How to Become a Court Reporter in Wyoming

A court reporter is also referred to as a court stenographer, real-time writer, or a certified shorthand reporter (CSR).

They transcribe every spoken word during a trial or other legal proceedings.

This role makes a court reporter an integral part of the justice system.

Individuals interested in pursuing a career as a court reporter in Wyoming must obtain a license.

Read on in order to learn how to obtain it!

Complete Your Education as a Court Reporter in Wyoming

To become licensed, you must first complete a court reporting training program.

Additionally, the program you choose should be approved by the Wyoming Board of Court Reporters.

To enroll in such a program, you need to meet the following requirements:

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

These training programs can focus on various areas, including:

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

Prospective students should ensure that the curriculum of their chosen program is approved by CASE (Council on Approved Student Education).

The curriculum should cover subjects like:

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

These programs usually fall into the postsecondary non-degree category.

However, you can find certificate, diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s degree programs that are all acceptable options.

Consider the following Wyoming schools for your court-reporting education.

Fox Valley Technical College

The Fox Valley Technical College is recognized as one of the top-ranked public institutions in the state.

Despite its modest size, the college maintains its reputation for excellence.

Every year, approximately 8,000 students enroll in a diverse range of degree programs, as stated on the college website.

One notable program offered by the Fox Valley Technical College is a 2-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Court Reporting, requiring 60 credit hours.

Earn Your Court Reporter License in Wyoming

After completing your education, you must pass an exam to obtain your court reporter license in Wyoming.

You have 18 months from the completion of your training to pass this exam. During this period, you can secure a temporary license.

However, note that the temporary license cannot be renewed.

Wyoming recognizes two nationally recognized certifications:

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

To acquire your Wyoming license, you’ll also need to pass a skills exam from one of these organizations:

• NCRA
• NVRA
• ACRA

This process involves:

• Payment of the appropriate fees, which include a $200 license fee and a $50 application fee.
• Providing proof of graduation from an approved court reporting program.
• Filling out the application form.

The ACRA test is quite similar to the NCRA and NVRA exams.

The NCRA skills test can be taken online, while the other two must be taken in person.

If you wish to become a registered professional reporter, you’ll need to pay:

• $120 if you’re not an NCRA member
• $95 if you’re an NCRA member
• $77 if you’re a student member

The NVRA exam costs $125.

If you’re seeking certified verbatim reporter status, you can pay a transfer fee of just $50 if you’re already a registered professional reporter.

The Certified Court Reporter (CCR) skills exam carries a fee of $75.

The exam consists of three sections, each lasting 5 minutes:

• Literary at 180 words per minute (wpm)
• Jury charge at 200 wpm
• Testimony/Q&A at 225 wpm

Candidates have 75 minutes to transcribe their notes, and Wyoming requires a minimum accuracy score of 95%.

For those pursuing the registered professional reporter designation, there is also a knowledge written exam with 120 questions covering technology, professional practices, ethics, and reporting practices.

The minimum passing score is 70, with fees as follows:

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

The NVRA exam carries a fee of $125.

Renewing Your Court Reporter License in Wyoming

Most licenses require periodic renewal, and Wyoming’s court reporter license is no exception.

The Wyoming Board mandates annual license renewal by September 30th. A reminder email is typically sent around August 1st.

There is a grace period until November 30th, after which unrenewed licenses expire.

The renewal process includes associated fees, as follows:

• $200 for renewals submitted on time
• $240 for renewals until September 31st
• $280 for renewals by November 30th

Individuals must also complete 5 hours of continuing education each year as part of the license renewal procedure.

Any extra hours can be carried over to the next year.

These hours should be obtained through NCRA, NVRA, and ACRA, as personal development classes are generally not accepted.

Court Reporter Salary in Wyoming

If you’ve made it this far, it means you’re interested in pursuing a career as a court reporter in Wyoming and are curious about the potential salary.

In the state of Wyoming, court reporters can expect a median annual salary of $56,863.

In the table below, you can find a list of cities in Wyoming with the highest median salaries for this occupation.

Court Reporter by State