Certified Translation Services in New York
Certified translations for New York courts, the Department of Health, NYSED licensing and USCIS, prepared online by professional human translators. $22.99 per page, delivered within 24 hours for documents up to 3 pages.
We translate documents for people and businesses across New York State, from New York City and Long Island to Albany, Rochester and Buffalo. Upload a scan or photo; a professional translator translates it and you get a signed PDF back. Nothing has to be dropped off in person.
- From Long Island to Buffalo, certified translation services New York residents use are online, including document translation services Rochester NY families order for NYSED
- New York civil courts want a foreign-language exhibit with an English translation and a translator's affidavit stating qualifications and accuracy (CPLR 2101(b))
- For the DMV road test, a foreign license translation must come from a consulate, the US State Department or another government agency, or you bring an International Driving Permit
- NYSED's Office of the Professions asks for a qualified translation with a notarized Affidavit of Accuracy and reviews each one case by case
Where New Yorkers Need a Certified Translation
These New York offices and federal agencies regularly ask for translated documents. Here is what each one asks for.
| Who asks | Document | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| NY civil courts (CPLR 2101(b)) | Any affidavit or exhibit in a foreign language | English translation plus the translator's affidavit stating qualifications and accuracy |
| NY DMV, license applications | Foreign-language documents you submit with form ID-44 | Certified English translation |
| NY DMV, road test | Foreign driver's license not in English | International Driving Permit, or a translation certified by a consulate, the US State Department or another government agency |
| NYS Department of Health | Foreign adoption documents for a New York birth certificate (PHL 4138-b) | Certified translation of the adoption documents |
| NYSED Office of the Professions | Foreign diplomas and school records for a professional license | Qualified translation with a notarized Affidavit of Accuracy, reviewed case by case |
| USCIS | Birth, marriage, divorce and other civil records | Full English translation with the translator's certification of competence and accuracy |
Sources: CPLR 2101, NY DMV, form ID-44, Public Health Law 4138-b and the Office of the Professions. Rules change, so confirm the current requirement with the office before you file.
Translations for New York Courts: CPLR 2101(b)
CPLR 2101(b) requires papers served or filed in New York civil courts to be in English. When an affidavit or exhibit attached to those papers is in another language, two things must go with it. The first is an English translation. The second is an affidavit by the translator.
That affidavit has two jobs. It states the translator's qualifications, and it states that the translation is accurate. A plain certificate of accuracy covers only the second point, so it can fall short.
An affidavit is sworn before a notary or other officer. Under CPLR 2106, a statement affirmed to be true under the penalties of perjury can be used in place of an affidavit, without a notary.
Tell us before you order that the translation is for a New York court. The translator's statement can then describe their qualifications as well as the accuracy of the work. Notarization is available on request; contact us before you order. The court makes the final decision. See legal translation for judgments, contracts and court orders.
Foreign Licenses and the New York DMV
Visitors can drive in New York State on a valid license from another country. DMV says you do not need a New York license unless you become a New York State resident.
Once you are a resident, DMV treats you much like a new driver. You pass a written test, complete the five-hour pre-licensing course and pass a road test. You also hand your foreign license to the road test examiner.
If your foreign license is not printed in English, DMV says to bring an International Driving Permit or a certified translation to the road test. DMV accepts that translation only if a consulate, the US State Department or another official government agency certified it.
It must show your name, date of birth, the license's expiration date and the vehicle types it covers. A translation from a private company, including ours, does not meet that rule. Ask your consulate or get an International Driving Permit instead.
Other DMV papers follow form ID-44. It says foreign-language documents need a certified English translation to be accepted. That includes a foreign driving record abstract, which some license holders from select foreign countries need to transfer without tests. ID-44 does not say who must certify these translations, so ask DMV before you rely on ours.
Our driver's license translation page covers uses such as car insurers and employers. For how this compares with Texas, Massachusetts and other states, see foreign license rules by state.
Vital Records and Foreign Adoptions
The New York State Department of Health does not translate vital records. Its translation guidance defines a certified translation as one with a signed and dated statement from the translator. That statement certifies that the translator is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.
The Department says the certification should show the translator's typed full legal name, address and the date. It should include a statement of competency, a statement of accuracy and the translator's signature.
