Language Access and Disability Accommodations

Scope

This file explains, in plain language for people who are not lawyers, how to get language help and disability accommodations in New Jersey courts: the free interpreter services the courts provide, how to ask for an interpreter, how to request a disability accommodation (including the ADA process the courts run), and where to get more help. It does not cover how to become a court interpreter, the details of any specific case, or federal court proceedings.

Legal Explanation

Two different rights, two different doors (NJ-specific process; one federal law underneath). If you have trouble speaking or understanding English, or you are deaf or hard of hearing, the New Jersey courts will help you take part in your case [S4]. If you have a disability, the courts will make reasonable changes so you can take part too [S2]. These are two separate processes on the courts' website — one for interpreters and one for ADA accommodations — and this section explains both [S1][S2]. The disability side is rooted in a federal law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): under ADA Title II, all state and local governments must follow the ADA, and courts are explicitly listed among the state and local programs that must comply [S5]. The accommodation process described below is the New Jersey courts' own way of carrying out that federal obligation [S2].

Free court interpreters (NJ-specific). The New Jersey Judiciary provides court-interpreting services [S1]. The Judiciary's Language Access Plan (LAP), approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court, is grounded in three basic tenets: (1) anyone limited in their ability to speak or understand English, or who is deaf or hard of hearing, is entitled to the same access to, and meaningful participation in, the court process as people without language access needs; (2) only qualified interpreters may interpret; and (3) all costs for interpreting are to be borne by the Judiciary, except in very limited instances [S4]. The Judiciary states it is committed to "providing free and qualified language access services to all court users" who are limited English proficient (LEP) or deaf or hard of hearing [S4]. The Language Services Section (LSS) runs the program [S3]. The program is defined by a person's need — LEP or deaf/hard of hearing — not by a fixed list of languages; the approval materials for interpreters cover spoken languages generally (naming examples such as Arabic and Spanish) plus sign language [S3][S4].

How to request an interpreter (NJ-specific). If you need an interpreter, you notify the court as soon as possible [S1]. The process depends on the court: for Municipal Court, call the phone number on the traffic ticket or court notice; for Superior Court, contact the interpreter services office for the county where the case will be heard [S1]. There is one important catch to know about: once the court has scheduled a matter that requires an interpreter, the parties must notify the court if the case settles or is postponed, so the court does not pay for an interpreter it no longer needs — and a party who fails to give that notice may be assessed the cost of the interpreter [S1].

Interpreters at trial (NJ-specific). The New Jersey Supreme Court has directed that interpreting services will be presumed to be provided in person in a criminal jury trial, as stated in the Judiciary's description of State v. Juracan-Juracan, 255 N.J. 241 (2023) [S4]. The LAP was updated to reflect that direction [S4].

Disability accommodations: the federal ADA applied in New Jersey courts (federal law, NJ process). The ADA is a federal law, and Title II requires state and local governments — including courts — to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from their programs, services, and activities [S5]. The New Jersey Judiciary states that it ensures its courts, programs, services, and activities are accessible to all members of the community and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities [S2]. The ADA applies to everyone with a disability who uses the New Jersey courts — litigants, witnesses, victims, spectators, jurors, attorneys, agency representatives, volunteers, probationers, and participants in court programs [S2].

How to request an accommodation (NJ-specific process). For a Superior, Appellate, or Supreme Court visit, you request accommodations through the Judiciary's eADA system; for municipal court, you contact the municipal court administrator directly [S2]. You can also call the local Title II ADA coordinator in your county at any time, and anyone can request an accommodation for you, including your attorney — or you can simply tell the judge or court staff, such as the court clerk, that you need an accommodation for your next court appearance [S2]. The courts say they will provide a reasonable accommodation and will strive to give you an equal opportunity to participate, even if they cannot fulfill your exact request [S2].

What kinds of accommodations exist (NJ-specific list). Examples the courts give include: interpreters such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, certified deaf interpreters, oral and tactile interpreters, and transliterators; Computer-aided Real-time Translation (CART); text in alternative formats such as Braille and audio access; assistive listening devices (ALD); readers and note-takers; alternative seating arrangements and locations; and modified schedules [S2].

If you are not satisfied (NJ-specific). You have the right to appeal if you believe the court has not resolved your access issue: you can file an appeal with the assignment judge at any county courthouse or with the administrative director of the courts in Trenton, using the appeal form or asking the local ADA coordinator for one [S2]. If you believe the New Jersey courts discriminated against you because of a disability, you can file an internal EEO/AA complaint with the local EEO/AA officer in the county courthouse, or file a complaint with the Chief Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer [S2].

Where to get more help (NJ-specific). The Judiciary's self-help site is the starting point: it links directly to the "Request an interpreter" page and the "Ask for ADA accommodations" page [S8]. For people who need free legal help, organizations such as Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) exist [S6]; the specific services LSNJ offers could not be confirmed from its website within this topic's research budget.

