How to Choose a Court Reporting Agency: What Law Firms Should Ask
Not all court reporting agencies are the same — here's how to tell the difference before it affects your case
At first glance, court reporting agencies can look interchangeable. They all provide reporters, they all produce transcripts, and they all answer the phone when you need to schedule a deposition. But the differences between a great agency and a mediocre one don't show up when things go smoothly. They show up when a deposition goes sideways — when the reporter isn't licensed in the state where the witness is located, when the transcript has accuracy problems, when the agency has no idea how to handle a last-minute remote deposition in another jurisdiction.
After years of working with law firms of every size, here are the questions we think every attorney and legal professional should be asking before they hand over their next deposition.
1. Who Owns the Court Reporting Agency and Are They Licensed?
This matters more than most attorneys realize, especially in California.
In California, a court reporting firm that is not wholly owned by a licensed California Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) must be registered with the Court Reporters Board of California (CRB) and designate a licensed CSR as Reporter-in-Charge. This law (SB 241, effective July 1, 2022) was designed to protect litigants from unaccountable corporate agencies that may not prioritize quality or compliance.
Ask any California agency for their CRB firm registration number. If they can't provide one, they may not be operating legally.
Regal Court Reporting is a reporter-owned firm. Our owner holds an active California CSR license, and our firm is CRB Registered (Firm No. 92). You can verify this directly with the Court Reporters Board.
2. What Credentials Do Their Reporters Hold?
There is a significant difference in skill level between a reporter with an active national certification and one without. Here's what the major credentials mean:
RPR (Registered Professional Reporter) : The baseline national certification from the NCRA (National Court Reporters Association). Requires passing a rigorous skills test at 225 wpm Q&A, 200 wpm jury charge, and 180 wpm literary, all at 95% accuracy.
RMR (Registered Merit Reporter): Advanced NCRA certification demonstrating higher speed proficiency.
RDR (Registered Diplomate Reporter): The highest NCRA certification.
CVR (Certified Voice Reporter): NVRA certification for voice writers. Recognized in most states that require certification.
CLVS (Certified Legal Video Specialist): Certification for legal videographers.
CER (Certified Equipment Rental): Certification for legal equipment specialists.
A good agency should be able to tell you exactly what credentials their assigned reporter holds before the deposition. Don't be shy about asking.
3. Can They Cover Out-of-State Depositions?
If your firm handles multi-state litigation, this is essential. Out-of-state deposition coverage requires reporters who are licensed or otherwise qualified in the state where the witness is located — and those rules vary significantly by state.
An agency that primarily operates in one state and simply "finds someone" in another state without vetting their credentials is a liability. What you want is an agency with a verified network of reporters in other jurisdictions, or established relationships with DepoSpan member firms who can provide vetted local coverage.
Ask: Do you verify that out-of-state reporters are licensed in the relevant jurisdiction?
Ask: Can you confirm the reporter holds a notary commission in the witness's state?
Ask: For remote depositions, do you understand the remote oath rules in the witness's state?
4. What Is Their Accuracy and Quality Control Process?
Every agency will tell you their reporters are accurate. The question is how they back that up.
Proofreading: Does the reporter proofread their own transcript, or does the agency have a separate proofreading step?
Dictionary preparation: For complex cases (medical malpractice, patent litigation, technical testimony), does the reporter research and build their steno dictionary before the deposition?
Realtime availability: Can they provide realtime feeds (live text output) if requested? Realtime capability is a strong signal of technical proficiency.
Rough draft turnaround: How quickly can they provide a rough draft after the deposition?
5. Do They Offer More Than Just Reporters?
The best court reporting agencies have evolved beyond simply providing a reporter and a transcript. Modern litigation support means a full range of services available from a single trusted partner:
Remote deposition management — Technical setup, platform coordination, exhibit handling
Legal videography — CLVS-certified videographers for synchronized video depositions
Deposition summaries — Summarizing lengthy transcripts to save attorney review time
Trial technology — Hotseating, exhibit presentation, courtroom tech support
Interpreter coordination — For depositions requiring certified language interpreters
Transcript repositories — Secure digital access to all your transcripts in one place
The more your agency can handle under one roof, the fewer vendors you have to manage — and the fewer places for things to fall through the cracks.
6. How Do They Handle Scheduling and Last-Minute Changes?
Depositions get moved. Witnesses cancel. Cases settle and unsette the same week. A court reporting agency's responsiveness during chaos is a more reliable indicator of quality than how they perform when everything goes smoothly.
Do they have a live person who picks up the phone, or does everything go through email and a ticketing system?
Can they accommodate same-day scheduling for urgent matters?
What is their cancellation policy, and is it fair?
Do they proactively communicate if they anticipate coverage challenges?
7. Are They Transparent About Billing?
Court reporting billing can be opaque. Understand what you're paying for before the invoice arrives.
Per-page rate: The base transcript cost, typically ranging from $3.50 to $7.00+ per page depending on market and complexity.
Appearance fee: A flat fee for the reporter's time, separate from transcript production.
Expedite fees: Surcharges for faster-than-standard delivery ( same-day, 24-hour, 48-hour).
Copy fees: Charges for additional transcript copies beyond the original.
Technology fees: Remote platform costs, exhibit handling, realtime feeds.
A reputable agency will provide a clear fee schedule upfront and will not surprise you with charges you didn't authorize.
8. Do They Understand Your Practice Area?
A reporter who specializes in personal injury depositions may struggle with a highly technical patent deposition full of engineering terminology. The best agencies match reporters to cases based on experience, not just availability.
Ask whether they have reporters with experience in your practice area — medical malpractice, construction defect, employment law, intellectual property, securities litigation.
It is a reasonable question, and a good agency will take it seriously.
The Boutique Advantage
Large national court reporting agencies offer broad coverage and brand recognition. What they often can't offer is personal accountability — the sense that someone at the agency knows your firm, understands your cases, and has a stake in getting it right.
Boutique, reporter-owned agencies tend to operate differently. Because the owner is often in the field reporting themselves, they understand the work in a way that purely administrative agency owners don't. Quality control is personal, not bureaucratic. Client relationships are long-term, not transactional.
That doesn't mean every large agency is indifferent or every small agency is excellent. But it is worth weighing when you're evaluating your options.
Regal Court Reporting is a reporter-owned firm based in Tustin, California, serving law firms throughout California and nationwide.
We provide certified stenographic and voice reporting, remote deposition coverage, legal videography, trial technology, and deposition summaries. Learn more at regalcourtreporting.com
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