Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters
Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters
Judicial Branch Building
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
(515) 348-4670
Email Us
Rules Regarding Certified Shorthand Reporters
Rules pertaining to certified shorthand reporters now appear at chapter 46 of the Iowa Court Rules. Fees payable with respect to reports and several kinds of applications were changed in 2008. You can view the complete chapter 46.
Transcript Integrity
All certified shorthand reporters licensed in Iowa need to be mindful of Iowa Code section 602.3204, which states that:
"A certified shorthand reporter taking a deposition, or any other person with whom the certified shorthand reporter has a principal-agent or employer-employee relationship, shall not enter into an agreement for reporting services that requires the certified shorthand reporter to relinquish control of an original deposition and copies of the transcript before it is certified and delivered to the custodial attorney."
If you are aware of any shorthand reporter or entity who is in violation of this statute, please contact the board immediately.
Internet Filing of the Annual Continuing Education Report
The online CSR reporting module is one part of the professional regulation website maintained by the office of Supreme Court Commissions.
View the professional regulation site at: http://www.iacourtcommissions.org
Continuing Education
Iowa Court Rule 46.8 requires that every active certified shorthand reporter complete at least three continuing education units within each three-year reporting period. One actual hour of continuing education equals .1 continuing education credit. The annual reporting cycle runs from October 1 through September 30th. Continuing education requirements and the three-year reporting cycle for newly certified reporters commence October 1st of the year following the year the report is certified.
The Board’s administrative office provides each active certified shorthand reporter an annual reminder each year, so please make sure your email address is current.
Reporters who are not NCRA Registered Professional Reporters or NVRA Certified Verbatim Reporters (and any other reporter who elects to report continuing activities actually attended instead of submitting evidence of satisfaction of NCRA RPR or NVRA CVR requirements) must report online all CEUs earned for attending continuing education activities during the reporting year.
NCRA Registered Professional Reporters who meet Iowa continuing education rules by complying with NCRA requirements for retention on its Registry of Professional Reporters are allowed to certify their continuing compliance with the NCRA requirements and provide evidence of that compliance when they submit their report online, in lieu of reporting individual continuing education events.
NVRA Certified Verbatim Reporters who meet Iowa continuing education rules by complying with NVRA requirements are allowed to certify their continuing compliance with the NVRA requirements and provide evidence of that compliance when they submit their report online, in lieu of reporting individual continuing education events.
A reporter is permitted to claim credit for events approved by the NCRA, NVRA or the ICRA, in an amount not exceeding the credit approved by those organizations. A reporter also is permitted to claim credit for events not approved by the NCRA, NVRA, or the ICRA, but only in these events previously have been approved for credit by the Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters.
Here is the request for approval of a continuing education activity (PDF)
Iowa Court Rule 46.8(2) authorizes the Board, in individual cases involving disability, hardship, or extenuating circumstances, to grants waivers or extensions of time within which to fulfill the minimum continuing education requirements. The Board does grant extensions of time when circumstances warrant, but generally does not grant outright waivers of the requirements.
A reporter must provide a reasonably detailed and specific statement of the hardship or extenuating circumstance upon which the application is based, and a reasonably specific statement of the relief the reporter is seeking.
Exemption/Inactive
Certified shorthand reporters who are not actively engaged in practice in Iowa may go inactive. This is done by obtaining from the Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters a certificate of exemption from continuing education requirements. A CSR who receives a certificate of exemption may not engage in the practice of shorthand reporting in Iowa without first complying with the regulations regarding reinstatement from exemption. Requirements for reinstatement are set out in Iowa Court Rule 46.8(4), which should be reviewed carefully before submitting an application for exemption.
Reinstatement from exemption generally requires payment of a reinstatement fee, the filing of a reinstatement application, showing satisfaction of the continuing education requirements the reporter would have performed had he or she remained active during the period of the exemption, and successfully passing the Iowa Written Knowledge test if it was not passed within the past three years.