Interpreting in Illinois

Moving to Illinois?

Register to be a member of IRID
Freelancing? Apply for interpreter license at IDHHC
K-12 interpreting? Apply for license at ISBE
Contact agencies and organizations near locations you wish to interpret.
Reliable gps or consider keeping an atlas or access to a map
When interpreting in the city of Chicago, rush hour is 7-9am and 2-7pm on weekdays. Miles do not matter as much as time. Sometimes a location that is 3 miles in the city can take 45 minutes of travel time.
If you plan to drive throughout the state, get an iPass tollway transponder.
Parking availability varies in different locations from free to $22 an hour.
Metra, PACE, CTA: forms of public transportation in the state of IL if you don’t want to drive
Testing for the BEI is located only in Springfield, IL, if you do have a BEI from another state, you may have to pay a transfer fee.

Leaving Illinois?

Inactive status fee with IDHHC
Renew with IDHHC if you received your BEI testing in IL to keep it updated
If you work for VRS, check with your employer to see if they are able to transfer you to a center in the area you plan to move
Contact IRID if you wish to continue or stop information.
Contact the local RID chapter in your new location.
Check to see if the new location has their own commission of the Deaf and Hard of hearing and also licensure requirements.
Check your current networks and interpreting friends if they have any interpreting contacts in the state you plan to move.
Visit a Deaf event in the area that you are considering moving to get to know the community.
Attend a workshop or conference in the area you plan to move. Most of the people who attend the workshops will be future team interpreters when you relocate.
If you plan to VRI with Illinois affiliated organizations for more than 14 days in a calendar year of interpreting work, it’s recommended to keep your license active due to the Illinois licensure rules.

IDHHC

What is IDHHC?

The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) is the entity responsible for overseeing the accessibility and communication access of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in the state of Illinois.

This executive state agency includes Deaf/HOH/DeafBlind Commissioners and Interpreter Commissioners who are appointed by the Illinois Governor.

To practice as a freelance interpreter you must be licensed with IDHHC and located in their directory. Licenses are renewed annually.

More detailed information about IDHHC can be found here:

Ready to apply for an interpreter license?

You must use the Enterprise license and permits platform (ELP).

The tutorial on how to apply can be found here:

ISBE

What is ISBE?

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires license approval in the K-12 setting and is a license that is valid for 5 years.

If you are interested in interpreting in the K-12 school setting you must fulfill the Educator License Approval Requirements of the following categories.

Sign Language Interpreter 25.550

Requirements

ONE of the following:

Have completed 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education
Hold an associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education
Have achieved a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by Educational Testing Service [ETS]) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
Have achieved a passing score on the written examination administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.

ONE of the following:

Attained a rating of Level 3.5 or above on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)
Maintained a valid certification from the RID
Maintained a valid Illinois Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (IL BEI) Basic Certification or higher issued by the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission

Years Valid

Limitations

Renewable; if professional development requirements are met (50 clock hours of PD 25.550(c) and renewed between April 1 and June 30 of renewal cycle).

If you find yourself you do not match these requirements you can apply for the interim category which is valid for 2 years, but it is not renewable.

When you apply for the 5 year sign language interpreter approval and you have not met the full requirements, you may qualify for an interim approval. This approval serves as a temporary approval until other requirements are met.

Interim Sign Language Interpreter 25.550(a)(4)

Requirements

ONE of the following:

Complete 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education
Hold an associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education
Achieve a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by Educational Testing Service [ETS]) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
Achieve a passing score on the written examination administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent

Attain a rating of level 3.0 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)

Years Valid

Limitations

Not renewable.