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Interpreters in San Jose, CA
Yes: we book interpreters in San Jose 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. The Santa Clara County Superior Court commits to free interpreters for parties in court, subject to availability in civil cases, and California treats a deposition as a court proceeding, so say when you request if it needs a court-certified interpreter. EOIR lists no immigration court in San Jose; the Bay Area court it does list, in Concord, interprets its own hearings.
In person in San Jose
$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.
Vietnamese is San Jose's second language at home, and six in ten of its speakers say they speak English less than “very well”
The Census Bureau's 2024 five-year estimate counts 940,126 San Jose residents aged five and over, of whom 386,631 (41%) speak only English at home and 205,290 speak Spanish (ACS C16001). Vietnamese comes next at 96,813, ahead of Chinese (78,125) and Tagalog (29,533); Korean has 13,346. The table puts 60,303 speakers under "Other Indo-European languages" and 41,889 under "Other Asian and Pacific Island languages" without naming them, so it cannot say which languages those are.
The same table asks how well people speak English. Of the 96,813 Vietnamese speakers, 59,977 (62%) say less than “very well”; of the 78,125 Chinese speakers, 36,606 (47%); of the 205,290 Spanish speakers, 84,463 (41%). Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog and Korean are all standard-rate languages for us. For Chinese, tell us Mandarin or Cantonese, which the Census counts together.
The Santa Clara County court provides interpreters in court; depositions and private meetings are booked separately
The court's interpreter unit says it is committed to free interpreter services for litigants, employs interpreters at 8 courthouses and serves more than 50 languages. When demand outruns supply it follows the order in Evidence Code 756: criminal, traffic and juvenile cases first; then domestic violence, civil harassment and elder abuse; evictions; termination of parental rights; guardianships and conservatorships; family law; and other civil cases last. It may reschedule, and if it cannot provide an interpreter you may ask for more time to bring your own certified, registered or qualified one.
Civil cases are heard at the Downtown Superior Court and the Old Courthouse on North First Street, criminal cases at the Hall of Justice on West Hedding Street (courthouse list). Under Civil Rule 18 the party who needs an interpreter gives timely notice to the court and the other parties, and gives the court and opposing counsel the name and qualifications of a retained interpreter who is not certified or registered at least 5 court days before the appearance.
A deposition is a different booking. California's Court Reporters Board says depositions are court proceedings and that Government Code 68561 requires the interpreter present to be court certified, stating their certification number on the record. If your San Jose deposition needs one, say so when you request, and we confirm before you book whether we can staff it. A four-hour deposition in a downtown conference room with a 40-mile round trip is $468 (4 × $110 plus 40 miles × $0.70); by video it is $320. See interpreters for depositions.
The “San Jose” USCIS office is in Santa Clara, and EOIR lists no immigration court in San Jose
USCIS's office locator, searched with ZIP 95112, returns a San Jose field office at 1450 Coleman Avenue in Santa Clara, ZIP 95050, within the San Francisco district. USCIS does not supply the interpreter for a green card interview: the applicant brings one, who presents a government-issued ID, completes an oath and privacy release and interprets word for word without adding opinion, and the officer may disqualify one who is not competent (Policy Manual vol. 7, part A, ch. 5). A two-hour interview there with a 20-mile round trip is $234.
EOIR's administrative control list has no San Jose court. It assigns the San Francisco DHS district office, with its sub-offices, to the Concord Immigration Court at 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850; check the hearing notice for the court and address. Concord interprets its hearings at government expense, and asks for a request 30 days ahead (ICPM 3.10). What San Jose attorneys book is the work before the hearing, such as finding out which language the respondent speaks best, preparing witnesses and reading declarations back. By video that is $80 an hour with no drive to Concord. See interpreters for immigration court hearings.
Languages spoken at home in San Jose
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 Jose 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 | 205,290 |
| Vietnamese | 96,813 |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 78,125 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 60,303 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 41,889 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 29,533 |
| Korean | 13,346 |
| Other and unspecified languages | 9,441 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages | 9,312 |
| Arabic | 3,961 |
Where interpreters are needed in San Jose, 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 |
|---|---|
| Concord Immigration Court (EOIR), 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord: the court EOIR assigns to the San Francisco DHS district; EOIR lists none in San Jose | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing, at government expense (ICPM 3.10). Attorneys book us for client preparation, witness meetings and reading declarations back, much of it by video. |
| USCIS San Jose Field Office, 1450 Coleman Avenue, Santa Clara | 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). |
| Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara: Hall of Justice (190 W. Hedding St.), Family Justice Center (201 N. First St.) and Juvenile Justice Courthouse (840 Guadalupe Parkway) | Criminal, traffic and juvenile cases come first in the state order of priority for the free interpreters the court employs. Depositions and attorney meetings are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara: Downtown Superior Court (191 N. First St.) and Old Courthouse (161 N. First St.), for civil, probate and small claims | Civil Rule 18 promises interpreters at no cost to a party in court, subject to availability and the state priorities. A party who retains an interpreter who is not court-certified or registered gives the court and opposing counsel the name and qualifications at least 5 court days ahead (Santa Clara civil rules). |
| San José Unified School District, Office of Family Engagement | The district says translation and interpretation are available on request for districtwide community meetings and school events, and that Family Liaisons at 26 Title I schools provide Spanish translation and interpretation or link families to language services. Ask the school what it will supply for a particular meeting; we book for what it does not. |
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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 San Jose
- Spanish interpreters in San Jose
- Vietnamese interpreters in San Jose
- Mandarin interpreters in San Jose
- Cantonese interpreters in San Jose
- Tagalog interpreters in San Jose
- Korean interpreters in San Jose
- Russian interpreters in San Jose
- Polish interpreters in San Jose
- Arabic interpreters in San Jose
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 Jose 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, San Jose city, California
- 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 95112)
- USCIS Policy Manual — Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5, Interview Guidelines
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara — Interpreter Information
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara — Civil Rules (Rule 18, Interpreters)
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara — Courthouse Locations
- Court Reporters Board of California — Best Practice Pointer No. 14, Interpreted Depositions (rev. 3/2025)
- San José Unified School District — Partnering With Families: Inside the Office of Family Engagement (Feb. 25, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Does the Santa Clara County Superior Court provide a free interpreter?
Its stated commitment is free interpreter services for litigants, with the order of priority in Evidence Code 756 when demand exceeds supply; civil cases come last. If the court cannot provide one, you may ask for more time to bring your own certified, registered or qualified interpreter (Santa Clara court).
Is there an immigration court in San Jose?
EOIR's administrative control list shows none. It places the San Francisco DHS district office, with its sub-offices, under the Concord Immigration Court, 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850 (EOIR). Check your hearing notice for the court and address.
Where is the USCIS San Jose field office?
USCIS's office locator gives 1450 Coleman Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050 for the San Jose office (USCIS). Check the address on your appointment notice before you travel.
Do I need a court-certified interpreter for a deposition in San Jose?
California's Court Reporters Board treats depositions as court proceedings under Government Code 68561, which requires a court-certified interpreter who states their certification number on the record (CRB). Tell us when you request and we confirm whether we can staff it.
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 Jose?
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.