244 Washington Street, SW – Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30334
Main: (404) 463-3808
Fax: (770) 357-9001
Email: gcr@georgiacourts.gov
Board Membership
| Name | Jurisdiction/Position | Role | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Violet “Vi” Bennett | Wayne County State Court | Chair | 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2027 |
| Jennifer L. Pope, CCR | Machine Shorthand Representative | Vice Chair | 12/13/2024 – 12/14/2026 |
| Tina S. Roddenbery, Esq. | State Bar of Georgia Representative | Member | 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2027 |
| Thomas “Tom” Herman, Esq. | State Bar of Georgia Representative | Member | 12/13/2024 – 12/14/2026 |
| Debra H. Nagy, CCR | Voice Writer Representative | Member | 12/13/2024 – 12/14/2026 |
| Kate Cochran, CCR | Machine Shorthand Representative | Member | 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2027 |
| Lisa Singley, CCR | Machine Shorthand Representative | Member | 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2027 |
| Vickie Weichec, CCR | Voice Writer Representative | Member | 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2027 |
| Judge Kimberly Childs | Cobb Circuit Superior Court | Member | 12/13/2024 – 12/14/2026 |
| Cynthia H. Clanton, Esq. | Director – Administrative Office of the Courts | Secretary |
The Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia
The Georgia General Assembly established the Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia to license, create standard practices, discipline, and regulate Court Reporting in Georgia. The Board of Court Reporting establishes and enforces standards that govern court reporters and provides a forum for exchanging ideas and educational services.
The Judicial Council of Georgia appoints the board members for a term of two years. The Board membership is made of five certified court reporters, two attorney representatives from the State Bar of Georgia, one state court judge, and one superior court judge.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Establish rules and regulations that effectively carry out the provisions of the Georgia Court Reporting Act, see O.C.G.A. § 15-14-20.
2. Certify court reporters and court reporting firms.
3. Ensure the practice of court reporting in the courts of Georgia is an integral part of an effective judicial system.
4. Enforce the code of ethics and professional guidelines that govern the court reporting profession.
5. Provide a mechanism for training requirements.
6. Serve as a disciplinary Board.
How to Become a Certified Court Reporter
Step 1: Complete Certification Requirements
All potential Georgia court reporters must meet the certification requirements of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA), or American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT).
Step 2: Create an Account and Submit Documentation
After satisfactorily obtaining national certification, applicants must create a new Georgia Courts Registrar account and submit all required certification documents.
Step 3: Complete and Submit the Georgia Test
Download and complete the 25 question Georgia test. Applicants must pass with a minimum of 80%. Applicants that fail the test may retest after 24-hours. All materials required to pass the test can be found on the Board of Court Reporting website within the rules and regulations, policy documents, and advisory opinions issued by the Board.
Step 4: Pay applicable fees
Applications are subject to a $125 application fee for first-time applicants. All returning applicants must log into their existing accounts to identify and resolve any outstanding fees. Please ensure that you pay the application fee so that the staff can start processing your application.
Step 5: Background Check
Applicants must submit to a background check, which consists of reviewing the applicant’s criminal history, professional license history, and professional disciplinary history. Applicants must disclose any previous convictions. The Board of Court Reporting reserves the right to accept or reject any application based on any conviction, or if the applicant does not disclose a conviction, and it later appears on the applicants’ background check.
Important Documents
- 2026 Fall Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) Seminar (Zoom Conference Meeting)
The Board of Court Reporting requires all newly licensed Court Reporters to complete the first available Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) seminar. This training is designed to educate court reporters on the rules and regulations of Court Reporting in the state of Georgia. All Court Reporters licensed in Georgia between May 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025, are required to attend. It is important to note that failure to complete the LEAP training seminar can result in the automatic suspension of your license.This year’s seminar will take place on Friday, October 2, 2026, and will be held at the State Bar of Georgia. To register, please log in to your Georgia Courts Registrar account and click on the “Event Center” tab located at the top of the screen. You must register by 5 pm ET on September 4, 2026, to pay the on-time rate of $200. If you register after the deadline, the late registration fee is $225. Late registration ends September 18, 2026.
