Official vs. Unofficial School Transcripts
An official and an unofficial transcript can show the same courses and grades. The practical difference is usually provenance and delivery: who issued the record, how it was transmitted, and whether the organization using it accepts that route.
There is no single federal “official transcript” format
Transcripts are education records maintained by schools or institutions. Federal privacy law governs access and disclosure of covered education records, but it does not create one national paper, envelope, seal, or electronic format that makes every transcript official. Institutions develop their own records systems, and institutions using the document develop their own acceptance rules.
What schools commonly mean by “official”
An official transcript is commonly a transcript issued through the school’s approved records process. That may mean a sealed paper record, a secure electronic transcript, delivery through an authorized records service, or direct transmission from the school. The important feature is the institution’s process, not simply whether the student can see the information.
What “unofficial” often means
An unofficial transcript is often a student-accessible or student-provided version used for reference, advising, applications, or preliminary review. It may show the same courses and grades as the official record. A screenshot, portal download, or opened paper transcript may be useful while still not satisfying an institution’s official-delivery rule.
Direct delivery is a separate feature
A licensing board, graduate program, employer, or other organization may require the school or its records service to send the transcript directly. In that case the concern is not merely the contents of the transcript; it is the chain of delivery. A student-forwarded PDF can be accurate and still fail that administrative requirement.
Closed schools
When a school closes, the records may be transferred to another institution, a state agency, or another custodian. The U.S. Department of Education advises contacting the appropriate state licensing agency to locate records from a closed postsecondary school.