9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate

Blueprint topic 30106 asks you to identify correct formatting of the certificate or transcript certification. On the CET practical, the certificate is one of three required parts of the PDF, with the title page and index.

Federal requirements

Guide to Judiciary Policy, § 520.63 and § 510.40.30:

• "The court reporter or transcriber is to authenticate the original transcript and each copy with a certification on the last page."
• "The certification is to appear on the last page of each volume of transcript."
• If more than one reporter or transcriber produced the volume, each must certify at the end of that volume.
• "The contents of the title page should not be repeated as part of the certification."
• A rubber stamp may be used.
• The certification is a required part of the transcript, and no extra charge may be made for it (§ 530.55(g)). If it is on a separate page with no transcript text, that page may not be charged.

The wording

Electronic sound recording (the CET's certificate)

The Guide (§ 520.63.30(c)) gives:

"I (we), court-approved transcriber(s), certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the official electronic sound recording of the proceedings in the above-entitled matter."

AAERT's Federal Format Template and Scalini key use a short form of the same wording:

                           Certificate

          I certify that the foregoing is a correct
transcript from the electronic sound recording of the
proceedings in the above-entitled matter.

_______________________________      October 17, 2025
[NAME OF TRANSCRIBER], CET

The parts: the heading Certificate; the certification sentence; a signature line; the date (the date you certify, not the date of the hearing); and the transcriber's name with credential. On the practical exam, AAERT's template tells candidates not to add their own name.

Transcribing someone else's notes

For a transcriber working from another reporter's stenographic notes, § 520.63.30(b) adds statements about accuracy "to the best of my ability" and a disinterest clause: that the transcriber is "neither counsel for, related to, nor employed by any of the parties" and "not financially nor otherwise interested in the outcome."

Stenographic record

For stenography, § 520.63.30(a): "I (we) certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the record of proceedings in the above-entitled matter."

Redacted transcripts

When a transcript is redacted under Judicial Conference policy, the redacted version is certified at the end, without causing a page roll-over (a smaller font may be used), stating that it is "a true and correct copy of the transcript originally filed with the clerk of court on [date], and incorporating redactions of personal identifiers requested by the following attorneys of record," and that redacted characters appear as an "x" or a black box (§ 520.63.30(d)).

Where the certificate goes

• After the last line of the proceedings, typically after the adjournment or recess parenthetical: (Proceedings adjourned at 4:50 p.m.) in AAERT's template, (Recess at 3:54 p.m.) in the Scalini key.
• On the last page of the volume. If it fits on the last page of text, it may go there; otherwise it sits on its own final page.
• Not inside the body you paste into the practical's text box. AAERT's instructions say to paste the body only, without the title, index or certificate.

Signatures

The certificate is signed by the person who produced the transcript. For PDF transcripts, many courts accept an electronic signature such as /s/ Name. Follow the court's or client's requirements. Never sign for another transcriber, and never let someone else sign for you.

Deposition certificates are different

For federal depositions, the officer (the person before whom the deposition was taken) certifies under FRCP 30(f)(1): "The officer must certify in writing that the witness was duly sworn and that the deposition accurately records the witness's testimony." Under FRCP 30(e)(2), the officer's certificate must also note whether review by the deponent was requested and attach any changes the deponent made. State rules add their own certificate requirements, often including disinterest statements and notary details.

When the reporter who recorded a deposition is not the person who transcribed it, agencies commonly use two certificates: the officer's certificate and a transcriber's certificate. The CET signs only the statement about the transcription.

Certificate checklist

• Correct wording for the recording method
• Signature line signed (or left for signature on the exam, as instructed)
• Date of certification
• Name and credential of the transcriber
• No repetition of title page contents
• On the last page of each volume
• One certificate for each transcriber who worked on the volume