- LEAP Seminar
Friday, October 2, 2026
Additional details will be shared soon.
- Approval of Uniform Superior Court Rules 36.19
The Georgia Supreme Court approved Uniform Superior Court Rules 36.19 – Digital Recording of Court Proceedings, on January 29, with an effective date of February 26, 2026. Please see USCR 36.19 to review a copy of the rules. - Authorization of House Bill 179
Effective January 1, 2026, House Bill 179 authorizes the use of digital recording systems for certain proceedings and defines what qualifies as a digital recording system. This bill modifies Georgia state law to allow for the digital recording of certain court proceedings as an alternative to traditional court reporting. Specifically, the legislation provides judges with discretion to use digital recording systems in various types of court proceedings, including felony trials, misdemeanor cases, civil cases, and proceedings in the Georgia State-wide Business Court.The bill defines a “digital recording system” as an electronic audio or audiovisual recording method intended to create a verbatim transcript, and it establishes that such recordings must follow uniform court rules approved by the Supreme Court. When a digital recording is used, a certified court reporter must still be available to transcribe the recording if a written transcript is requested or required. The bill maintains that court reporters will continue to play a crucial role in creating official transcripts, whether they are produced from live stenographic notes or from digital recordings.These changes aim to provide courts with more flexibility in documenting judicial proceedings while ensuring a reliable record can be produced when needed. - 2026 Spring Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) Seminar (Zoom Conference Meeting)
The Board of Court Reporting requires all newly licensed Court Reporters to complete the first available Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) seminar. This training is designed to educate court reporters on the rules and regulations of Court Reporting in the state of Georgia. All Court Reporters licensed in Georgia between May 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025, are required to attend. It is important to note that failure to complete the LEAP training seminar can result in the automatic suspension of your license.This year’s seminar will take place on Monday, February 23, 2026, and will be held via Zoom Conference Meeting. To register, please log in to your Georgia Courts Registrar account and click on the “Event Center” tab located at the top of the screen. You must register by 5 pm ET on January 23, 2026, to pay the on-time rate of $200. If you register after the deadline, the late registration fee is $225. Late registration ends February 13, 2026. - LEAP Seminar
Monday, February 23, 2026
Our Fall Seminar will be held virtually on October 2, 2026. Additional details will be shared soon.
- BCR – Rules and Regulations
- BCR – Advisory Opinions
- Code of Professional Ethics
- Court Transcription Preparation Time Study
- JC Policies and Fees for Court Reporting Services in Criminal Cases
- Fee Schedule for Civil and Criminal Fees
- Official Judicial Branch Records Retention Schedule (2010)
- Official Judicial Branch Records Retention Schedules
- Report and Recommendations on Preventing Sexual Harassment
2020 Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) Seminar
The Board of Court Reporting requires all newly licensed Georgia court reporters to complete the first available Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) seminar after certification. This training seminar is designed to educate each recently certified court reporter on the rules and regulations to practice in the state of Georgia. All Court Reporters licensed in Georgia between May 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020, are required to attend. It is important to note if required to attend failure to complete the LEAP training seminar can result in the automatic suspension of your license.
This year’s seminar will take place on Friday, September 25, 2020. Registration for this event opened on Monday, June 29, 2020. To ensure the safety of all of our participants, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, this year’s LEAP seminar will be held using Zoom Virtual Meeting Software. To register, log in to your Georgia Courts Registrar account and click on the “Event Center” tab located at the top of the screen. You must register by 5 pm ET on August 28, 2020, to pay the on-time rate of $200. The late registration fee is $225 if you register after that date. Late registration ends September 18, 2020
LEAP Seminar
Friday, September 25, 2020