In my state of Tennessee, certification of court reporters is not a requirement.  There have been attempts made in the past few years to require certification of court reporters, but those attempts have failed.  Our professional association, the NCRA (National Court Reporters Association), does encourage and provide the opportunity to earn certification at the national level.  There are several skill levels, beginning with the RPR (Registered Professional Reporter) and the highest level is the RDR (Registered Diplomate Reporter).  More on that later.

Are you certified?  What are your thoughts about certification?