How to Become a Court Reporter in Kansas

A court reporter plays a vital role in recording every spoken word during legal proceedings such as trials.

Other terms for the occupation are:

• Court stenographer,
• Real-time writer,
• Certified shorthand reporter (CSR),

This role holds significant importance within the justice system.

Individuals aspiring to become court reporters in Kansas must acquire a license.

In the sections that follow, I will outline the necessary steps for licensure.

Pursue Your Education as a Court Reporter in Kansas

To obtain licensure, completing a designated training course is a prerequisite.

Moreover, the program must gain approval from the Kansas Board of Court Reporting.

To enroll in such a program, you need to meet these criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a high school diploma or GED

The training programs encompass various areas, including:

• CART/Captioning
• Judicial Reporting
• Scoping/Proofreading
• Professional Transcription
• Office Assistant
• Court and Realtime Reporting

Prospective students must ensure that the curriculum is endorsed by CASE (Council on Approved Student Education).

It should cover subjects like:

• Applied Writing I
• Medical Terminology
• Legal Terminology
• Civil and Criminal Law Terminology
• Realtime Reporting I
• Realtime Reporting II

Typically, these programs are at the postsecondary non-degree level, with options including certificate, diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s degrees.

Check out the court reporting programs offered in Kansas.

Court Reporting Institute of Kansas City

This school is situated in Overland Park, Kansas.

CRIKC stands out as a distinctive court reporting program on a national scale.

Its uniqueness lies in its emphasis on a swift path to achievement, achieved through a curriculum that centers primarily on honing skills on the stenotype machine.

Unlike other programs that entail conventional academic lectures, CRIKC recognizes that these conventional approaches may lose relevance if a student struggles to excel in the practical skill assessments for certification.

The program includes subjects such as:

• English Composition
• Humanities
• Cultural Geography
• Current Events
• Computer Literacy

Attain Licensure as a Court Reporter in Kansas

Upon completing your education, you must pass an examination to earn your license.

This exam must be successfully completed within 18 months of concluding your training.

During this period, you have the option to obtain a temporary license; however, note that the temporary license cannot be renewed.

You can earn one of the following certifications:

• NCRA’s Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification
• NVRA’s (National Verbatim Reporters Association) Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) certification

Both of these certifications hold national recognition.

To acquire the official Kansas license, you must also pass a skills examination from one of the following organizations:

• NCRA
• NVRA
• ACRA

This process involves:

• Paying the appropriate fees
  • $200 for the license
  • $50 for the application
• Providing proof of graduation from the training program
• Completing the application form

The ACRA test closely resembles the NCRA and NVRA exams.

While the NCRA skills test can be taken online, the other two exams are conducted in person.

If your goal is to become a registered professional reporter, the fees are as follows:

• $120 for non-members
• $95 for members
• $77 for student members

The fee for the NVRA exam is $125.

To become a certified verbatim reporter, you can pay a transfer fee of just $50 if you are already a registered professional reporter.

The Certified Court Reporter (CCR) skills exam costs $75.

To pass, you must meet the below wordcount requirements:

• Literary at 180 wpm
• Jury charge at 200 wpm
• Testimony/Q&A at 225 wpm

You get 75 minutes to transcribe your notes and can pass if you score 95%.

Moreover, a knowledge-based written exam is required for the Registered Professional Reporter certification.

This exam includes 120 questions on technology, professional practices, ethics, and reporting practices.

The minimum passing score is 70, and the fees are:

• $220 for non-members
• $195 for members
• $160 for student members

The NVRA exam costs $125.

License Renewal for Court Reporters in Kansas

This state doesn’t have any specific continuing education requirements.

However, you need to renew your license periodically.

For that, you need to take the following continuing education options:

• RPR – Three credits every three years
• CVR – Twenty hours every two years
• CRC – Three credits every three years
• CER/CET – Three credits every three years

You should know that each agency sets distinct criteria for determining the acceptability of continuing education courses.

For precise details, consult their respective websites.

For that, you need to complete and send the renewal form by May 1st, along with the renewal fee.

Don’t forget to keep the Clerk of the Appellate Courts informed of your current address, as CCR certifications expire on July 1st of each year.

Court Reporter Salaries in Kansas

If you have reached this point, your interest in this profession and potential earnings are evident.

In Kansas, the median annual salary for a court reporter is about $58,866.

The table below provides information about cities in Kansas with the highest median salaries for court reporters.

Court Reporter by State