Home / Interpreters / Seattle, WA
Interpreters in Seattle, WA
Yes: we book interpreters in Seattle in person at $110 an hour (two-hour minimum, plus $0.70 a mile of travel) or by video at $80 an hour. King County Superior Court provides interpreters at no cost for all court events, and its interpreters also assist in attorney-client consultations, so private bookings in Seattle are for depositions, attorney meetings away from court, USCIS interviews and immigration case preparation.
In person in Seattle
$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.
King County Superior Court interprets court events, including the lawyer's consultation
King County Superior Court's Office of Interpreter Services says interpretation services are provided at no cost for all court events, and that its interpreters assist during attorney-client consultations and arraignments, hearings, trials and other court events. It works from the King County Courthouse (516 3rd Avenue, Room C-701), the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent and the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. Under state law it uses court-certified interpreters in Arabic, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Cantonese, French, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Marshallese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese, and screens interpreters in other languages. In most child abuse and neglect cases the office does not assist; the Department of Children, Youth, and Families coordinates interpreters for those.
What the court does not cover is the case outside it: depositions in downtown Seattle or Bellevue offices, the interview with a witness, the mediation. Those are arranged by counsel. A three-hour deposition in person is $330, plus $0.70 a mile: a 30-mile round trip adds $21, for $351. By video the same three hours is $240. See interpreters for depositions.
Seattle immigration cases run in two courts: downtown and Tacoma
EOIR lists the Seattle Immigration Court at 915 2nd Ave., Suite 613, and the Tacoma Immigration Court at 1623 East J Street, Suite 3. Its administrative control list names the Seattle DHS district office under both. Both courts arrange the interpreter for their hearings.
Attorneys book us for what comes before: settling which language the respondent and each witness actually speak, preparing witnesses to testify through the court's interpreter, and reading declarations back. Tacoma is a drive from Seattle, so many of those sessions are better by video, at $80 an hour with no travel. See interpreters for immigration court hearings.
Seattle's languages: Chinese and Spanish, then Amharic, Somali and Vietnamese
The Census counts more Seattle residents speaking a Chinese language at home (36,036) than Spanish (34,234). The table puts many languages into broad groups — "Other Indo-European", "Other Asian and Pacific Island", "Other and unspecified" — so the schools are a better guide to what families speak: Seattle Public Schools names its top languages as Amharic, Chinese, Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese.
Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin are at our standard rate. Amharic and Tigrinya are limited-availability languages, 25–30% over the base, and we tell you before you book whether a date can be staffed in person or only by video.
Languages spoken at home in Seattle
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, Seattle city, Washington. 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 |
|---|---|
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 36,036 |
| Spanish | 34,234 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 24,194 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 16,867 |
| Other and unspecified languages | 15,645 |
| Vietnamese | 11,342 |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 7,318 |
| Russian, Polish, or other Slavic languages | 7,089 |
| Korean | 6,059 |
Where interpreters are needed in Seattle, 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 |
|---|---|
| Seattle Immigration Court (EOIR), 915 2nd Ave., Suite 613 | The court provides the interpreter for the hearing. Attorneys book us to prepare the respondent and witnesses and to read declarations back. |
| Tacoma Immigration Court (EOIR), 1623 East J Street, Suite 3, Tacoma | EOIR's administrative control list names the Seattle DHS district under both this court and the Seattle court. Same rule: it interprets the hearing; attorney visits are arranged by counsel. |
| USCIS interviews for Seattle-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. |
| King County Superior Court, Office of Interpreter Services, King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Avenue, Room C-701 | Interpretation at no cost for all court events, also at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent and the Children and Family Justice Center. Depositions are arranged by the attorneys. |
| Seattle Public Schools, Translation and Interpretation | Free of charge in the district's top languages (Amharic, Chinese, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese); phone interpretation for others. Families contact the school first. |
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 Seattle 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, Seattle city, Washington
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Seattle Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Tacoma Immigration Court
- Executive Office for Immigration Review — Immigration Court Administrative Control List
- USCIS — Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview
- King County Superior Court — Office of Interpreter Services
- Seattle Public Schools — Translation and Interpretation
Frequently asked questions
Does King County Superior Court provide a free interpreter?
Yes. Its Office of Interpreter Services says interpretation is provided at no cost for all court events, and its interpreters assist during attorney-client consultations. In most child abuse and neglect cases, DCYF coordinates the interpreter instead.
Which immigration court hears Seattle cases?
EOIR lists a Seattle Immigration Court at 915 2nd Ave. and a Tacoma Immigration Court at 1623 East J Street; its administrative control list names the Seattle DHS district under both. Check your hearing notice for which one.
Does Seattle Public Schools provide interpreters for parents?
Yes, free of charge in Amharic, Chinese, Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese, with phone interpretation for other languages. Contact the school first.
What does an in-person interpreter cost in Seattle?
$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 Seattle?
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.