What is the report of proceedings (transcript)? 

The report of proceedings is also called a transcript. A transcript is a typed record of a hearing or trial. It includes what the judge, parties, witnesses, and lawyers said or testified to in court. 

A court reporter or recording equipment must have been present during your circuit court case to transcribe what was said. If there were multiple hearings, a court reporter may have recorded some of them and the court’s audio equipment may have recorded others. 

If there was no court reporter or recording equipment during your case, you can submit a Bystander's Report or an Agreed Statement of Facts. 

How much do transcripts cost? 

You do not have to pay to submit the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts). 

However, you must pay the court reporter for the cost of the transcripts. The court reporter will tell you how much the transcripts will cost when you request them. 

Transcript fees are listed in the Administrative Regulations for Court Reporting Services. 

Most court reporters will require you to pay at least half of the cost of the transcripts at the time you request them. Fee waivers do not apply to the cost of transcripts. 

Where do I file the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts)? 

If your circuit court case was recorded, you can complete the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts). Then send it to the court reporter.  

If the court provided the court reporter, ask the circuit court clerk’s office how to contact them.  

If the court made a recording, ask the circuit court clerk's office how to contact the person who will type the report.  

In some counties, a private court reporter may have recorded the hearing or trial. If you hired a private reporter, you can call the court reporter to find out where to deliver your Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts). 

The other party may have hired the court reporter. In that case, contact that party or their lawyer. Then contact the court reporter to find out where to deliver your Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts). 

When do I need to submit the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts)? 

You should submit the Request for Report of Proceedings soon after filing your Notice of Appeal. You will need to attach a completed copy of this form to your Docketing Statement when you file it. The Docketing Statement is due no later than 14 days after the Notice of Appeal is filed. 

How long does the court reporter have to prepare the report of proceedings (transcripts)? 

The court reporter must submit the transcripts within 49 days after your Notice of Appeal was filed. 

Do I need transcripts for my appeal? 

If a court reporter was present, or if your case was recorded by audio equipment, you should try to provide this record to the appellate court. If you don’t file the report, the information the court reviews will be limited. The court may then be compelled to rule against you. 

Transcripts can be expensive, but the record of what happened during your case in the circuit court is very important. 

What if my circuit court case was not recorded, or a court reporter was not present? 

Sometimes an audio recording is not made and there is no court reporter present to take down what happened in court. In that case, a Bystander’s Report or Agreed Statement of Facts can be used to make the record on appeal complete. This is another way to give the appellate court a record of what the judge, parties, witnesses, and lawyers said or did in court. 

Learn more about bystander’s reports in civil appeals or an agreed statement of facts in civil appeals.