NAATI
How to Check If a Translator Is NAATI Certified
Before you pay for a certified translation, check the translator’s credentials. Here is how to verify a NAATI stamp and what to look for.
27 October 2026 5 min read
You can check a translator's NAATI certification in a few minutes. Find the translator's practitioner number on the translation, enter it in NAATI's verification tool, and make sure the name and credential match. If the translation has a digital stamp, you can also scan its QR code. Searching the directory by name isn't a reliable check, for a reason explained below.
Start with the practitioner number
Every NAATI-certified translator has a Certified Practitioner Number, or CPN. It is nine characters long and always starts with CPN, followed by a number, two letters, two numbers and a letter. NAATI's own example of the format is CPN7MF89K. The number appears on the translator's stamp, whether it's a physical ink stamp or a digital one.
If a translation has no number, or you can't read it, ask the translator or translation service for it before you do anything else.
Check it in NAATI's verification tool
NAATI's online directory has a "Check a NAATI certification" page, and the NAATI website has a similar "Verify a Credential" tool. Enter the number there. The tool shows whether the practitioner is currently certified and lists their certification details. NAATI says it can also be used to check whether a translation you received was done by a NAATI-certified translator.
Compare what it shows with your translation: the translator's name, the credential, and the language and direction your document needs.
If the tool doesn't find the number, check the characters before you worry. NAATI points out that people mix up the number 1 and the letter I, the number 5 and the letter S, and the letter O and the number zero. If it still fails, ask the translator to confirm the number.
Why a name search isn't enough
NAATI's online directory lists only the practitioners who choose to appear in it, and they decide which details to share. A translator who isn't listed may still be certified, so use the practitioner number, not the translator's name, to check a credential.
What "verified but expired" means
NAATI uses this wording for a practitioner who was certified in the past but whose certification is no longer current. NAATI says it can't confirm that someone with an expired credential meets the current professional standards. For translations, NAATI says a translation completed by a certified translator while they held an active certification remains valid indefinitely.
The date of the translation therefore matters. Suppose, hypothetically, that a translator's credential expired in March and your translation is dated in January of the same year. The tool would show "verified but expired", but the translation was done while the credential was active. A translation dated in May would be a different matter, and you would want to ask about it.
Checking a digital stamp
If the translation carries a digital stamp, scan its QR code. NAATI's page shows the practitioner's details and says clearly whether the digital stamp is valid. If the credential has since expired but the stamp was generated while it was active, the page still states that the stamp is valid, while showing the current credentials as expired. A stamp that has been disabled or forged returns "Digital Stamp: Invalid".
If you can't scan the QR code, NAATI explains that you can type the 32-character identifier printed beneath it into its verification page. For more on how digital stamps work, read our article on online NAATI translations and digital stamps.
Older accreditation numbers
NAATI's current certification system began in January 2018. Before that, translators held accreditations, and some still do. Their practitioner numbers are purely numeric, such as five digits, and NAATI says translations carrying the older stamps remain valid. To verify an older accreditation, NAATI says you need to email info@naati.com.au.
Warning signs
- No practitioner number on the translation
- A number that the tool can't find, or that shows a different name or credential
- A credential that doesn't match the language and direction of your document
- A stamp that is blurred, cut off or too small to read
- A QR code that doesn't scan, or that leads somewhere that doesn't look like NAATI
- A translator who can't or won't give you their number
If something doesn't match
Contact the translator or the translation service first and ask them to explain or correct it. If the problem isn't resolved, you can contact NAATI. Don't submit a translation to an organisation if you have unresolved doubts about the credential behind it.
Next step
Checking a credential takes only a few minutes, so do it before you submit a translation to anyone. If you need a NAATI translation, you can check prices and order online. If you have questions about how ordering with CertifiedWords works, contact us. The organisation receiving your translation decides what it accepts.