Interpreter Resource Center · Credential verification
How to Verify a Sign Language Interpreter
A practical, step-by-step reference for confirming that an interpreter actually holds the credential claimed — and that the credential fits the assignment. It covers the official Texas BEI public registry, RID's public registry and verification options, court credentials, EIPA documentation, and what to do when no public lookup exists.
Built from the Texas HHS BEI Registry and BEI Manual, Texas Government Code Chapter 57, RID official verification resources, Texas Education Agency rules and guidance, and official EIPA materials from Boys Town National Research Hospital. For what each credential means and how it is earned, see the Complete Texas BEI Certification Guide.
Why this guide exists
Anyone can claim to be a certified interpreter. Most claims are honest — but "certified" can mean many different things, credentials expire, and a name in a directory is not proof that a credential is current or right for the job. This guide explains how to check each major credential through its issuing authority, what each official record can and cannot tell you, and how to resolve discrepancies respectfully. It does not repeat how credentials are earned; that lives in the Complete Texas BEI Certification Guide and the other certification guides.
Who this guide is for
Quick facts
- Texas BEI credentials are verified through the official BEI Public Interpreter Registry operated by Texas HHS, which displays certificate levels, status, and expiration.
- RID credentials (including NIC and CDI) are verified through RID's official public registry — and a listing must show a named certification, because membership alone is not certification.
- The EIPA is an assessment, not a certification. Boys Town describes EIPA as an assessment agency, not a certifying or licensure agency. The current EIPA website does not identify a public results lookup tool; verification generally begins with the interpreter's official result or report.
- Court work is different. Since 2006, Texas court proceedings require a BEI Court certificate or a current RID legal certificate — a general credential is not enough.
- Verification has layers. A real credential can still be expired, the wrong level, or the wrong fit for the assignment.
- Absence from a public search proves less than you think. Records can lag, names change, and some credentials have no public lookup at all.
Sources: Texas HHS BEI Public Interpreter Registry and BEI Manual; Texas Government Code Ch. 57; RID official verification resources; 19 TAC §89.1131(e) (current June 2026 rule text); official EIPA materials (classroominterpreting.org). Last reviewed July 2026.
What verification establishes — and what it doesn't
Verifying an interpreter is not one question ("are they certified?") but a stack of smaller ones. Each layer answers something different, and a claim can pass one layer while failing the next. Work through them in order.
Identity
Is the person in front of you the person in the record? Match full name, and credential number if one exists.
Credential
Which exact credential, from which issuing organization, at which level or classification?
Status
Is it active today — not expired, suspended, revoked, retired, or lapsed on renewal or maintenance?
Fit
Does the credential, level, and any specialty authorization match this assignment, setting, and the consumer's communication needs?
What an official record can prove
| Verification can establish | Verification cannot establish |
|---|---|
| That the named person holds (or held) a specific credential from a specific issuer. | That the person is skilled for every assignment — a general credential is not proof of specialized competence. |
| The credential's level or classification, where the record shows it. | A match with the consumer's language, modality, or communication preferences — that is assignment matching, not verification. |
| Current status and expiration, where the record shows them. | Character, reliability, or work history — those require references and, where appropriate, background checks. |
| Specialty or setting-specific authorization, where one exists (for example, a BEI Court certificate). | Anything about credentials the database doesn't cover — absence from one system is not evidence about another system. |
Editorial summary. Each official system's displayed fields are described in the sections below.
Verification is not a background check
Credential verification, reference checks, criminal background checks, performance evaluation, and assignment matching are separate processes. This guide covers only the first. An interpreter can be fully credentialed and still be the wrong match for a specific consumer or setting — and a great match still needs a real, current credential where one is required.
Verify Texas BEI credentials
Texas BEI certificates are issued by the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters program within Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC), Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). The official verification channel is the BEI Public Interpreter Registry, the public view of the same online system interpreters use for applications and CEUs.
Run the check
- Open the BEI Public Interpreter Registry at bei.hhsc.state.tx.us/PublicInterpreterSearch/Search.
- Search the interpreter's legal name. If nothing appears, try alternate spellings and former surnames before drawing conclusions — records are listed under the name on file with BEI. You can also filter by certificate type and status.
- Confirm the certificate type and level against what was claimed. BEI issues general certificates (Basic, Advanced, Master, and legacy Levels I–V), Intermediary certificates for Deaf and hard-of-hearing interpreters, and specialty certificates including Court, Medical, Trilingual, and Oral. What each means is covered in the Complete Texas BEI Certification Guide.
- Check status and expiration in the record. BEI certificates require annual renewal and five-year recertification; an expired certificate does not authorize work that requires certification under HHSC rules.
- If the record is unclear or incomplete, contact the BEI program directly at dhhs.bei@hhs.texas.gov for confirmation.
