Home / Interpreters / Portland, OR
Interpreters in Portland, OR
Yes: we book interpreters in Portland 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. Oregon pays for court interpreters in circuit court, but in Multnomah County the party or attorney must ask the court's interpreter office for each proceeding, at least four judicial days ahead, and the Portland Immigration Court interprets its own hearings. Depositions are not among the proceedings the Oregon Judicial Department lists for court interpreters, so the lawyers arrange them.
In person in Portland
$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.
Oregon pays for the court interpreter, and Multnomah County wants the request four judicial days ahead
Oregon's rule comes from statute. The Oregon Judicial Department says that under ORS 45.275 no fee may be charged to a limited-English-proficient person for the appointment of an interpreter, and that court interpreting in circuit court is paid by the state (OJD interpreter scheduling). UTCR 7.070 puts the request on the party who needs the interpreter, as soon as possible and no later than four judicial days before the proceeding, with a waiver for good cause. In Multnomah County, Supplemental Local Rule 7.071 adds that the party or attorney must contact the county's Court Interpreter Services directly before each proceeding and update it on a cancellation or a change in length (Multnomah CLAS).
The notice gives the name of the person who needs the interpreter, the case number, the charges if any, the nature of the proceeding, the person's status in it, the time, date and estimated length, and the language. If the court's neutral interpreter asks, UTCR 7.080 has the parties supply a list of the specialized terminology expected; the interpreter keeps it confidential and it is not discoverable. The county's office takes email and calls each business day from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the court keeps Spanish staff interpreters at the downtown building.
Oregon's list of proceedings with court-paid interpreters leaves out depositions and lawyer meetings
The Oregon Judicial Department publishes the situations in which it has statutory authority to provide a spoken-language interpreter: court for criminal cases and for civil cases for limited-English-proficient parties, witnesses and victims; the public court counter and telephone calls to court staff; mandatory court arbitration; mediation in court-run programs or taken as a mandated alternative under local court rules; juror orientation; Citizen Review Board hearings; and court-run programs (OJD). Depositions and a lawyer's meetings with a client are not on it.
So a deposition in a Portland office, or preparation before a hearing, is booked by the lawyers. We found no Oregon rule that sets the credential for a deposition interpreter; if your case calls for one, tell us when you request and we confirm before you book whether we can staff it. A three-hour deposition in person with a 50-mile round trip is $365 (3 × $110 plus 50 miles × $0.70); by video it is $240. See interpreters for depositions.
Vietnamese is Portland's second language at home, and 63% of its speakers say they speak English less than “very well”
Of the 614,933 Portland residents aged five and over, 507,597 (83%) speak only English at home and 41,273 speak Spanish, of whom 14,603 (35%) say they speak English less than “very well” (ACS C16001). Vietnamese has 13,332 speakers, of whom 8,380 (63%) say less than “very well”; Chinese has 9,697, of whom 5,322 (55%). The table also counts 8,822 speakers of Russian, Polish or other Slavic languages, 10,270 of "Other Asian and Pacific Island languages" and 6,641 of "Other Indo-European languages" without naming the languages in the last two.
Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese are standard-rate languages for us. Portland Public Schools supports over 100 languages across the district, and OHSU provides interpreters free of charge around the clock; a parent or patient at either should ask there first. Lawyers' offices, the USCIS office at 1455 NW Overton Street and the preparation that comes before a hearing at 1220 SW 3rd Avenue are where private bookings happen: a two-hour meeting in person with a 10-mile round trip is $227 (2 × $110 plus 10 miles × $0.70), and by video, $160.
Languages spoken at home in Portland
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, Portland city, Oregon. 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 | 41,273 |
| Vietnamese | 13,332 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 10,270 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 9,697 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages | 8,822 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 6,641 |
| Other and unspecified languages | 5,848 |
| French, Haitian, or Cajun | 3,601 |
| German or other West Germanic languages | 3,160 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 1,957 |
Where interpreters are needed in Portland, 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 |
|---|---|
| Portland Immigration Court (EOIR), 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 500 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing, at government expense, if the request comes 30 days ahead (ICPM 3.10). Attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses and to read declarations back. |
| USCIS Portland Field Office, 1455 NW Overton Street, Suite 1 | For a green card interview the applicant brings the interpreter, who shows a government-issued ID, takes an oath and interprets word for word; the officer can disqualify one who is not competent (USCIS Policy Manual). |
| Multnomah County Circuit Court: Multnomah County Courthouse, 1200 SW 1st Avenue, and Justice Center, 1120 SW Third Avenue | The state pays for the interpreter in court (ORS 45.275). The party or attorney asks the county's Court Interpreter Services for each proceeding, no later than four judicial days ahead (UTCR 7.070 and Multnomah SLR 7.071). Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Portland Public Schools, Language Access Services, 501 N. Dixon Street | The district says it provides qualified interpreters and translated materials to families and supports over 100 languages, including ASL. Ask the school or the department what it will supply for a particular meeting; we book for what it does not. |
| OHSU, including Doernbecher Children's Hospital | Free interpreter services for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and limited-English-proficient patients and their families, 24 hours a day by phone, on site or video. Tell staff when you register. |
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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 Portland
- Spanish interpreters in Portland
- Vietnamese interpreters in Portland
- Mandarin interpreters in Portland
- Cantonese interpreters in Portland
- Russian interpreters in Portland
- Polish interpreters in Portland
- French interpreters in Portland
- Haitian Creole interpreters in Portland
- German interpreters in Portland
- Tagalog interpreters in Portland
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 Portland 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, Portland city, Oregon
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Immigration Court Administrative Control List
- EOIR — Immigration Court Practice Manual, chapter 3.10, Interpreters
- USCIS — Find a USCIS Office (field office locator, ZIP 97204)
- USCIS Policy Manual — Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5, Interview Guidelines
- Oregon Judicial Department — Interpreter Scheduling Information (ORS 45.275, statutory payment authority, UTCR 7.060 and 7.070)
- Multnomah County Circuit Court — CLAS/Interpreter Services (UTCR 7.070, 7.071 and 7.080)
- Multnomah County Circuit Court — home page (courthouse addresses)
- Portland Public Schools — Language Access Services
- OHSU — Doernbecher Language Services
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon pay for a court interpreter in Multnomah County?
Yes. Under ORS 45.275, as the Oregon Judicial Department states it, no fee is charged to a limited-English-proficient person for the appointment of an interpreter, and the state pays for court interpreting in circuit court. In Multnomah County you or your attorney must request one for each proceeding, no later than four judicial days ahead (OJD).
Is there an immigration court in Portland?
Yes: EOIR lists the Portland Immigration Court at 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204 (EOIR). The court provides the interpreter for the hearing; request it 30 days ahead (ICPM 3.10).
Does Portland Public Schools provide interpreters?
The district says it provides qualified interpreters and translated materials to families and supports over 100 languages, including ASL (PPS). Ask your school which services it will supply for a particular meeting.
Does OHSU charge for an interpreter?
No. OHSU says it provides free interpreter services for all of its deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and limited English proficient patients and their families, 24 hours a day by phone, on site or video (OHSU). Tell staff when you register.
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 Portland?
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.