary — How to Request an Interpreter for a Court Proceeding
- Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Office on Equality and Access to the Courts — Language Access Plan for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, FY 2022-2024
- 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 Honolulu?
In Honolulu: the Honolulu Immigration Court, at PJKK Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 8-112, Honolulu, HI 96850, 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 Honolulu?
USCIS's ZIP code table assigns Honolulu's ZIP codes to the USCIS Honolulu Field Office, 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 2-403, Honolulu, HI 96813; 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 Hawaii courts provide interpreters?
Hawaiʻi's state courts provide competent court interpreters free of charge in all case types to parties, witnesses and individuals with a substantial interest in a case, and free language help for dealing with court staff outside the courtroom. (Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Office on Equality and Access to the Courts.)
What does an in-person interpreter cost in Honolulu?
$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 Honolulu?
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.