ELI-10: Explain It Like I'm 10

[HYPOTHETICAL — NOT A REAL CASE] Imagine your school is putting on a science fair, and every kid in school is invited to enter a project. Two new kids just moved to town. One family speaks only Spanish at home, and the other kid uses a wheelchair. The principal says: "Everybody gets to be in this fair — no exceptions. If your family needs help understanding the rules, we will find someone to translate them for free. If you use a wheelchair, we will make sure the ramp is open, and we will lower the display tables so you can set up your project like everyone else." Then a third kid, who can hear, asks a friend to build their project for them — and the principal says no, because the school's job is to give everyone the same chance to participate, not to make the project for anyone.

Now let's translate that story back to the real rule: the school is the New Jersey court system. The free translator is the Judiciary's free, qualified interpreter service for anyone who is limited in English or is deaf or hard of hearing — the courts must give those people the same access to the court process as everyone else [S4]. The ramp and the lowered tables are the "reasonable accommodations" the courts provide to people with disabilities — which is what the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law, requires of state and local governments, including courts [S5][S2]. And just like the principal can't build the project for the third kid, a court's job is to give you an equal chance to take part — not to change the outcome of the case for you [S5][S2].

Real Case Reference (if applicable)

State v. Juracan-Juracan, 255 N.J. 241 (2023) — New Jersey Supreme Court, decided August 15, 2023 [S7]. The case's existence and decision date are verified on CourtListener, a free public database [S7]. This topic does not characterize the opinion's reasoning itself; it relies on the New Jersey Judiciary's own official description in Directive #21-23, which states that the 2023 updates to the Language Access Plan "align with and advance the Supreme Court's direction in State v. Juracan-Juracan, 255 N.J. 241 (2023), as to the presumption that interpreting services will be provided in person in a criminal jury trial" [S4]. In plain terms: in a criminal jury trial, the courts will presume the interpreter appears in person rather than remotely [S4]. Free-source link to the opinion record: CourtListener, https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/9439701/state-v-oscar-r-juracan-juracan/ [S7].

Key Takeaways

• New Jersey courts provide free, qualified interpreter services to anyone who is limited in English proficiency or is deaf or hard of hearing; the Judiciary bears the cost of interpreting except in very limited instances [S4][S1].
• To get an interpreter, notify the court as soon as possible: call the number on your ticket or notice for Municipal Court, or contact the county interpreter services office for Superior Court [S1].
• If your case settles or is postponed after an interpreter was scheduled, you must tell the court — otherwise you may be charged the cost of the interpreter [S1].
• The ADA is a federal law; its Title II requires state and local governments — including courts — to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate [S5].
• To request a disability accommodation in a Superior, Appellate, or Supreme Court matter, use the courts' eADA system; for municipal court, contact the court administrator. Anyone, including your attorney, can make the request for you [S2].
• Accommodations can include ASL interpreters, CART, Braille and other alternative formats, assistive listening devices, readers and note-takers, alternative seating, and modified schedules [S2].
• If an access issue is not resolved, you can appeal to the assignment judge or the administrative director of the courts, and you can file a disability-discrimination complaint with the courts' EEO/AA office [S2].
• Start at the Judiciary's self-help site, which links to both the interpreter request page and the ADA accommodations page [S8].

Sources

• [S1] New Jersey Courts, "Request an Interpreter for a Court Event," https://www.njcourts.gov/public/get-help/request-interpreter (verified 2026-08-20).
• [S2] New Jersey Courts, "ADA Title II Get Help," https://www.njcourts.gov/public/get-help/ada-court (verified 2026-08-20).
• [S3] New Jersey Courts, "Language Services," https://www.njcourts.gov/public/lang-services (verified 2026-08-20).
• [S4] New Jersey Courts, "Directive #21-23: Updated New Jersey Judiciary Language Access Plan (Supersedes Directive #10-22)," https://www.njcourts.gov/notices/directive-21-23-updated-new-jersey-judiciary-language-access-plan-supersedes-directive-10 (document date Nov. 14, 2023; verified 2026-08-20).
• [S5] ADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice), "State and Local Governments (Title II)," https://www.ada.gov/topics/title-ii/ (verified 2026-08-20).
• [S6] Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ), https://www.lsnj.org/ (verified 2026-08-20).
• [S7] CourtListener (Free Law Project), State v. Oscar R. Juracan-Juracan opinion record, https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/9439701/state-v-oscar-r-juracan-juracan/ (decided 2023-08-15; verified 2026-08-20).
• [S8] New Jersey Courts, "Self-Help," https://www.njcourts.gov/self-help (verified 2026-08-20).

Not Legal Advice

Not legal advice. This material is general public legal education about New Jersey law and procedure. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not reflect the most current law. Consult a licensed New Jersey attorney about your specific situation.