Louisiana Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters

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Official Reporters

An Official or Deputy Official Court Reporter holds a CCR, a CDR or both.

CCR

  • Holds a Louisiana CCR certification obtained through testing, grandfathering up through 1992 or reciprocity and has been appointed by a judge to be an official reporter for that judge’s court or for a group of courts in a district.
  • Is certified in one of the following methods: stenotype, stenomask, penwriter or electronic may not and  shall not utilize another method without first obtaining Board certification through examination in the second method.  See RS 37:2554 C. (Note the 1992 grandfathering certified some electronic reporters as CCRs.  Currently a person may not obtain a new CCR license in the electronic method by any means.)
  • Shall not take proceedings utilizing solely an electronic or digital recording system unless the reporter holds a current certification for the electronic method.
  • May move from one official court appointment to another unfettered.
  • May also freelance.

CDR

  • Has obtained CDR certification (1) at the request of a judge through grandfathering ending 2010 and 2011, (2) Board administered examination, (3) AAERT certification with Board approval, or (4) through certification by a national or state association or organization approved by the Board and reciprocity therefor approved by the Board.
  • Is only certified while currently employed as an official or deputy official court reporter by a court of record, and per 2556 A.(2) is authorized to perform as a court reporter only in that capacity in and for the court by which appointed.  (see La. R.S. 37:2554 B.)
  • If grandfathered, certification terminates with employment.
  • If certification was obtained through examination or reciprocity, the certification is portable for any eligible court and does not terminate with employment.
  • Records the court proceeding on an electronic or digital recording system installed in the court, monitors the recording equipment and takes corresponding written notes, then transcribes and produces the transcript.  See RS 37:2555 F.
  • Shall not freelance.

If one person holds both certifications, then one method must be chosen as the official method for each proceeding and identified in the transcript certificate.  If the reporter utilizes the CCR method and simultaneously records the audio of the live proceeding on the court audio recording system, the CCR method record is considered the official record.

Applicable Laws

Continuing Education

To maintain certification, CCRs and CDRs must satisfactorily perform and complete continuing education requirements established by the Board pursuant to La. R.S. 37:2554(G).
The requirements are as follows:

  • 12 CE credits every two years (due by the end of every  even numbered year)
  • Four of the 12 credits must be in Louisiana Court Reporter Ethics and Board Rules and Regulations.

Retention of the Record, (i.e., Notes or Audio Recording)
Retain and maintain all notes, recordings and computer transcript files: 1) in civil cases for five years from the end of the trial, and 2) indefinitely in criminal cases.  Said records are the property of the court.  See CCP Article 372 and Retain Notes Document.

Official Transcript Format Guidelines:

  • La. R.S. 13:961.2 Official Transcript Guidelines http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=725092
  • Verbatim
  • 32 lines/page, 58 or more characters/line
  • State on the transcript certificate the method of reporting utilized in taking the proceeding, such as “utilizing the digital recording method of reporting” (Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 46, Part XXI., Section 511 A.)
  •  Include your certificate number under your signature on the certificate page (Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 46, Pat XXI., Section 503)

Statutes Specific to Official Reporters