Court reporters who work in Michigan have a larger median salary than court reporters who work in some other states.
The field is expected to grow for several years, opening doors for newly certified court reporters in Michigan.
Michigan court reporters have a variety of responsibilities.
They accurately report, or transliterate, verbatim, what happens at legal proceedings such as trials and depositions.
The Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters explains that prospective court reporters should be highly motivated, have good retention skills, and have strong grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary skills.
The state of Michigan’s regulations that govern court reporters require that applicants successfully complete several steps before they earn their certification.
How to Become a Court Reporter in Michigan
Michigan’s residents who want to become court reporters must comply with the state rules and regulations that lead to court reporter certification.
The Michigan Court Rules, Chapter 8, Administrative Rules of Court contain the rules of the courts that govern court reporters.
Rule 8.108 specifically applies to the duties of court reporters in the state.
It also provides the rules for certification.
Submit Application and Documentation
The state of Michigan only allows certified court reporters to work as court reporters.
Anyone who is not certified, pursuant to the state rules and regulations, is not permitted to record or prepare transcripts of proceedings.
They are also not allowed to perform the duties of a court reporter at depositions.
Completing an online application is the first step towards starting the process of becoming a court reporter in Michigan.
Applicants must pay the required fee and submit the required documentation.
Court reporter applicants upload their documents with their application.
Documents that are required at the time of application include proof that the applicant is at least 18 years of age and proof of completion of high school.
Applicants must not have had any felony conviction within two years of submitting their online application.
Complete Educational Requirements
Michigan court reporters must complete a post-high school course of study that is an accredited, approved, or recognized court reporter program.
They submit proof of the completion of the study in court reporting.
The type of certification that an applicant wants determines if they are required to complete additional education courses.
A certified stenographic reporter (CSR) uses a stenographic machine to record depositions and to record court proceedings.
They do not have to complete additional courses to apply for their initial certification.
Complete Exam Requirements
The Michigan Court Reporting and Recording Board of Review has the responsibility of overseeing the court reporter certification process.
It sets the policies that are related to the exam process.
The Michigan Supreme Court also delegates to the board the responsibility of deciding extension requests and examination appeals to the board.
The board is required to administer an examination that tests the knowledge and skills of court reporter applicants.
The exam is given a minimum of twice each year.
Michigan’s Certified Stenographic Reporter applicants are required to obtain a passing score on the certification exam.
They are also required to provide to the board a verification by the National Court Reporter’s Association that they passed the registered professional reporter skills exam.
Court Reporter Schools in Michigan
Michigan’s residents who want to become certified court reporters need to make sure that any court reporter school or program that they want to attend meets the requirements set forth by the state.
Michigan has one school that offers an accredited court reporter program.
Macomb Community College 
The court reporting program at Macomb Community College is approved by the Michigan Department of Education as a prerequisite for court reporter applicants sitting for the Certified Shorthand Reporting Examination.
The program is also approved and accredited by the National Court Reporter’s Association (NCRA).
Examples of program courses include Court Reporting Theory, Court Reporting Skill, Medical Terminology for Court Reporters, and Judicial Technology.
Students also complete a 40-hour internship.
All the program instructors are either current or former court reporters.
The tuition varies for each court reporting program class.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a temporary Michigan court reporter certification?
A new Michigan court reporter may receive one temporary certification that allows the person to work until the release of the next exam results.
The board may extend the temporary certificate if the person fails the exam and plans to retake it.
Any new court reporter who has a temporary certification and who fails to take the test may not receive an extension.
All temporary certifications expire 30 days after the next scheduled examination.
Do court reporters in Michigan have to renew their certification?
Michigan Rule 8.108(6)(a) requires that all Michigan court reporters renew their certification each year.
The renewal application and the renewal fee must be submitted to the board by August 1 of each year.
Court reporters who fail to renew their certification by the required date may renew their certification by paying an additional late fee of $100.
Does Michigan require certified court reporters who recently moved to the state to comply with Michigan’s court reporter certification process?
A court reporter who moved to Michigan, or who plans to move to the state, may apply to the Court Reporting and Recording Board of Review for certification.
The board will consider the Reciprocal Certification, based on the certification currently held by the applicant.
Court Reporter Salary Information
The median annual salary for court reporters in Michigan is 61,945.
A court reporter’s salary may vary, based on the city where they work.
Consider, for example, that a court reporter who works in Ann Arbor has a median salary of $64,451.
A court reporter who works in Pontiac earns a median salary of $63,159, while the average salary for a court reporter who works in Battle Creek is $61,896.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$44K |
|
$62K |
|
$81K |
Average Salary in Michigan
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Detroit | $63,266 |
| Grand Rapids | $60,682 |
| Warren | $63,266 |
| Flint | $58,326 |
| Sterling Heights | $63,066 |
| Lansing | $60,570 |
| Ann Arbor | $64,568 |
| Livonia | $63,066 |
| Dearborn | $63,266 |
| Westland | $63,667 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 110 | $63,040 | $30.31 | $70,640 | $50,440 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Court Reporter Programs by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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