Home / Interpreters / San Diego, CA
Interpreters in San Diego, CA
Yes: we book interpreters in San Diego in person at $110 an hour (two-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile of travel) or by video at $80 an hour. San Diego Superior Court's policy is to provide an interpreter at no cost to parties and witnesses in courtroom proceedings, and both immigration courts, downtown and at Otay Mesa, interpret their own hearings, so private bookings here are for depositions, attorney meetings and USCIS interviews.
In person in San Diego
$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.
San Diego Superior Court interprets the courtroom; the rest is arranged by counsel
The court's stated policy is, given available resources and applicable law, to provide an interpreter at no cost to parties, witnesses and people with a significant interest in a case, for all courtroom proceedings and court-ordered, court-operated programs. A request is made for each proceeding on Form ADM-348, as far ahead as possible. If no interpreter is available, the court may continue the case or use a telephone interpreting service.
Outside the courtroom the court does not send one. Depositions in downtown or Mission Valley offices, client meetings, mediations and independent medical exams are arranged by the parties. If the deposition calls for a particular interpreter credential, tell us which when you request, and we confirm before you book whether we can staff it. A three-hour deposition in person is $330, plus $0.70 a mile: a 30-mile round trip adds $21, for $351. See interpreters for depositions.
Two immigration courts: downtown on Front Street and at Otay Mesa
EOIR lists the San Diego Immigration Court at 880 Front Street, Suite 4240, and the Otay Mesa Immigration Court at 7488 Calzada de la Fuente. Both arrange the interpreter for their own hearings.
What attorneys book us for is the work before the hearing: an hour with the respondent to settle the language, preparation sessions with witnesses, and reading declarations back for the certificate of interpretation. Many of those can run by video at $80 an hour with no travel. See interpreters for immigration court hearings.
After Spanish, San Diego's largest language at home is Tagalog
The Census counts 281,694 San Diego residents age 5 and over who speak Spanish at home, and then 41,080 who speak Tagalog or Filipino — more than speak any Chinese language (38,274) or Vietnamese (27,104). Korean and Arabic follow. UC San Diego Health keeps Spanish interpreters on site and covers other languages by phone or video.
Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Korean and Arabic are all at the standard rate. For a deposition in Tagalog, say whether the witness is more comfortable in Tagalog, English or another Philippine language; that is worth settling before the date, not at the table.
Languages spoken at home in San Diego
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, San Diego 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 | 281,694 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 41,080 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 39,947 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 38,274 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 31,226 |
| Vietnamese | 27,104 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages | 13,230 |
| Korean | 10,280 |
| Arabic | 8,663 |
Where interpreters are needed in San Diego, 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 |
|---|---|
| San Diego Immigration Court (EOIR), 880 Front Street, Suite 4240 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing. Attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses and to read declarations back. |
| Otay Mesa Immigration Court (EOIR), 7488 Calzada de la Fuente | Same rule: the court interprets the hearing. Attorney meetings with clients held there are arranged by counsel. |
| USCIS interviews for San Diego-area applicants | USCIS uses Form G-1256 to record the presence of an interpreter that you have provided for an interview. Check the office address on the appointment notice. |
| Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Language Access | Provides an interpreter at no cost to parties, witnesses and people with a significant interest in a case, for courtroom proceedings and court-ordered programs, on Form ADM-348 for each proceeding. Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| UC San Diego Health, Interpreter & Language Services | Free of charge; Spanish interpreters on site, other languages including ASL by phone or video, no advance request needed. Patients there should not be paying for one. |
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.
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 San Diego was checked against these sources on October 29, 2026. Rules change; the source is always the authority.
- U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 5-year, table C16001, San Diego city, California
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — San Diego Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Otay Mesa Immigration Court
- USCIS — Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — Language Access
- UC San Diego Health — Interpreter & Language Services for Patients
Frequently asked questions
Does San Diego Superior Court provide a free interpreter?
Its policy is to provide one at no cost to parties, witnesses and people with a significant interest in a case, for courtroom proceedings and court-ordered programs, given available resources. Request it on Form ADM-348 for each proceeding.
Does the Otay Mesa immigration court provide an interpreter?
Yes, for the hearing, as does the San Diego Immigration Court on Front Street. Preparation of the respondent and witnesses is arranged by the attorney.
Do I need to bring an interpreter to UC San Diego Health?
No. UC San Diego Health provides interpreters free of charge and says you do not need to request one in advance.
What does an in-person interpreter cost in San Diego?
$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.
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 San Diego?
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.