For translations going to government agencies, the Department recommends meeting USCIS standards. Our certificate includes the translator's address and a statement of competency, so it covers these points.
Families who adopted abroad use Public Health Law 4138-b to get a New York birth certificate for the child. The Department files it on receipt of several items, including the foreign adoption documents and a certified translation of them. The law also allows copies of translations certified by an attorney.
We translate birth certificates, adoption decrees and marriage certificates in full.
Professional Licenses Through NYSED
The NYSED Office of the Professions handles licenses for professions such as nursing. If you studied abroad and are not using a credentials verification service, your school documents your education on Form 2F, Certification of Foreign Education, and sends it to NYSED directly. When the school's documentation is not in English, NYSED also asks for a qualified translation.
NYSED's bar is high. The translation must be done by a properly qualified translator and submitted in the original. Each one needs a copy of the original-language document and a notarized Affidavit of Accuracy. The affidavit affirms that the whole document was translated, nothing was omitted or added, and the translation is true and correct.
NYSED lists examples of qualified translators. They include an official translation bureau or agency satisfactory to the Department, a professor of that language at an accredited US college, and consular or foreign government officials. NYSED reviews translations case by case and makes the final decision. To add notarization, contact us before you place the order. See diploma translation and transcript translation.
Teaching Certification Starts With an Evaluation
For New York teacher certification, applicants educated outside the US need a foreign credential evaluation report. An acceptable evaluation organization must send that report directly; NYSED does not take one from the applicant. The current certification page sets no separate translation rule, so ask your evaluator what it needs before you order. If yours asks you for translations, see our guide to evaluation translations.
New York's Most Spoken Languages
About 4.62 million New Yorkers, 23.3% of the state, were born outside the US. In 2024, 68.4% of residents aged 5 and over spoke only English at home. These are the largest individual languages the Census reports.
| Language | New Yorkers who speak it at home (age 5+) | Our translation page |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | About 2.83 million (15.0%) | Spanish |
| Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) | About 646,000 (3.4%) | Chinese |
| Russian | About 210,000 | Russian |
| Bengali | About 192,000 | Bengali |
| Haitian Creole | About 161,000 | Haitian Creole |
| French | About 135,000 | French |
| Arabic | About 127,000 | Arabic |
| Italian | About 113,000 | Italian |
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates (tables B05002 and B16001). Yiddish is counted in a combined group with Pennsylvania Dutch and other West Germanic languages (about 244,000). State agencies offer key forms in the 12 most common languages, but that covers their own forms, not your personal records.
Serving All of New York State Online
No New York rule on this page asks for a translator who lives in the state. Courts, the Department of Health, NYSED and USCIS judge the translation and the statement that comes with it, not the translator's zip code.
So we serve all of New York online. A sharp scan or phone photo is enough; the signed translation comes back as a PDF to upload or print. We do not mail paper copies, so print the PDF if an office wants one on paper.
Upload
Send every page, including the reverse side, stamps and any notes in the margin.
Translate
A human translator who works in your language translates the whole document.
Check
Before the certificate is signed, every name, date and number is checked against your original.
Receive
The signed PDF arrives within 24 hours for documents up to 3 pages.
Translation Services in New York City
Immigration courts, consulates and city records offices for the state's largest city.
Certified Translation in New York Pricing
One flat rate covers your document in full. The total is shown before you pay.
- Signed Certificate of Accuracy on every order
- Accepted formats: PDF, JPG or phone photo
- Same rate for every language
- 24 hour standard delivery for documents up to 3 pages
- Free revisions for 14 days after delivery, full refund if an authority rejects a certified translation
Optional add-ons
No hidden fees. Free revisions for 14 days after delivery. Compare all translation rates. Need it sooner? See rush translation.
100% Acceptance Guarantee
If the New York office, court or federal agency your translation was prepared for rejects it because of the translation, send us the rejection notice and we will refund your order in full. Free revisions are included for 14 days after delivery; after that, a small revision fee applies.
Related Guides
- Notarized vs certified vs sworn translation: which one a court or board means
- What is a certificate of accuracy?: what the translator's statement includes
- Court document translation for immigration cases: judgments, police records and court orders
Translation in New York: Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Need a Certified Translation in New York?
For a New York court, NYSED or the Department of Health, upload the document. Expect the signed translation within 24 hours for up to 3 pages.
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