Indian criminal procedure | Updated October 2026

How to File an FIR in India: Section 173 BNSS, Zero FIR and Online Registration

A First Information Report (FIR) is the formal police record of information disclosing a cognizable offence. This guide explains how to report a crime, obtain a free FIR copy, submit electronic information and seek relief when police refuse to register a case.

Current law: Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), effective from 1 July 2024, broadly replaces Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC). The CrPC can remain relevant to pending proceedings under transitional provisions.

Guide to registering a First Information Report with Indian police

What is an FIR? How is it different from a police complaint?

An FIR records information about a cognizable offence, meaning an offence for which police may arrest without a warrant in accordance with law and investigate without a Magistrate's prior order. A police complaint is a broader expression and does not automatically become an FIR. For a non-cognizable offence, the police ordinarily enter the information and refer the informant to the Magistrate under Section 174 BNSS; investigation generally requires the Magistrate's order.

An FIR number identifies the registered case. The person reporting need not know every fact or the precise legal section. A victim, eyewitness, relative or another person with relevant information may report a cognizable offence.

How to register an FIR: step-by-step procedure

Contact a police station: Explain the incident orally, in writing or through permitted electronic communication. For an emergency, call 112.
Give essential facts: Provide your name and contact details, the date, approximate time and location, a chronological account, names or descriptions of persons involved if known, and evidence or witnesses if available.
Check the recorded statement: Oral information must be reduced to writing, read back and signed by the informant. Correct factual errors before signing.
Complete electronic signature requirements: Information supplied electronically is taken on record upon signature by the informant within three days under Section 173(1)(ii).
Obtain the FIR copy: Section 173(2) entitles the informant or victim to a copy of the recorded information forthwith, free of cost. Keep the FIR number and acknowledgment.

Provide truthful information and preserve relevant documents, messages, CCTV details and medical records. Do not delay emergency medical care or immediate safety measures while collecting documents.

Can an FIR be filed online? What is a Zero FIR?

Electronic reporting: Section 173(1) expressly permits information about a cognizable offence to be given by electronic communication, subject to the statutory signature requirement within three days. State police portals differ: some accept online complaints or specific categories such as lost-property reports, while others offer electronic FIR registration. An online complaint acknowledgment is not necessarily a registered FIR.

Zero FIR: Under Section 173(1), information may be given at a police station irrespective of the area where the offence occurred. This enables registration without first directing the informant to the territorially competent police station; the case may then be transferred for investigation as appropriate.

For official information, consult the Ministry of Home Affairs, Digital Police portal and the relevant State or Union Territory police website. For cybercrime, use the official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal; reporting there does not by itself guarantee an FIR has been registered.

Special safeguards for women and persons with disabilities

Section 173(1) requires information from a woman alleging specified sexual or related offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 to be recorded by a woman police officer or any woman officer. For specified offences involving a person with a temporary or permanent mental or physical disability, additional protections include recording at the person's residence or a convenient chosen location, assistance from an interpreter or special educator where applicable, videography and prompt recording before a Magistrate under Section 183(6)(a).

Can police conduct a preliminary enquiry before investigation?

Under Section 173(3) BNSS, for a cognizable offence punishable with imprisonment of three years or more but less than seven years, the officer in charge may, considering the nature and gravity of the offence and with prior permission of an officer not below Deputy Superintendent of Police rank, conduct a preliminary enquiry within fourteen days to determine whether a prima facie case exists, or proceed with investigation. This is a qualified statutory power, not a general right to refuse all FIRs.

What if police refuse to register an FIR?

Approach the Superintendent of Police: Under Section 173(4) BNSS, send the substance of the information in writing and by post to the concerned Superintendent of Police. Preserve proof of delivery.
Apply to the Magistrate: If the statutory police remedy fails, seek an order for investigation under Section 175(3) BNSS before a Magistrate empowered under Section 210. The application must comply with requirements including an affidavit and the prior approach to the Superintendent of Police. The Magistrate may make necessary enquiry and consider police submissions.
Consider a private complaint: Depending on the facts, the Magistrate may be approached through the complaint procedure under the BNSS. Legal assistance may help identify the correct route.

Territorial location alone is not a proper basis to refuse information about a cognizable offence under Section 173(1). For a non-cognizable matter, a different statutory procedure applies.

Delay in filing an FIR: does it invalidate the case?

Report a crime as soon as reasonably possible, but there is no universal fixed-hour deadline after which an FIR automatically becomes invalid. Courts assess the length and explanation of delay in context, including distance, fear, threats, shock, injury, social pressures and the circumstances of sexual offences. Delay by police in recording information or forwarding reports is also assessed on the evidence. Arbitrary rules that five hours are safe or five days automatically entitle an accused to acquittal are incorrect.

Explain any delay truthfully and preserve records that help establish the timeline. The original article referred to Munna alias Pooran Yadav v. State of Madhya Pradesh; a case-specific holding should not be treated as a general time limit.

What happens after an FIR is registered?

Police may investigate in accordance with the BNSS, collect evidence, interview witnesses and submit the appropriate report to the Magistrate. The Magistrate may take cognizance, direct further investigation where legally permissible, or proceed according to the report and applicable law. Registration of an FIR is not proof of guilt and does not guarantee arrest or prosecution.

Witness statements recorded by police during investigation are governed by specific rules, including Section 181 BNSS. A person may follow up using the FIR number and the relevant police portal, subject to restrictions protecting privacy, sensitive offences and ongoing investigations.

Key legal provisions and official references

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 - government-hosted statutory text (PDF): Sections 173, 174, 175, 181, 183 and 210.
Ministry of Home Affairs clarification on electronic FIR, August 2026.
Supreme Court judgment on Section 175(3) BNSS and prior police remedies (PDF).
Former provisions: Section 154 CrPC (FIR), Section 155 CrPC (non-cognizable information), Section 156(3) CrPC (Magistrate-directed investigation) and Section 190 CrPC (cognizance). Their corresponding BNSS provisions apply subject to transitional rules.

State and city guides for FIR filing and tracking

The following internal guides were linked in the original article. Portal functions and availability may change; confirm current procedures with the official police website before relying on any guide.