Solano — Rule 18 – Court Reporters

Source: https://solano.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/rule_18_july_2026.pdf

Superior Court of California County of Solano

Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

18.1 POLICY REGARDINGAVAILABILITY OF COURT REPORTERS

A. POLICY REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF COURT REPORTERS

Official court reporters are normally available in all felony and juvenile proceedings, civil
commitment and contempt proceedings, LPS conservatorships and trials, habeas corpus
evidentiary proceedings, grand jury proceedings when requested by the district attorney,
Family Law proceedings pursuant to Family Code, §§ 3042, 3410, 7892 and 9005 and any
other proceeding in which an official court reporter is mandated by law.

Official court reporters are not normally available in all other civil, family and probate
matters including pretrial proceedings, proceedings related to restraining orders, and court
and jury trials. Official court reporters are not normally available in all Department of
Child Support Services proceedings. A court reporter assigned and working in a
department is considered unavailable and shall not normally be pulled for another
department’s matter.

Infractions, misdemeanor, small claims and limited civil proceedings will be reported
electronically as authorized by statute.

B. REQUESTS FOR OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER IN PROCEEDING NOT NORMALLY
REPORTED

A party who has received a fee waiver pursuant to California Rules of Court Rule 3.55
may request an official court reporter pursuant to California Rules of Court Rule
2.956(b)(3) at least 10 calendar days prior to the hearing date by submitting Judicial
Council Form FW-020, Request for Court Reporter by Party with Fee Waiver. The Court,
for good cause, may shorten or waive the 10-day requirement. The clerk will notify the
party as soon as possible if no official court reporter will be available.

Given the general unavailability of official court reporters, final notice of the availability
of a court reporter may not be known until the day of the hearing.

The form shall be filed with the court or emailed to the Court Reporter Coordinator at
reporterrequest@solano.courts.ca.gov. Any request submitted to the court shall
additionally be immediately served on the opposing party. Untimely requests will not be
processed.

Infractions, misdemeanor, small claims and limited civil proceedings will be reported
electronically as authorized by statute.

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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

C. PROCUREMENT OF PRIVATE REPORTER PRO TEMPORE

For matters in which the court does not normally provide an official court reporter, a party
or parties may privately arrange for certified shorthand reporter services to serve as the
official reporter pro tempore at the party’s own expense pursuant to Government Code,
section 68086 and California Rules of Court, rule 2.956.

There can only be one official record of court proceedings and only one reporter appointed
by the court may report a court proceeding. (CCP, § 273; Govt. Code, §§ 66941, 70043,
70044.) When a party arranges for a reporter, the reporter must be appointed as an official
reporter pro tempore before the hearing begins. Every reporter who is not otherwise on a
court-approved list of reporters pro tempore shall complete and sign the Request for
Appointment of Official Reporter Pro Tempore (Form 3021- CV).

The party arranging for an official reporter pro tempore is responsible for paying the
reporter’s fees although the parties may arrange to share the fees. If the parties are unable
to agree on a reporter, the court will select the reporter to be used.

A reporter appointed as a Reporter Pro Tempore shall agree to the following:

(1) The reporter has a valid, current California Certified Shorthand Reporter
License and is in good standing with the Court Reporters’ Board of California.

(2) The reporter will provide current contact information to the court.

(3) All fees for reporting services, including appearance, transcript and real-time
fees, are the responsibility of the party or parties who arranged for the reporter’s
services and may not be charged to the court.

(4) The reporter will comply with statutes and rules applicable to official
reporters pro tempore, including the duty to timely prepare transcripts, including
those for appeals, in the proper form.

(5) The reporter will comply with the court’s requirements regarding uploading
electronic archiving of notes within 48 hours of the date of the proceedings except
in extenuating circumstances as approved by the Court Reporter Coordinator.

(6) The reporter will follow directions from the court and will be subject to the
jurisdiction of the court to the same extent as an official reporter.

(7) The reporter will be available for read back of notes taken during a jury trial

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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

within 1 hour of the court’s request.

(8) If providing real-time reporting, the court reporter will furnish the necessary
equipment.

(Rule 18.1 amended effective July 1, 2025; adopted effective July 1, 2022.)

