Online School Trains Oklahoma Court Reporters

Applicants 18 and older with a high school diploma can train remotely as Oklahoma works to fill its open court reporter jobs.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Distance Learning

Photograph of a single black stenography machine on a bare wooden courtroom table under soft window light. — Oklahoma is working to fill about 77 of its 198 court reporter positions as retired reporter Tracy Thompson launches an online training school. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Retired court reporter Tracy Thompson, who spent 39 years in the profession, has launched an online school to train court reporters in Oklahoma. The state has roughly 77 vacant court reporter positions out of 198, and the school is scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Why it matters

Oklahoma's shortage of court reporters has left some courtrooms without coverage, and some smaller counties cannot hold court when no court reporter is available. For students, court reporting is a skilled career with a starting pay of about $65,000 a year and an entry point that requires only a high school diploma.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma. Starting pay for court reporters is about $65,000 a year, and the online school offers both stenography and voice court reporting programs.

The players

Tracy Thompson

A retired court reporter with 39 years in the profession who now teaches court reporting and launched an online school in Oklahoma.

The details

Court reporters use specialized stenography machines to capture spoken words in courtrooms and produce official transcripts. Thompson, who teaches the court reporting profession, is targeting high schools and VO-Tech schools to recruit trainees for the program. The online format is designed to let students train remotely while the state works to fill its open positions.

Thompson spent 39 years working as a court reporter before launching the school.
The online court reporting school is scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Education Landscape

Oklahoma's 77 vacant court reporter positions out of 198 show a pipeline gap in a specialized trade that does not depend on a four-year degree. Online training is one way programs are trying to reach students who cannot attend in-person schools.

If you are at least 18 with a high school diploma and are considering court reporting, you can ask the online school about its stenography and voice court reporting tracks and their start dates. Ask the program directly about enrollment timing, tuition, and any financial aid options before committing.

The takeaway

Oklahoma's court reporter shortage is leaving some courtrooms and smaller counties unable to proceed, making trained professionals in high demand. If court reporting interests you, check the program's start date in January 2027 and ask the school's admissions office about its requirements and costs.