English Learners (ELs) constitute one of the fastest growing demographic groups among school children in the United States, with the number of ELs in K-12 public schools increasing by about 14% over the seven-year period from 2002-03 to 2010-11. This rapid growth in ELs has coincided with the growth in charter schools. Although charter schools enjoy greater autonomy, they are still required to follow federal and state laws and statutes. Against this backdrop, the National Charter School Resource Center developed this white paper to examine the legal parameters that charter schools need to be aware of as they attempt to serve the needs of ELs. In Section I of this paper, the authors outline the broad legal framework governing equal educational access for ELs in charter schools as established by federal law. Section II highlights state laws that have been enacted to clarify, extend or implement federal requirements. Section III discusses issues related to the availability and quality of available data on ELs in charter schools. Finally, informed by analyses and discussion, the authors outline policy implications at the federal and state levels in Section IV.