What the public registry displays
The BEI Public Interpreter Registry currently displays the interpreter's name, phone number when published, certificate level or levels, certificate issuance date, city and state, status, and expiration date. It can also be filtered by certificate type and status; status values include Active, Expired, Probation, Suspended, Revoked, and Inactive. The record does not establish assignment suitability, work history, references, or facts not displayed in the system. Contact BEI when identity, status, or a discrepancy remains unclear.
Ask for the certificate card too
BEI certificate holders can provide a current certificate card that states the credential and its dates. Pairing the card with the registry record resolves most name-matching questions quickly and respectfully.
Verify RID credentials, including CDI
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) issues national certifications, currently the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI), plus legacy certificates that remain valid when maintained (for example CI/CT, CSC, and SC:L). CASLI administers the exams; the credential itself is RID's, so verification runs through RID's official records.
Run the check
- Search RID's official public registry at myaccount.rid.org/Public/Search/Member.aspx.
- Match the person's identity, and confirm the record displays the exact named certification claimed (NIC, CDI, CI/CT, SC:L, and so on).
- Distinguish a certification listing from ordinary RID membership — RID's registry is an official certification-verification resource when it displays a named certification, but a member record without one shows only affiliation.
- Confirm current certification status using the information shown in RID's official registry. RID certification requires ongoing participation in the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP); a lapsed credential is not a current one.
- For additional documentation, the interpreter may provide a Credly verification or a verification letter downloaded from the RID member portal. A current RID member may also submit RID's certification-verification form to have confirmation of that member's current or previous certification sent to a designated recipient. Questions concerning an examination or test status must be directed to CASLI, which administers the exams.
Membership is not certification
A membership card, resume statement, or member record by itself does not prove certification. RID's official registry is designed to verify certifications, but the requester must confirm that the record displays a named certification rather than merely evidence of membership.
Verifying a CDI
CDI verification works the same way — through RID's official registry — and the same status rules apply. Because the CDI program has gone through exam transitions in recent years, treat the RID record, not the exam history, as the authority on whether the credential is current. When and why to bring in a Deaf interpreter is covered in the Deaf Interpreter Guide.
Verify court credentials
Court assignments have their own rule. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 57 and the BEI Manual, interpreting in Texas court proceedings has required, since September 1, 2006, either a current BEI Court interpreter certificate or a current legal certificate issued by RID. "Court proceeding" is defined broadly and includes arraignments, depositions, mediations, court-ordered arbitration, and other alternative dispute resolution — not just trials.
Run the check
- Verify the underlying credential first (BEI or RID, as above).
- Then verify the court-specific credential: a BEI Court certificate through the BEI Public Interpreter Registry, or a current RID legal certificate (such as SC:L) through RID's public registry.
- Confirm currency. Court certificates carry their own renewal and CEU obligations; an expired court certificate does not satisfy the requirement.
Texas uses separate credentialing frameworks
The Judicial Branch Certification Commission's licensed-court-interpreter system (Government Code chapter 157) applies to interpreting court proceedings for individuals who can hear but have limited English proficiency. A JBCC search does not verify a person's sign-language court credential — use the BEI Registry or RID records for that purpose. A person could separately hold a spoken-language JBCC license, but that listing would not establish sign-language court certification, which runs through chapter 57, Subchapter B, and the credentials above.
Scope of this section
This section covers verification only. Appointment, payment, oath, courtroom logistics, and federal-court differences are covered in the Court Interpreting Guide. Note that statutes in this area still name a predecessor agency (DARS); the program now operates within HHSC DHHS.
Evaluate EIPA documentation
The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), administered by Boys Town National Research Hospital, evaluates educational-interpreting skills and knowledge. Boys Town describes EIPA as an assessment agency, not a certifying or licensure agency. Under the current June 2026 version of 19 TAC §89.1131(e), interpreting services for students who are deaf must be provided by an interpreter certified in the appropriate language mode, if certification in that mode is available — and if certification is available, the rule states that the interpreter must be a certified member of or certified by RID or BEI. The current rule does not identify an EIPA score as an alternative statewide certification pathway.
How to evaluate an EIPA claim
- Ask for the official result. The current EIPA website does not identify a public results lookup tool. When an EIPA result is claimed, request the interpreter's official result or report and contact the EIPA Center for current documentation or verification procedures.
- Read it for what it is. The report is evidence of an assessment result, not a professional certification. Identify which EIPA assessment was taken (the performance assessment or the written test), the result shown, and the assessment date.
- Understand how it may be used. An employer or district may use EIPA information as an additional hiring criterion, a local policy standard, or evidence of educational-interpreting skills.
- Label local use as local. Any employer-specific use of an EIPA score is an organizational or local criterion — not a current statewide alternative certification pathway.
- When documentation questions arise, direct them to the official EIPA Center via classroominterpreting.org/assessments for current information on assessments and results, rather than relying on assumed procedures.
