{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-2503.1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 12-2503.1","heading":"Interpreter for the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Privilege","body":"A. As used in this section:\n\n1. An \"interpreter\" is a qualified legal interpreter for the\n\ndeaf or hard-of-hearing, as defined by Section 2408 of Title 63 of\n\nthe Oklahoma Statutes, or a spoken language interpreter for a\n\nLimited English Proficient (LEP) person;\n\n2. A \"deaf or hard-of-hearing person\" is a person whose sense\n\nof hearing is nonfunctional for the ordinary purposes of life;\n\n3. A \"Limited English Proficient (LEP) person\" is a person who\n\ncannot speak or easily understand English; and\n\n4. A communication is \"confidential\" if made privately and not\n\nintended for further disclosure except to other persons present in\n\nfurtherance of the purpose of the communication.\n\nB. A person has a privilege to refuse to disclose and to\n\nprevent an interpreter from disclosing such person's confidential\n\ncommunication made while such interpreter is acting in the capacity\n\nas an interpreter for persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or\n\nLEP.\n\nC. The privilege may be claimed by the interpreter, by the LEP\n\nor deaf or hard-of-hearing person, by the guardian or conservator of\n\nthe LEP or deaf or hard-of-hearing person, or by the personal\n\nrepresentative of the LEP or deaf or hard-of-hearing person if the\n\nLEP or deaf or hard-of-hearing person is deceased.\n\nD. An interpreter who is employed to interpret, transliterate\n\nor relay a conversation between a person who can hear and speak\n\nEnglish and a LEP or deaf or hard-of-hearing person is a conduit for\n\nthe conversation and may not disclose or be compelled to disclose,\n\nthrough reporting or testimony, or by judicial process or subpoena,\n\nthe contents of a confidential communication.\n\nE. There is no privilege pursuant to this section for\n\ncommunications:\n\n1. If the services of the interpreter were sought or obtained\n\nto enable or aid anyone to commit or plan to commit what the LEP or\n\ndeaf or hard-of-hearing person knew, or reasonably should have\n\nknown, to be a crime or fraud or physical injury to the LEP or deaf\n\nor hard-of-hearing person or another individual;\n\n2. In which the LEP or deaf or hard-of-hearing person has\n\nexpressed an intent to engage in conduct likely to result in\n\nimminent death or serious bodily injury to the LEP or deaf or hard-\n\nof-hearing person or another individual;\n\n3. Relevant to an issue in a proceeding challenging the\n\ncompetency of the interpreter;\n\n4. Relevant to a breach of duty by the interpreter; or\n\n5. That are subject to a duty to disclose under statutory law.","path":["OK Code","Title 12"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os12.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"67963c9b003dafba8ceb8e5952d13d4865d89d0271a48cfd43d4283877c64f47","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-2503","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-2504"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}