Interpreters / Language Access
The Superior Court of San Luis Obispo provides interpreters for all non-English speaking defendants, parties, and witnesses needed during courtroom proceedings.
The Court employs Spanish-speaking staff at the Clerk's Offices.
The Court employs Certified Spanish Court Interpreters to provide language services at no cost to defendants, parties and witnesses in all court proceedings. This includes the following case types:
- Criminal
- Juvenile delinquency
- Juvenile dependency
- Mental health matters
- Family law
- Civil harassment
- Unlawful detainer
- Traffic
- Small claims
- Limited and unlimited civil cases
The services of a Spanish interpreter may be requested at any time from Clerks’ Office or Courtroom staff. In cases other than criminal and juvenile matters, a request for an interpreter shall be made as early as possible in the process in order to ensure an interpreter is available at the time of hearing. Form INT-300 Request for Interpreter (Civil) may be completed and returned to the Interpreter Coordinator’s Office as follows:
Interpreter Coordinator
1035 Palm Street, Room 355
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Fax: (805)242-0607
E-mail: slocourt@slo.courts.ca.gov
For court users with family law, small claims, probate, civil harassment, unlawful detainer, and other limited and unlimited civil cases who speak a language other than Spanish, an interpreter may be requested using form INT-300 Request for Interpreter (Civil). The form should be completed and returned to the Interpreter Coordinator’s Office as soon as possible, but at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled hearing. Once received, the Interpreter Coordinator will, if possible, book the services of a qualified court interpreter for the date and time specified in the Request for Interpreter.
Attorneys of record for parties in civil, family law and probate matters shall complete form INT-300 Request for Interpreter (Civil) and return the form to the Interpreter Coordinator , and in the event the party or witness will not be present at any hearing for which an interpreter was requested, shall give the court as much notice as possible.
Sign language interpreters are also provided at no cost for parties or witnesses who are present and participate in a court proceeding. To request an ASL interpreter, court users must file Judicial Council Form MC-410 located under the Court’s American with Disabilities Act webpage. The form should be returned to:
Human Resources
1035 Palm Street, Room 385
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Many Judicial Council required forms have been translated into languages other than English. You may find a listing of these forms on the Judicial Council website.