Last verified: May 2026
The money was gone in eleven minutes. A retired schoolteacher had clicked one link in a message that looked like it came from her bank, entered an OTP, and watched her savings move out in three quick transfers. By the time she understood what had happened, the first hour, the only hour that really mattered, was already ticking away. In cyber fraud, that window is sometimes called the golden hour: freeze the money fast enough and a bank can claw it back before it scatters across a dozen mule accounts. Miss it, and the trail goes cold.
Until recently, here is what she would have had to do. Get to a police station. Stand in a queue. Convince a duty officer this was even his jurisdiction. Wait for someone to write it all down. Which is exactly why the question of how to file an FIR, fast, and without being bounced from one counter to another, stopped being a paperwork formality and became the difference between recovering the money and never seeing it again.
In May 2025, the government changed that math. The Ministry of Home Affairs launched an e-Zero FIR system: a high-value cyber-fraud complaint, above Rs 10 lakh, lodged on the national cybercrime portal or the 1930 helpline, is automatically registered as a Zero FIR, no station visit needed to start the clock. The complainant then converts it into a regular FIR within three days. For now it runs as a pilot in Delhi, linking the cybercrime portal, the Delhi Police e-FIR system, and the national crime-records network into one pipeline, with a nationwide rollout planned.
Why does that one launch matter to anyone reading a guide on filing an FIR? Because it bundles, in one real procedure, everything that changed about filing under the new criminal law that took effect on 1 July 2024: the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS). Information can now be given electronically. A Zero FIR can be filed at any station, irrespective of where the crime happened. You are entitled to a free copy. And the old “Section 154 CrPC” that everyone used to quote is now Section 173 BNSS.
Most people only learn how this system works at the worst possible moment: standing at a counter, shaken, being told to “come back tomorrow” or “go to the other police station.” This guide is built so you don’t have to. It walks through filing an FIR both ways, offline at the station and online through your state’s portal, what to carry, what it costs (nothing), how to get your copy, how to track it, and exactly what to do, step by step, if the police refuse.
Here is the whole process at a glance, before we break down each step.
How to file an FIR in India: step-by-step (offline and online)
To file an FIR in India under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, follow these eight steps:
- Go to the police station that has jurisdiction over where the crime happened, or file a Zero FIR at ANY station if it happened elsewhere.
- Give the information orally, in writing, or by electronic communication under Section 173(1) BNSS to the officer in charge.
- Check that the FIR records the facts accurately: date, time, place, the sequence of events, and details of the accused if you know them.
- Read the recorded FIR and sign it. For an e-FIR, you must sign within three days for it to be valid.
- Collect your FREE copy of the FIR and note down the FIR number.
- To file online: open your state police or CCTNS citizen portal, register with a mobile OTP, choose the offence category, enter the details, upload your evidence, submit, and save the acknowledgement number.
- If the police refuse, send your complaint in writing to the Superintendent of Police under Section 173(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
- If the SP does not act, apply to the Magistrate under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 to direct registration and investigation.
That is the spine of the whole process. The rest of this guide takes each step apart, hands you a copy-ready complaint format, and walks you down the refusal-remedy ladder rung by rung.
One more thing worth answering up front, because almost every guide fudges it. Is there a fee to file an FIR? Filing an FIR is completely free of cost in India. The police cannot charge you to register a First Information Report, and under Section 173(2) BNSS you are entitled to a free copy of it. A fee may apply only later, for certified copies, in some states.
Now let’s get into the detail, starting with the two-minute orientation that saves a wasted trip to the station.
| Feature | Section 154 CrPC Repealed | Section 173 BNSS Current |
|---|---|---|
| Governing provisionMajor change | CrPCSection 154, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 | BNSSSection 173, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 |
| Mode of giving informationNew / expanded | CrPCOrally or in writing; reduced to writing and read over | BNSSOrally, in writing, OR by electronic communication (statutory e-FIR) |
| Electronic FIR (e-FIR)New / expanded | CrPCNot expressly provided | BNSSRecognised; electronic information taken on record once signed within 3 days |
| Zero FIR (irrespective of area)New / expanded | CrPCPractice / SOP based, not in the section | BNSSStatutory: information recorded irrespective of the area where the offence is committed |
| Free copy to informantNew / expanded | CrPCProvided in practice | BNSSExpress statutory right to a free copy (Section 173(2)) |
| Preliminary inquiryNew / expanded | CrPCPermitted in narrow categories per case law (Lalita Kumari) | BNSSSection 173(3): for 3-to-under-7-year offences, with DSP permission, within 14 days |
| Refusal remedy (escalation) | CrPCWritten complaint to SP under Section 154(3); Magistrate under 156(3) | BNSSWritten complaint to SP under Section 173(4); Magistrate under Section 175(3) |
FIR registration moved from Section 154 of the CrPC to Section 173 of the BNSS on 1 July 2024. The new provision codified rights citizens had long sought.
