The deaf community and the interpreter community share the same concern about developing state legislation on certifying and licensing interpreters. Both communities strive for the best quality of interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing consumers but promote the growth of the numbers of qualified interpreters. The standards established by these states are greatly varied. A few states recognize certifications from both NAD and RID, some states recognize certifications from only RID, and some states do not even honor any nationally recognized certifications. Moreover, many states do not recognize both certifications from NAD and RID in all settings such as legal, administrative proceedings, education, and private and public entities.
Most states recognize both certifications for only one or two settings.
There are only four states have comprehensive laws on certifying and licensing interpreters for all settings. These states are Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Rhode Island. Today, more states are interested in developing their state legislation on certifying and licensing interpreters for all settings. Based on a high demand for the information, NAD had a graduate social work intern, Lisa Parker from Gallaudet University, do research on state laws. Lisa complied the laws and regulations from all but two states.