The Non English Translation Certification is the process the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk uses to issue a Translation Certificate for the English translation of a foreign-language document that must be recorded. Its form is the Declaration of Interpreter/Translator, which a certified or registered court interpreter, or an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association (ATA), signs before a notary public. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the county publishes the original at arc.sbcounty.gov.
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What is Non English Translation Certification – San Bernardino County, CA?
The Non English Translation Certification is the San Bernardino County process for verifying that the English translation of a foreign-language document to be recorded was done by a certified or registered court interpreter or an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association (ATA).
California Government Code Section 27293 authorizes the County Clerk to issue a Translation Certificate once that verification is made. The county page for this process lists it under the County Clerk, in the San Bernardino Recorder-County Clerk's forms and fees list.
The PDF is the Declaration of Interpreter/Translator. In it the interpreter or translator states which credential they hold, the language they are certified or accredited to translate into English, the language and title of the document they translated, and that the translation is true and correct to the best of their abilities and belief. The declaration ends with a notary acknowledgment. The notary verifies only the identity of the person who signed, not the truthfulness, accuracy or validity of the document.
The declaration is one part of a package. Once the Recorder-County Clerk's Office reviews the submission, confirms every required document is present and verifies the translator's credentials, it issues the Translation Certificate, which completes the County Clerk's verification. Recording is a separate, later step handled by the County Recorder.
Who needs to file Non English Translation Certification – San Bernardino County, CA?
Anyone who has a foreign-language document that must be recorded in San Bernardino County uses this process to obtain a Translation Certificate. The translation must come from one of two kinds of professionals:
- a certified or registered court interpreter (the county points to the California Courts self-help website, https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/, to find one); or
- an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association (the county points to https://www.atanet.org/directory/).
The interpreter or translator completes and signs the declaration. Their signature must be acknowledged by a notary public, who completes the certificate at the bottom of the page. The person submitting the package is the one who asks the interpreter or translator for the original English translation and the notarized declaration.
A translation prepared by someone who holds neither credential does not meet the requirement the county describes. The sources set no separate eligibility rule for the person submitting the package and do not say whether someone may submit on another person's behalf.
When to file Non English Translation Certification – San Bernardino County, CA
Use this process when a foreign-language document must be recorded in San Bernardino County, before you ask the County Recorder to record it. The County Clerk's Translation Certificate comes first. After it is issued, you submit it again, together with the original foreign-language document, the original English translation, the original declaration and all applicable recording fees, to the Recorder-County Clerk's Office, and the County Recorder then completes recording under state law.
The declaration has no due date of its own. It is dated by the interpreter or translator when they sign it, and the notary dates the acknowledgment. The county gives no processing time for the Translation Certificate; for questions about the process, call the Recorder-County Clerk's Division at (909) 387-8306.
Documents you need
- The original foreign document that must be recorded; the county requires the original, not a copy.
- The original English translation of the foreign document, prepared by a certified or registered court interpreter or an ATA-registered accredited translator.
- The original Declaration of Interpreter/Translator, with the interpreter's or translator's signature acknowledged by a notary public.
- Payment of the fee per certificate requested, by an accepted method: cash (in person), check, postal or bank money order, cashier's check, or credit card with a surcharge.
- When submitting by mail: the mail process fee, either Standard USPS or Priority USPS.
- After the Translation Certificate is issued, for recording: the certificate itself, the original foreign-language document, the original English translation, the original declaration and all applicable recording fees.
How to fill out Non English Translation Certification – San Bernardino County, CA
Find a qualified interpreter or translator
Choose a certified or registered court interpreter or an ATA-registered accredited translator, and ask for the original English translation and a signed declaration that includes their certification, qualification or registration.
Enter the interpreter's name
At "I, ____, declare that I am:" enter the name of the interpreter/translator.
Check the qualification box
Mark either A certified/registered court interpreter or An accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association.
State the language certified
In "certified/accredited to interpret and translate from the ____ language to the English language," write the source language.
Describe the translated document
Enter the source language again where the declaration says the document was translated to the ENGLISH language. Then write the language and the title of the document in the true-and-correct statement, and add the specific description of the document.