An EIPA result is not a certification
EIPA is an assessment system, not a certifying or licensure agency. An EIPA result may provide useful evidence of educational-interpreting skills or may be used under an employer's local hiring policy, but it does not replace the current statewide certification requirement unless another controlling authority expressly provides otherwise.
Full treatment of educational-interpreter requirements, the EIPA's structure, and what results mean lives in the Educational Interpreting Guide.
When there is no public lookup
Not every legitimate qualification has a public database. EIPA results, some out-of-state credentials, employer or vendor qualifications, completed trainings, and agency screenings generally do not. When no lookup exists, verification shifts from searching to requesting documents — and to going to the issuer directly when a controlling rule or genuine discrepancy requires it.
Documents you can reasonably request
- Credential card or certificate showing the credential name, holder, and dates.
- Official assessment result or report (for assessments like the EIPA).
- Issuer-provided verification obtained by the interpreter — for RID, a Credly verification, a verification letter from the member portal, or member-initiated written confirmation sent to a designated recipient.
- License or registration record from another state's official system, checked through that state's own site.
- Employer or agency verification for organizational qualifications — clearly understood as organizational, not governmental.
Match the effort to the stakes
Routine verification may consist of checking the current official registry. Additional documents may be appropriate when a controlling rule, contract, or organizational policy requires them, or when a genuine discrepancy exists. Any retained documentation must follow applicable privacy, security, and records-retention policies, and verification should collect no more personal information than reasonably necessary.
Absence is not fraud
Failing to find someone in a public search is a reason to ask questions, not a conclusion. Records lag, surnames change, duplicate names confuse results, some credentials aren't in any public system, contact information may be withheld, and some credentials are not covered by a public lookup system. Treat a missing record as an open item to resolve with the interpreter and the issuer — see the discrepancy process below.
Verification by assignment type
Start from your assignment. Each card names the check that matters most for that setting; full setting-by-setting qualification rules are owned by the Texas Interpreter Requirements by Setting guide.
Court or legal proceeding
Verify a current BEI Court certificate or current RID legal certificate on top of the base credential. The broad definition of "court proceeding" includes depositions, mediations, and ADR.
Court verificationHealthcare encounter
No single interpreter credential is universally mandated for Texas healthcare encounters. Covered entities must provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services when needed for effective communication; when a sign language interpreter is necessary for effective communication, the provider must use a qualified interpreter and should match the interpreter's skills to the nature, length, complexity, context, and risk of the encounter.
Use the verification layersK–12 school assignment
Current 19 TAC §89.1131(e) governs. Verify a named RID certification or Texas BEI certificate in the appropriate language mode when certification is available. An EIPA result may provide additional evidence of educational-interpreting skills or satisfy a separate local employment criterion, but the current state rule does not list an EIPA result as an alternative certification pathway.
EIPA documentationAssignment needing a Deaf interpreter
Verify a claimed CDI through RID's public registry, or a Texas BEI Intermediary certificate through the BEI Public Interpreter Registry. Remember that competent Deaf interpreters may hold either — or, where no rule requires one, neither.
RID and CDI checksBusiness, employment, or community
Verify whatever credential was claimed through its issuer, confirm currency, and weigh level against the assignment's complexity. Contract or vendor requirements may add their own bar.
Verify the claimed credentialOut-of-state or uncommon credential
Check the issuing state's or organization's own system, and request issuer-level documentation when no public lookup exists. Never treat one system's silence as evidence about another's.
No-lookup processA requester workflow that scales
- Identify the requirement. Identify the controlling statute, regulation, court rule, contract, or organizational policy for the setting. When the controlling requirement is unclear, obtain clarification from the responsible authority rather than describing a higher internal standard as legally required.
- Collect the claim in writing. Ask the interpreter or agency to state the exact credential, level, issuer, and (if applicable) number.
- Verify through the issuer. BEI Public Interpreter Registry for BEI; RID's public registry for RID/CDI; the official result or report for EIPA; the relevant state system for out-of-state credentials.
- Confirm status and fit. Current, correct level, correct specialty for the assignment, and a reasonable match to the consumer's communication needs.
- Document proportionately. Record the date, official source, credential shown, and verification result in accordance with the organization's privacy and records-retention policies. Request and retain additional documentation only when required by the assignment, a controlling rule, organizational policy, or a genuine discrepancy.
Interpreter self-verification checklist
Interpreters can prevent nearly every verification problem before it starts. Run this check whenever a credential renews, a name changes, or a new contract begins.
- Search yourself in every public system that covers your credentials (the BEI Public Interpreter Registry; RID's public registry) and confirm your name, credential, level, status, and dates display correctly.
- After a legal name change, update the issuing organizations promptly and keep documentation linking your former and current names.
