CALL TO ACTION!

Notice Regarding Proposed Fee and Code Changes for Certified Court Reporters 

The Arizona Court Reporters Association (ACRA) wishes to inform you that during the April 3, 2025 Board of Certified Reporters meeting, the Certification and Licensing Division (CLD) of the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) announced plans to increase fees across all regulated professions, including Certified Court Reporters. These changes are proposed by the AOC and not the Board of Certified Reporters. Prior to presentation to the Arizona Judicial Council (AJC), proposals must be posted for public comment. 

Public Comment Period Re-Opened 

Although the original proposal was posted on April 30, 2025, with a comment deadline of May 30, 2025, no public comments were received. At the June 5, 2025 Board of Certified Reporters meeting, it was discovered that the Board had not been properly notified of the initial posting. As a result, the public comment period has been re-opened and extended to July 31, 2025. 

Proposed Changes to the Court Reporter (CR) Program Include: 

• Renewal Cycle Adjustment: Individual CR certifications would return to a two-year renewal cycle (from thecurrent one-year cycle), with an option to pay fees annually. Continuing education (CE) requirements will remain at 10 credits per year, totaling 20 credits per renewal cycle. 
• Firm Certification Renewal: CR Firm certifications would also change from a five-year to a two-yearrenewal cycle, with the same deadlines as individual CRs and an option for annual fee payments. 
• Annual Proposed fee increase:
• • Beginning 7/1/2025 $350.00
  • Beginning 7/1/2028 $385.00
  • Beginning 7/1/2031 $425.00
  • Beginning 7/1/2034 $465.00

This step-increase proposal increases fees by approximately 10% every three years, based on the Consumer Price Index inflation rate of 3.7% yearly from January 1995 to January 2025. This step up in fee increases every three years can be suspended or modified with notice if financially appropriate. It does not require another proposal to implement/adjust the fees every three years. 

These changes are proposed by the AOC and not the Board of Certified Reporters. As a reminder, programs regulated by CLD are self-funded and do not receive general state funds. The AOC has stated that the proposed fee increases are necessary to ensure financial sustainability through Fiscal Year 2035. 

To view or comment on the proposal, visit: https://www.azcourts.gov/ACJA-Forum 

Note: You must register or log in to post a comment. 

In addition, a related notice is available under the “Announcements” section on the CLD Certified Reporters Program webpage: https://www.azcourts.gov/cld/Certified-Reporters-Program 

We encourage all stakeholders to review the proposal and submit feedback before the July 31, 2025 deadline.