High school records are important for college admissions, proving diploma status, and legal cases. Unofficial documents may be available on a school website or through the principal’s office, while official documents involve a fee and may arrive in sealed envelopes. Contact the school or superintendent for records, but written permission may be required to release them to anyone else.
High school records can come in handy for a variety of circumstances later in life. They may be needed for college admissions, to prove diploma status, or even in some types of legal cases. It’s usually a fairly straightforward process to get copies of your high school records, but it’s important to be clear about what files you need and whether official or unofficial documents will suffice.
Some school districts provide unofficial documents that can serve as an information guide for alumni. These can include grades, personal information, and graduation date. Informal transcripts may be available on a school website or through a high school principal office. These are usually simple printed documents and are usually not considered sufficient for job applications or college tuition.
Official high school documents, such as official transcripts or copies of a diploma, may take a little longer to obtain and usually involve a small fee. These may arrive in sealed envelopes which must remain sealed to be considered valid. Many registrars will send them directly to the school, work, or other source that requests a former student’s information. This ensures that the student does not have the opportunity to tamper with the documents.
For finding these records, the best starting point is usually the school itself. Even if they don’t keep records on campus, they’re usually the best source of information on where to find official copies. Visit or phone the school’s main office and be sure to bring or know pertinent information, such as your Social Security number, dates of attendance and graduation, and student identification numbers. If you call or email, the school may request a photocopy or fax of your driver’s license or other official form of identification before issuing any documents.
If the school has closed or does not maintain on-site records, contact the school superintendent. This regulatory body may be required to keep records for legal purposes and may be better able to handle requests for high school records from previous decades. If the superintendent’s office is unable to help, contact your state or regional education department. This process could take several weeks or even months to complete, so be sure to allow enough time to get paperwork from your high school before applications are due.
High school papers usually can only be issued to the person named on the papers, unless they are under 18 years of age. Written permission or a signed release form from the former student may be required before the documents can be released to anyone else, even a spouse, sibling, or parent. To see who can and can’t access school records without permission, check your regional student privacy laws and school record practices.
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