- Keep current copies of your certificate cards and assessment reports, and know how to provide verification when asked — for RID, a Credly verification, a member-portal verification letter, or member-initiated written confirmation sent to a designated recipient.
- Calendar your renewal, recertification, and maintenance deadlines — an unnoticed lapse reads the same as no credential in a database check. Renewal planning lives in the Renewing Your Interpreter Certification guide.
- Describe your credentials precisely in resumes and profiles: exact certificate names and levels, and never "EIPA certified" for an assessment result.
- If a record is wrong, contact the issuer with documentation and follow up until the public record is corrected.
Red flags — and resolving discrepancies respectfully
Signals that call for a closer look
- Vague credential language that resists specifics ("nationally certified," "fully qualified") when you ask for the exact certificate and issuer.
- Reluctance to provide a certificate card, assessment report, or issuer-provided verification when the assignment or a controlling rule genuinely calls for it.
- A claimed specialty (court, medical) that the base record doesn't support.
- Credential names that don't exist or mix systems (for example, a "BEI NIC" or an "RID Level IV").
- An expired record presented as current, or a claim that renewal "doesn't matter."
- Pressure to skip verification because of urgency.
A fair discrepancy process
- Ask privately and neutrally. "The registry shows X and your resume says Y — can you help me reconcile that?" Most discrepancies are name changes, lag, or clerical errors.
- Give the interpreter a chance to document. A certificate card, issuer-provided verification, or name-change record often resolves it on the spot.
- Go to the issuer for the tiebreak. Official confirmation from the issuing organization — for BEI, the program office; for RID, member-initiated written verification — outranks both the public display and the paper in hand. Exam or test-status questions go to CASLI.
- Decide based on the assignment. If the requirement can't be confirmed in time for a setting that requires it, reschedule or replace — don't waive a legal requirement.
- Escalate only genuine misrepresentation. Knowingly false credential claims can be reported to the issuer (BEI has a complaint process under its Manual; RID has the Ethical Practices System).
Verify without harassing
Verification is a professional check, not surveillance. Verify what the assignment requires, through official channels, and stop there. Do not repeatedly re-verify the same interpreter without cause, contact their other clients, publicize an unresolved discrepancy, or use verification to pressure or retaliate. Handle personal data (addresses, birthdates, disability information) minimally and securely, and remember that public registries exist for credential confirmation — not for compiling profiles.
Common misunderstandings
"They're in a directory, so they're certified."
Directories list people; verification confirms credentials. Agency rosters and online profiles are not credential records. RID's official public registry and the BEI Public Interpreter Registry are official verification resources — but even there, confirm the record displays the named certification claimed, not just a listing.
"Any certification covers any assignment."
No. Texas court proceedings require a court-specific credential, Texas K–12 schools follow their own rule, and a general credential doesn't establish specialized competence in high-risk medical or legal work. Level and specialty are part of the check.
"I couldn't find them online, so the claim is false."
Absence from one system proves nothing about credentials issued elsewhere, and even in the right system, name changes and record lag cause misses. Use the discrepancy process before drawing conclusions.
"EIPA certified means certified."
The EIPA is an assessment, not a certification — Boys Town states that EIPA is not a certifying or licensure agency. A school district or employer may consider an EIPA result as part of its hiring or assignment process, but the current Texas rule does not identify an EIPA result as an alternative to the certification requirement in 19 TAC §89.1131(e). See EIPA documentation.
"A JBCC search verifies sign language court credentials."
It doesn't. The JBCC's licensed-court-interpreter system applies to interpreting for individuals who can hear but have limited English proficiency. A person could separately hold a spoken-language JBCC license, but sign-language court certification is verified through the BEI Registry or RID records. See court verification.
"A current credential means they're right for this consumer."
Verification confirms the credential; it doesn't match communication needs. DeafBlind communication, atypical language, and specialized settings may call for different skills or a Deaf interpreter — a separate judgment from verification.
Official verification resources
- BEI Public Interpreter Registry (direct search)
- About the BEI Registry (Texas HHS)
- RID public registry (member & certification search)
- RID — how membership and certification are verified
- CASLI — exam administration and test-status questions
- 19 TAC Ch. 89, Subch. AA — current rule text (PDF)
- TEA interpreter certification guidance
- Official EIPA assessments (EIPA Center)
- BEI Manual ch. 4 — court interpreter certification
- Texas Judicial Branch — language access in Texas courts
About this guide
This verification guide is maintained by 3 Bridges Sign Language Services and is reviewed periodically against the Texas HHS BEI Public Interpreter Registry and Manual, Texas Government Code Chapter 57, RID's official verification resources, the current text of 19 TAC §89.1131, and official EIPA materials. It is an educational reference, not legal advice, and it does not replace confirmation from the issuing organization. If official guidance changes or you discover an error, please contact us.
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