Capability statement
Certified document translation for California public agencies.
A San Francisco firm translating government and civic documents for public agencies across California. Every job is reviewed by a qualified human linguist and delivered with a signed certificate of accuracy.
Formatted to print, for the vendor file.
Snapshot
Firm snapshot.
- Civic Translation
- San Francisco, CA
- California public agencies: state, county, city, and special district.
- Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Pacific
- civictranslation.com
- 541930: Translation and Interpretation Services561410: Document Preparation Services
Core competencies
What we produce.
Written translation of government and civic documents. Interpretation is a separate discipline and we do not provide it.
Document translation
Notices, forms, applications, outreach materials, and public-facing web copy, translated, reviewed, and returned in the layout you sent.
Certified translation
A signed, dated certificate of accuracy accompanying each delivery, in the form agencies and courts expect for the record.
Review of existing translations
Independent review of translations you already hold (including machine output), with a written finding and, where warranted, certification.
Formatting and layout
We format for text expansion, right-to-left scripts, and line breaking in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, so the translated file prints and posts like the source.
- Agency glossaries and term lists applied on intake and carried across every subsequent job.
- Community-preferred and inclusive terminology applied to the agency's style guide, with each decision recorded in the program glossary.
- Multi-document programs (handbooks, manuals, and notice families) delivered on a milestone schedule.
- Output for print, for a CMS, and for tagged PDF, from the same source file.
- A signed certificate of accuracy per document, per language pair, issued with the delivery.
Languages
Languages.
Certified translation into any language your program is required to publish in. Where a solicitation requires a rate for every language on an agency's schedule, we price the schedule in full.
Every job is assigned a qualified translator and a second, independent reviewer in that language pair, confirmed before we quote.
The pairs we are asked for most: Spanish, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Vietnamese, Filipino, Russian, Korean, and Arabic. These are working notes on frequent requests. The rate schedule an agency sends is what defines the job.
Turnaround and practice
What is different about buying from us.
Written quotes
Returned same business day, itemized by document and by language, each with its delivery date.
Human review on every job
A qualified linguist in the language pair reviews the full text against the source, at every turnaround tier.
Certificate of accuracy
Signed and dated with every delivery, carrying a job reference number that also appears on the invoice.
No minimum order
A one-page notice is a job we take. No minimum, and no small-order surcharge.
Script and convention set per audience
Traditional or Simplified Chinese, and regional convention, confirmed at intake for the readership the document serves.
Source layout preserved
Text expansion, right-to-left scripts, and CJK line breaking handled so the delivered file prints and posts like the source.
- Standard
- Documents up to roughly 2,500 words, per language.
- Priority
- Documents up to roughly 1,200 words, per language. Same-day intake before 11 a.m. PT.
- Scheduled
- Handbooks, manuals, and multi-document programs, delivered on a milestone schedule.
Contracting
How to contract with us.
Direct purchase order, or as a subcontractor under a prime.
Request a quote
Send the file, the languages, the date, and the delivery format to quotes@civictranslation.com. A written, itemized quote comes back same business day.
Raise a purchase order
A completed W-9 is available on request. Standard net terms, or your department's terms where they differ. Blanket purchase orders and term contracts are drawn down job by job.
Delivery
Returned in the format you sent, with a signed certificate of accuracy for each document and language pair.
Invoice
Referencing the purchase order number, the documents, the languages, and the delivery date, so it reconciles without a phone call.
Confidentiality, recordkeeping, and rush handling are set out in full for public agencies. Subcontract terms are set out separately for language service providers.
Registrations
Registrations and credentials.
Listed once issued, with certificate numbers. Nothing pending or applied-for appears here.
- California certified Small Business
- Certified by the Department of General Services (Cal eProcure).
Anything not listed here has not been issued to the firm yet.
Send a document, or ask for the vendor file.
Attach the file, name the languages, and give us the date. A written, itemized quote comes back same business day.