Rule 18 Nonlicensed Activity

If you want to offer court reporting services in Hawaiʻi, you need to meet certain requirements first. You must be a certified Hawaiʻi shorthand reporter yourself, or your company must name a certified Hawaiʻi reporter who lives in the state to serve as "Managing CSR." This person takes responsibility for the company's work and answers to the licensing board if problems come up.

There is one other way to prepare transcripts without being certified. A judge can give special permission, through a court order, for someone to prepare a transcript in a specific case. This only applies to that one case and requires the judge's approval ahead of time.

One group is exempt from all of this. Transcribers who work under contract with the Hawaiʻi Judiciary, following the Court Records Rules, do not need to meet these certification requirements. This rule exists to make sure people preparing official court transcripts are qualified and accountable, so the records used in legal proceedings are accurate and trustworthy.