Mo. R. Gov. Bar Jud. 14.03

As amended through November 19, 2024

Rule 14.03 - Duties of the Board

The board is charged with the duty and vested with the power and authority:

(a) To determine the content of examinations to be given to applicants for certification as "Certified Court Reporters;"

(b) To determine the applicant's ability to make a verbatim record of court proceedings by a recognized system designated by the board;

(c) To issue certificates to those found qualified as certified court reporters;

(d) To administer a continuing education program for certified court reporters; and

(e) To promulgate, amend and revise regulations relevant to the above duties and to implement this Rule 14. The regulations shall be consistent with the provisions of this Rule 14 and shall not be effective until approved by this Court.

REGULATIONS STATE OF MISSOURI THE BOARD OF CERTIFIED COURT REPORTER EXAMINERS UNDER PROVISIONS OF SUPREME COURT RULE 14.03(e)

1. Vacancies or newly established positions of official court reporters in courts of record of Missouri shall be filled by persons holding certificates as Certified Court Reporter, hereinafter referred to as "C.C.R.," issued by the Board as provided in Rule 14.07.

2. Applicants shall file not later than thirty days prior to the next examination a written application in the form prescribed by the Board together with a fee of $100.00 with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, which fee shall not be refunded in the event the applicant decides not to take the examination or fails the examination.

3. Any applicant who fails to pass any or all sections of Part I, the skills exam, and/or Part II, the general knowledge test, of the examination shall be permitted to take a subsequent examination upon the filing of a new application, together with a fee of $100.00 as required in the preceding paragraph of this Regulation. Such an examination shall include only the sections previously failed by the applicant.

4. Upon request, the Clerk of the Supreme Court shall forward to any person application forms, certificate of character forms (when applicable), and copies of Rule 14 and the Regulations of the Board.

5. Examinations for certification shall be held at least semiannually at times and places to be set by the Board.

6. The C.C.R. certificate, once granted by the Board, shall remain in effect upon the payment to the Clerk of the Supreme Court of an annual fee of $100.00 on or before January 1 of each succeeding year unless suspended or revoked pursuant to Rule 14.10 or 14.11.

7. On July 1 of each year, all C.C.R. certificates which have not been renewed by the payment of the annual renewal fee shall expire. An expired C.C.R. certificate may be reinstated at any time pursuant to Rule 14.11(c).

8. Persons holding a C.C.R. certificate who have practiced court reporting for 40 years or more, or who have reached the age of 60 years and are then in good standing as a C.C.R., shall be excused from the payment of the annual fee thereafter upon making a written application to the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners showing such fact.

9. Each person who is issued a C.C.R. certificate shall be entitled to use the abbreviation "C.C.R." after their name. Such person shall be entitled to procure and use a seal, similar to seals provided for use of notaries public, upon which shall be engraved the name of the reporter and the words "Missouri Supreme Court-Certified Court Reporter."

10. No certificate shall be valid for any system of verbatim reporting other than that for which it is issued.

11. Any C.C.R. who desires to employ a different system of verbatim reporting other than that system in which they have already been certified by the Board shall, prior to employing said system, become certified in said system pursuant to Rule 14.

12. The examination shall be conducted in two parts:

In Part I, each applicant shall satisfy the following accuracy and speed requirements in the system of verbatim reporting for which he/she seeks certification:

(1) Five (5) minutes of one-voice dictation at 180 words per minute;

(2) Five (5) minutes of two-voice dictation at 200 words per minute; and

(3) Five (5) minutes of two-voice dictation at 225 words per minute.

Each five-minute dictation will include the requisite number of words, with each 15-second segment having a 1.4 syllabic density.

Applicants will be given a total of three (3) hours to transcribe the dictation, with an accuracy of 95 percent required to pass.

Applicants may employ any system of verbatim reporting by which a record is preserved, the accuracy of which shall be the personal responsibility of the court reporter, provided, however, no system of direct electrical recording shall be considered a system of verbatim reporting for purposes of these regulations.

Applicants shall be required to furnish the equipment and supplies necessary for the reporting and transcription of dictated matter.

Upon completion of the examination, all verbatim notes or records, including tapes, diskettes or computer discs, transcripts, and other papers in connection with the examination, shall be retained in the custody of the Board.

In Part II, each applicant shall be tested by written examination in the following subjects:

(1) English, including grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling;

(2) Medical and legal terminology;

(3) Court and deposition procedures;

(4) Transcript preparation;

(5) Supreme Court Rules and statutes concerning court reporter duties; and

(6) Matters of general knowledge.

Applicants will be given one hour in which to complete the General Knowledge Test, with a minimum score of 80 percent required to pass.

The content and depth of the examination shall be a continuing subject of review and consideration by the Board, and changes may be incorporated by means of amendments to these regulations.

13. The Board shall maintain a roster, along with pertinent information, of all individuals who have been certified. The Board, in its discretion, may publish a list of all C.C.R.s who are in good standing, suspended or revoked, and whose temporary certificates have expired.

Mo. R. Gov. Bar Jud. 14.03

Adopted Feb. 28, 2001, eff. 1/1/2002; amended June 25, 2019, eff. 7/1/2019.