1. (1) Applicants for licensure as court reporters must meet the following requirements in order to obtain a license:

   1. (a) Provide proof of graduation from court reporting program or its equivalent in the form of: Official Transcripts, Copy of Diploma, or Official Letter from the Court Reporting Program’s Director. Possession of a current designation of NCRA Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) or NVRA Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR), with appropriate documentation, constitutes equivalency for purposes of this paragraph.
   2. (b) Pass the Licensure Examination;
   3. (c) Complete the application and remit all appropriate fees.
2. (2) For purposes of this rule, "court reporting program or its equivalent" shall also mean any court reporter education programs that have met the General Requirements and Minimum Standards (GRMS} established by the Council on Approved Student Education (CASE) of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), and thus designated as NCRA approved, or any other non-NCRA approved instructional programs designated by the Board as providing an equivalent standard of instruction. Non-NCRA-approved programs seeking designation as an approved program must submit an application to the Board establishing that its program is equivalent to those receiving NCRA approval. Applicants may also seek recognition of a program under this Section. To be recognized for licensure purposes in Alabama, a school or program curriculum should include, at a minimum, instruction on steno theory or voice writing theory, technology, judicial procedures, speed building (requiring a speed equal to or exceeding the state certification exam requirements), and punctuation. Approval of a non-NCRA approved instructional program may be subject to periodic review and may be revoked upon a determination by the Board that the instructional program no longer meets the requirements of an "equivalent" program.
3. (3) The provisions of Chapter 257-X-3-.02(2) shall not serve to invalidate any license granted by the Board prior to its effective date.

Author: Alabama Board of Court Reporting

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-8B-1 thru 34-8B-18.

Editor’s Note: Rule 257-X-3-.04, Reciprocity, was repealed and rule .05 was renumbered to .04 as per certification filed October 6, 2009; effective November 11, 2009. Rule .04 is renumbered .02 per certification filed May 25, 2017; effective July 9, 2017.

History: New Rule: Filed April 19, 2007; effective May 24, 2007. Amended (Rule No. Only): Filed October 6, 2009; effective November 11, 2009. Amended: Filed June 19, 2012; effective July 24, 2012. Amended: Filed May 25, 2017; effective July 9, 2017. Amended: Filed October 19, 2018; effective December 3, 2018. Amended: Filed September 30, 2022; effective November 14, 2022. Amended: Published October 31, 2023; effective December 15, 2023.