If you are applying for graduate study at a university at which you have previously been enrolled, you may not need to submit official transcripts. Check the application instructions or consult the Graduate Admissions office to determine what the policy is. This specifically includes your academic records. This means that you will have to authorize in writing the release of your transcripts to each graduate school to which you are applying. An official transcript is a copy of your academic record at a university which has been certified by the university as a true and complete record of your enrollment.
Many universities use special paper for official transcripts.
Some universities have a policy of not releasing official transcripts to their students. Many universities will not accept a transcript as official unless it has been sent to them directly from the issuing institution. This means that a transcript which passes through your hands may not be accepted as official, even though it carries the authenticating marks. If you have been specifically told to do so in the application instructions, there should be no trouble. Otherwise, always check with the individual universities to which you are applying to determine whether they will accept transcripts that have been issued to you.