Enter the signing date and city
Complete "This declaration signed this ___ day of ____, in ____, California" with the day, month and city of signing.
Sign before a notary public
The interpreter/translator signs on the Signature of Interpreter/Translator line, and the signature must be acknowledged by a notary public.
Have the notary complete the certificate
The notary enters the state, county, date, their name and title, the name of the person signing, then signs and applies the seal. The notary completes this block, not the interpreter.
Review, download and assemble the package
Check the names, languages and document title, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Assemble it with the originals and payment as described under How to submit.
How to submit Non English Translation Certification – San Bernardino County, CA
You can send the package to the San Bernardino Recorder-County Clerk by mail, and the county's payment options also list cash for in-person payment.
- By mail: send the completed form, the required documents and payment to San Bernardino Recorder-County Clerk, 222 W. Hospitality Lane, 1st Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415.
- In person: the office is at the same address; the county lists cash as an in-person payment option and does not print visiting hours on this page.
Include the original foreign document, the original English translation and the original declaration with the signature acknowledged by a notary public. A fee applies for each certificate requested. When you use mail, a mail process fee also applies, with Standard USPS and Priority USPS options. Pay by check, postal or bank money order, or cashier's check made payable to San Bernardino County. Credit cards are accepted with a surcharge. For current amounts, call (909) 387-8306 or see the county's Fee Schedule (Recorder-County Clerk) at https://arc.sbcounty.gov/forms-fees/.
After the Translation Certificate is issued, you submit it with the originals and the recording fees to the same office so the County Recorder can record the document. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the county's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a translator who is neither a certified or registered court interpreter nor an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association.
- Submitting the declaration without a notary's acknowledgment of the interpreter's or translator's signature.
- Sending copies of the foreign document, the translation or the declaration when the county asks for the originals.
- Expecting the notary to confirm the translation is accurate; the notary verifies only the identity of the person who signed.
- Leaving out the fee per certificate, or the mail process fee when you send the package by mail.
- Mailing the package to an address other than San Bernardino Recorder-County Clerk, 222 W. Hospitality Lane, 1st Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415.
- Treating the Translation Certificate as recording the document; it must be submitted again with the originals and recording fees for the County Recorder to record.
- Leaving the language or document title blank on the declaration, so it does not identify which translation it certifies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Non English Translation Certification in San Bernardino County?
It is the County Clerk process that verifies an English translation of a foreign-language document that must be recorded. Under California Government Code Section 27293, the Recorder-County Clerk issues a Translation Certificate once the translator's credentials and the required documents are verified.
Who is allowed to translate a document for a Translation Certificate?
A certified or registered court interpreter, or an accredited translator registered with the American Translators Association. The county points to https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/ for court interpreters and https://www.atanet.org/directory/ for ATA translators.
Does the translator's declaration have to be notarized?
Yes. The county requires the interpreter's or translator's signature on the declaration to be acknowledged by a notary public. The notary verifies only the signer's identity, not the accuracy or validity of the translation.
What do I submit to get a Translation Certificate?
Submit the original foreign document, the original English translation, and the original declaration with the signature notarized. Add the fee per certificate and, if mailing, the mail process fee. Ask the office at (909) 387-8306 for current amounts.
Where do I mail the translation certification package?
Mail the completed form, the requirements and payment to San Bernardino Recorder-County Clerk, 222 W. Hospitality Lane, 1st Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415. Payment can be a check, postal or bank money order or cashier's check payable to San Bernardino County.
What happens after I receive the Translation Certificate?
You must submit the certificate with the original foreign-language document, the original English translation, the original declaration and all applicable recording fees to the Recorder-County Clerk's Office. The County Recorder then completes the recording under state law.
Can I pay by credit card?
Yes. The county accepts credit cards, subject to a surcharge on top of the fees. Cash is accepted in person, and checks, money orders and cashier's checks are payable to San Bernardino County. The county's fee schedule gives the current amounts.
Can I fill out the Declaration of Interpreter/Translator online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file it or arrange the notary or the translation; the package goes to the Recorder-County Clerk through the county's channels.
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