Before you file: the 5-minute orientation
Two minutes of orientation before you go can save you a wasted trip and a wrongly classified complaint. The single most common reason people get turned away (or get a weaker outcome than they were entitled to) is that they walk in without knowing whether their matter even calls for an FIR, or which law now governs the process. Get these basics right and the rest of the walkthrough goes faster.
So, the quick version of what an FIR is. A First Information Report is the first written record the police make of a cognizable offence, the formal trigger that starts a criminal investigation. That’s the whole concept in two sentences, and it’s deliberately brief here because this is a how-to guide, not a doctrinal one. If you want the full background on what a First Information Report is, its evidentiary value, and its history, that is a separate read.
What you actually need to know to file is narrower: is your offence cognizable, which law applies, and what it costs. Let’s take those one at a time.
Is your matter a cognizable offence? (FIR vs NCR quick check)
Here’s the cut that decides everything: an FIR is registered only for a cognizable offence, one serious enough that the police can arrest without a warrant and start investigating on their own. Theft, assault, cheating, robbery, rape, kidnapping, most fraud: cognizable. The police must register an FIR.
For a non-cognizable offence (say, simple defamation or minor public nuisance), the police don’t register an FIR. They record a Non-Cognizable Report, an NCR, and the matter usually needs a Magistrate’s order before any investigation begins. The practical difference is huge: an FIR launches an investigation; an NCR mostly sits there until a court directs otherwise.
Why does this matter so much at the counter? Because logging a cognizable complaint as an NCR is one of the quietest ways a complaint gets parked. (We come back to this trap below.) If your matter is cognizable, the correct entry is an FIR, full stop. An FIR is also not the same thing as a “complaint” in the everyday sense: a complaint can be any grievance you raise, but an FIR is the specific statutory first record of a cognizable offence that sets the machinery moving.
In practice, what experienced practitioners do first is mentally test the offence: would the police be allowed to arrest without a warrant for this? If yes, you’re almost certainly in FIR territory, and you should insist on it.
A common question people raise online is whether a “small” theft, a stolen phone, a snatched bag, counts. It does. The value of the loss doesn’t downgrade a cognizable offence into a non-cognizable one. Don’t let anyone tell you a theft is “too minor” for an FIR.
The pitfall here is accepting a verbal “this isn’t FIR material” without checking. If you’re unsure, say plainly that you believe the matter is cognizable and ask for an FIR to be registered. The classification isn’t the officer’s casual call to make if the offence is cognizable on its face.
Which law applies now: Section 154 CrPC or Section 173 BNSS?
If you’ve read older guides or watched a few legal videos, you’ll have seen “Section 154 CrPC” everywhere. That’s the old address. As of 1 July 2024, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. FIR registration, which lived in Section 154 of the CrPC, now lives in Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
The substance of the citizen’s right didn’t shrink in the move; if anything, it expanded. Section 154 of the CrPC required the police to register information of a cognizable offence in writing. Section 173 BNSS keeps that and adds three things people had been asking for: you can give the information electronically, a Zero FIR can be filed irrespective of where the offence happened, and you’re entitled to a free copy.
What changed overnight, in 2024, was mostly the citation and a handful of upgrades, not the basic promise. For the full statutory treatment of FIR registration under Section 173 BNSS (provisions, purpose, evidentiary value), the dedicated legal page covers it in depth. Here we stay practical: when you walk in, the section to cite is 173 BNSS, not 154 CrPC.
The thing most people miss is that the old case law still travels with the new section. The Supreme Court’s interpretation of mandatory registration, built over a decade under the CrPC, was carried into the BNSS framework. So when you cite the law at the counter, you’re standing on both the new statute and the older precedent that backs it.
What it costs and how long it takes
Let’s clear up the two questions that drive the most anxiety: cost and speed. Filing an FIR is free. There is no fee, no “facilitation charge,” no processing cost. Any demand for money to register an FIR is improper, and you should refuse it.
