What Format Must a New York Court Transcript Follow? 22 NYCRR Part 108, Explained
One rule, and what it covers
Part 108 sits in the Rules of the Chief Administrator of the Courts. Its scope clause (§ 108.1(a)) covers "the format of each page of a transcript of court proceedings to be furnished by a court reporter who is an employee of the Unified Court System or who is an independent contractor," along with the rates of payment and the reporter–requester agreement. Court proceedings, that is — trials and hearings. Keep that in mind for the deposition section below.
The page, dimension by dimension
Section 108.3 reads like a typesetting spec. The load-bearing quotes:
"Each page, except those listed in subparagraphs (i) through (iii) of this paragraph, shall have 25 numbered lines of material thereon, excluding a line devoted to the title and page number" 22 NYCRR § 108.3(b)(1) — the exceptions are the title page, the index page, and the last page of each day's proceedings
"There shall be 10-type characters per inch." 22 NYCRR § 108.3(b)(2)
"The left-hand margin shall be indented 1¾ inches from the left-hand edge of the page and shall be marked by two lines, 1/16 of an inch apart, extending from the top to the bottom of each page. The right-hand margin shall be indented ⅜ of an inch from the right-hand edge and shall be marked by a single line… Each line of transcribed material shall extend as closely as possible to the right-hand margin." 22 NYCRR § 108.3(b)(3) — the margins are ruled, printed lines: a double rule on the left, a single rule on the right
"The horizontal writing block shall be 6 5/16 inches. The vertical writing block shall be 9 inches." 22 NYCRR § 108.3(b)(4)
Do the arithmetic on that writing block: 8.5" of paper, minus the 1¾" left margin and the 1/16" between its two rules, minus the 3/8" right margin, is exactly 6‑5/16" — and at 10 characters per inch, that is a 63-character line, with the text starting at the inner of the two left rules. (Online NYCRR mirrors garble the fraction — one renders it "6/16", another "65/16" — but the arithmetic pins it.) One detail careful readers notice: the phrase "double-spaced" appears nowhere in Part 108. Spacing follows from the geometry — 25 numbered lines plus the title line in a 9-inch vertical block — which works out to functionally double-spaced 10-pitch typing. Cite the block, not "double spacing."
| Element | Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | 8½" × 11" | § 108.3(a) |
| Lines | 25 numbered lines + 1 unnumbered title/page-number line | § 108.3(b)(1) |
| Type | 10 characters per inch | § 108.3(b)(2) |
| Left margin | 1¾", double-ruled (rules 1/16" apart) | § 108.3(b)(3) |
| Right margin | 3/8", single-ruled | § 108.3(b)(3) |
| Writing block | 6‑5/16" wide (≈ 63 characters) × 9" tall | § 108.3(b)(4) |
| Billing floor | ≥ 13 lines of material or the page isn't payable | § 108.2(d) |
The indents are rule text too
Part 108 doesn't stop at the page edges — it dictates where Q, A, and speakers sit, in language exact enough to quote whole:
"In the testimony portion, the first line of each question and each answer shall be indented five spaces from the left-hand margin and shall be commenced by a 'Q' or 'A' as appropriate. The text of each such line shall then commence 10 spaces from the left-hand margin. Each subsequent line of a question or answer shall commence at the left-hand margin." 22 NYCRR § 108.3(c)(1) — the official sample pages show "Q" and "A" with no period
"In the colloquy portion, the first line of each speaker's remarks shall be indented 15 spaces from the left-hand margin and shall be commenced with a designation of the speaker's name, followed by a colon, two spaces and the start of his or her remarks. Each subsequent line of such remarks shall be indented 5 spaces from the left-hand margin, except that the first line of each succeeding paragraph of such remarks shall be indented 15 spaces from the left-hand margin." 22 NYCRR § 108.3(c)(2)
Two gaps worth knowing: parenthetical indentation is specified nowhere in Part 108, and the precise positions of the page number and line numbers appear only in the rule's official sample pages (§ 108.3(f) points to them; they're codified in Subtitle D of Title 22), not in the numbered rule text itself.
Part 108 also prescribes the title page's contents (court and part, case name and numbers, dates, presiding authority, whether a jury was present, appearances, the reporter's and any interpreter's names — § 108.3(d)) and a witness-and-exhibits index (§ 108.3(e)).
The 13-line billing floor
Section 108.2(d) ties payment to the format directly: "a court reporter shall not be entitled to payment for a page of transcript unless the page complies with the standard transcript specifications set forth in section 108.3 of this Part and has at least 13 lines of material thereon." And if a transcript is reproduced condensed — several pages on one sheet — § 108.2(b)(1)(vii) counts each quadrant as a separately billable page. New York, like Michigan and unlike California, is a page-rate state: the page format and the money are the same subject.
Depositions and appeals
Depositions: no New York statute or rule prescribes deposition transcript page geometry. CPLR 3116 governs signing, certification, and filing — not one word of format — and 22 NYCRR Part 221 governs deposition conduct. In practice, the freelance market produces depositions on the Part 108 page by convention, and the courts quietly assume it: the Appellate Division's statewide practice rule refuses "a transcript of testimony given at a trial, hearing or deposition that is reproduced in condensed format" in the record (22 NYCRR § 1250.7(e)) — a rule that speaks of deposition transcripts "in standard format" without ever defining a different one.
Appeals: no separate transcript geometry exists. CPLR 5529 sets paper and legibility standards for briefs and appendices, and Judiciary Law §§ 301–302 impose the duty to transcribe and furnish — with zero format language. The Part 108 page is the page, everywhere it matters.
Primary sources
- 22 NYCRR § 108.3 — standard transcript specifications (also §§ 108.1 and 108.2)
- 22 NYCRR § 1250.7(e) — condensed transcripts prohibited in the appellate record
- CPLR 3116 and CPLR 5529 — what the deposition and appellate rules do (and don't) say about format
Common questions
How many lines per page is a New York court transcript?
25 numbered lines of material, plus an unnumbered line for the running title and page number (22 NYCRR § 108.3(b)(1)). Title pages, index pages, and each day's last page are excepted.
How wide is the New York transcript line?
The rule fixes a 6‑5/16" horizontal writing block at 10 characters per inch — about 63 characters per line, with every line required to "extend as closely as possible to the right-hand margin."
Are "Q" and "A" written with periods in New York?
The rule text says questions and answers are "commenced by a 'Q' or 'A'," and the official sample pages show them without periods.
Is there a required format for New York depositions?
No rule with legal force — CPLR 3116 is silent on format. The market uses the Part 108 page by convention, and the appellate rules assume that "standard format" when they ban condensed reproductions in the record.
This guide reports court rules and statutes for general information. It is not legal advice; how these provisions apply to any particular reporter's work is a question for a New York attorney.
Related guides: California's transcript page: the 28-line L.A. rule vs. the statewide 25-line minimum · How many characters per line is a court transcript page?