When you apply to a community college in California, the school will request an official copy of high school transcripts sent from the school. It is not always a requirement to give high school transcripts to the community colleges, but it does have benefits when you are planning to transfer to a four year college.
There are two methods of requesting a transcript in California community colleges: online or in person. The online requests are made to the California Community College System Office under the CCCTran service at http://etranscriptca.org/. If you are requesting transcripts in person, the request is written up at the community college's admissions office.
Transcripts in the California schools vary depending on how quickly they are needed. According to Glendale Community College, as of February 2011 the cost of regular transcripts is $7.50 and the cost of express transcripts is $12.50. The price is charged on a per transcript basis. Regular transcripts require ten days to process or four to six weeks when on hold at the end of the semester. Express transcripts are available after 24 hours to process or 72 hours when on hold after finals.
When transferring into the college from another college outside California, the schools will usually accept some or all credits, provided the other school was accredited. The school will need an official copy of transcripts from the previous college to apply the school credits.