Court Reporters & Transcripts
Availability of Court Reporters
Sonoma County Superior Court provides court reporters for felony and juvenile proceedings.
The Court does not provide court reporters for the following matters:
- Civil
- Family Law (except termination of parental rights, requests to withdraw consent to adoption, and in chambers child testimony)
- Unlawful Detainers (landlord-tenant disputes)
- Misdemeanor Criminal
- Traffic
- Probate (except LPS Conservatorship and Writs)
The Court is not required to provide a court reporter in the above case types. However, a court reporter may have been present at one or more hearings in some of these case types. If a court reporter was present and you would like to request a transcript you will need to contact the court reporter or their agency directly.
If you do not know the name of the court reporter, please contact the appropriate division of the Court to request that information. An alternative is to get their business address from the Department of Consumer Affairs Court Reporters Board of California website. Click on License Verification and enter the name of the court reporter.
For more information on the availability of court reporters please click here.
Fee Waivers & Requests for Court Reporter
Parties who qualify for a Fee Waiver may request court reporter services by submitting Judicial Council Form FW-020 (Request for Court Reporter by Party with Fee Waiver).
Please note: The court is not obligated to provide transcripts free of charge to a party who has been granted a fee waiver. (See Jameson v. Desta (2018) 5 Cal.5th 594, 623-625). Assistance may be available through the Transcript Reimbursement Fund.
Party May Procure Reporter
If the services of an official court reporter are not available for a hearing in a civil, family or probate case, a party may, by stipulation, arrange for the appointment of a privately retained certified shorthand reporter. In these cases, it is the party's responsibility to pay the reporter's fee for the attendance at the proceeding.
Appointment of Official Reporter Pro Tempore (local Form RP-001) must be completed and presented to the Judicial Officer at the time of the hearing.
How do I order a transcript?
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For hearings with a court reporter
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For hearings that were electronically recorded
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For juvenile hearings
Information for Court Reporters
Effective September 1st, 2023, an Official Court Reporter or Official Court Reporter Pro Tempore of the Sonoma County Superior Court shall deliver a transcript in electronic form as specified in Code of Civil Procedure section 271.
An electronic transcript is deemed to be an original for all purposes unless a paper transcript is delivered under any of the exceptions listed in CCP 271 (a)(1).
The Court will not duplicate or provide copies from the electronic file unless allowable by law. All copies will be required to be ordered directly from the Court Reporter.
Submitting Claim Forms
Staffed court reporters and reporters pro tempore can locate Sonoma County Reporter Claim Form here.
Claim forms should be submitted via email to reportercoordinators@sonomacourt.org.
FAQs
If you are unsure which court reporter was present during your hearing, you may contact the Records Department for a copy of the Court Minutes. The minutes will have the name of the court reporter who was present during that hearing. Once you know the name of the court reporter you can submit a request by following the instructions provided here.
In order to find out if there was a court reporter present or if the Court used electronic recording, you will need a copy of the Court Minutes. If a reporter was present the minutes will have the name of the reporter, however if the Court used electronic recording, the minutes will "+ electronic recording".
Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code section 69955(e) and the Standing Order of the Sonoma Superior Court, court reporters may retain notes for the following time frames:
- Criminal Proceedings: court reporters are mandated to keep their notes for 10 years.
- All Other Proceedings: court reporters are mandated to keep their notes for 5 years.
- Death Penalty/Capital Felony cases: court reporters are mandated to keep their notes indefinitely, or until order of the Supreme Court.