18.2 COURT REPORTER TRANSCRIPTS

A. MINIMUM TRANSCRIPT FORMAT STANDARDS

A licensed Court Reporter or Pro Tem Reporter employed by the Superior Court of
California, County of Solano, shall comply with the following transcript format standards
when producing a transcript from a court proceeding:

(1) There shall be no fewer than 28 typed text lines per page;

(2) A full line of text shall be no less than 64 characters;

(3) Font shall be Courier, 12 pt;

(4) Each question and answer shall begin on a separate line;

(5) Text shall begin at the closest point to the left margin (left
margin is defined as the first character of a line text);

(6) Q and A symbols shall appear within the first 3 spaces from
the left-hand margin;

(7) Beginning text shall appear 2 spaces after Q and A;

(8) Carry-over Q and A lines shall begin at the left-hand margin;

(9) Colloquy and paragraphed material shall begin no more than 7
spaces from the left-hand margin with carry-over colloquy to the left-
hand margin;

(10) Speaker identification and Q shall be on the same line; and,

(11) There shall be no blank lines on the first page of the
appearance drop- in/beginning paragraphs.
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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

Failure to comply with the standards, as noted above, constitutes grounds
for corrective action, up to and including termination and filing a report
with the Court Reporters Board of California.

(Subd. (a) adopted effective January 1, 2013.)

B. REQUESTS FOR TRANSCRIPTS

1. Forms to be Submitted

Subject to the exceptions set forth below, all court reporter
transcripts shall be requested by submitting a request for
transcript form designated by the court. The form is available on
the court’s website or in paper form at any clerk’s office.

The form is not required in the following circumstances:

(a) In cases where automatic preparation of a
transcript is mandated by law.

(b) In civil cases where the transcript is being
requested in connection with an appeal. All appellate
transcript designations shall be done as directed by the
applicable Judicial Council form(s) and California Rules
of Court.

2. Cost of Transcripts

Except as otherwise provided by law or by California Rules of
Court, the party requesting a transcript is responsible for the costs
associated with the preparation and printing of all transcripts
requested by that party. If the proceeding has not previously been
transcribed, a party’s transcript request shall automatically
include preparation of one original transcript plus one copy. The
original transcript shall be retained by the court.

A party who believes he or she is unable to afford some or all of
his or her transcription costs may contact the Court Reporters
Board of California concerning his or her eligibility for assistance
from the Transcript Reimbursement Fund.
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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

3. Transcripts Requested by Non-Parties in Juvenile Matters

Any non-party requesting a reporter’s transcript of a juvenile
proceeding must file a Petition for Disclosure (Judicial Council
form no. 570).

(Subd. (b) adopted effective January 1, 2013.)

(Rule 18.2 amended effective July 1, 2022; adopted as Rule 18.2effective January 1, 2013.)

18.3 ELECTRONIC RECORDINGS AND TRANSCRIPTS

A. ELECTRONIC RECORDING AS THE OFFICIAL RECORD

Pursuant to Government Code section 69957 or by order of the Court, court
proceedings may be electronically recorded when a court reporter is not available. The
electronic recording serves as the official record of the proceedings in these instances.
In cases where an electronic recording serves as the official record, a party may
request a copy by completing an Electronic Recording Request Form and submitting
the form to the clerk’s office. Pursuant to Government Code section 70631, a fee will
be charged for each shared link or CD requested. The fee for the electronic recording
shall be waived for a party with an approved fee waiver on file.

(Subd. (a) adopted effective July 1, 2025.)

B. PREPARATION OF TRANSCRIPT OF ELECTRONIC RECORDING

1. Transcripts Generally

Pursuant to California Rule of Court 2.952 and 8.835, unless otherwise
ordered by the court, the cost for preparing a transcript of an electronic
recording shall be borne by the requesting party.

2. TRANSCRIPTS FOR APPEALS

Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the cost of preparing a transcript of an
electronic recording for purposes of appeal shall be borne by the requesting
party.

(Subd. (b) amended effective July 1, 2026; Subd. (b) adopted effective July 1, 2025.)

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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

C. OFFICIAL ELECTRONIC RECORDING IN LIEU OF TRANSCRIPT FOR APPEALS

Pursuant to California Rule of Court 8.835, unless otherwise ordered by the court, the
original of an official electronic recording of the trial court proceedings, or a copy
made by the court, may be transmitted to the appropriate appellate court as the record
of those oral proceedings without being transcribed. Such an official electronic
recording satisfies any requirement for a reporter’s transcript of these proceedings.

(Subd. (c) adopted effective July 1, 2025.)

(Rule 18.3 amended effective July 1, 2026; adopted effective July 1, 2025.)

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Rule 18 – Court Reporters and Electronic Recording

APPENDIX

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