How long does registration take? For a cognizable offence, registration is supposed to be immediate, you give the information, it’s recorded, you sign, you get your copy. In practice the writing-up can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour or two depending on how busy the station is. The one lawful exception is the preliminary-inquiry window for certain mid-tier offences, which we explain in its own section below.
Here’s how the old and new provisions line up, side by side.
[INFOGRAPHIC 3: CrPC §154 vs BNSS §173 comparison table]
The headline takeaway from that table? Three rights are now written into the statute that weren’t spelled out before: electronic FIR, Zero FIR irrespective of area, and a free copy. Worth knowing before you stand at any counter.
Online filing is strongest for documentary, non-urgent offences (theft, lost articles, vehicle). Serious or violent offences still need a station visit or the emergency helpline. In several states, an online filing is a complaint that becomes an FIR after police verification.
| State | Online portal / app | Commonly fileable online |
|---|---|---|
| StateDelhi | PortalDelhi Police citizen services portal / e-FIR | OnlineVehicle theft, lost article, theft (property); cyber via NCRP |
| StateUttar Pradesh | PortalUPCOP app / UP Police citizen portal | OnlineLost article, theft, vehicle, certain complaints |
| StateMaharashtra | PortalMaharashtra Police citizen portal (CCTNS) | OnlineLost report, theft, vehicle, complaint |
| StateTamil Nadu | PortalTN Police citizen services portal | OnlineLost certificate/article, vehicle, complaint |
| StateKarnataka | PortalKarnataka Police citizen portal | OnlineLost article, theft, vehicle, complaint |
| StateRajasthan | PortalRajasthan Police citizen portal | OnlineLost article, theft, vehicle, complaint |
| StateTelangana | PortalTS Police / Hawk Eye app | OnlineLost report, complaint, cyber via NCRP |
| StateGujarat | PortalGujarat Police citizen portal | OnlineLost article, vehicle, complaint |
| StateMadhya Pradesh | PortalMP Police citizen portal (CCTNS) | OnlineLost article, theft, vehicle, complaint |
| StateWest Bengal | PortalWB Police / Kolkata Police citizen portal | OnlineLost report, complaint, cyber via NCRP |
| StatePunjab | PortalPunjab Police Saanjh portal | OnlineLost report, verification, complaint |
| StateAll states (cyber) | PortalNational Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) / 1930 | OnlineCyber and online financial fraud; fraud above Rs 10 lakh may auto-register as an e-Zero FIR (Delhi pilot) |
Major-state online FIR / citizen-service portals and the offence categories each typically allows online. Always confirm the current scope on your own state’s official site, portals change.
How to file an FIR offline at a police station (step-by-step)
For all the talk of online filing, the police station is still where most FIRs are born, and for any serious or violent offence, going in person is the right call. This is the core walkthrough: five steps, in order, from walking in to walking out with your copy. Get the sequence right and you remove most of the friction people hit at the counter.
[INFOGRAPHIC 1: offline vs online filing process flowchart]
What does the offline route actually look like on the ground? Indian police stations vary wildly, a city cyber cell runs very differently from a rural thana, but the legal steps are the same everywhere. Here they are.
Step 1: Go to the right police station, or any station via Zero FIR
Start with jurisdiction: the FIR should normally be registered at the police station that covers the area where the offence happened. If you were robbed in a particular locality, that locality’s station is the natural home for the FIR.
But what if the crime happened somewhere else, another city, another state, or you simply can’t reach that station safely? You don’t have to. Under the Zero FIR rule, you can walk into any police station and have an FIR registered there, irrespective of jurisdiction; it’s later transferred to the right station for investigation. (We give Zero FIR its own full section below, because it’s the single most useful right people don’t know they have.) The short version for now: a wrong-jurisdiction excuse is not a lawful reason to send you away.
Step 2: Give the information: oral, written, or electronic under Section 173(1)
Once you’re at the station, you give the information about the offence to the officer in charge. Under Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, that information can be given orally or in writing, and now also by electronic communication. If you give it orally, the officer must reduce it to writing and then read it back to you.
Our recommendation: bring a written complaint. A clean, dated, signed written account leaves far less room for the facts to be softened, summarised, or quietly reworded when they’re written up. You hand it over, the officer registers it as the FIR, and your own words anchor the record. (We give you a copy-ready format further down.)
What experienced complainants know is that the order of facts matters. State what happened plainly and chronologically, who, what, when, where, how, and don’t bury the cognizable offence under a paragraph of background. The officer is recording an FIR, not reading an essay.
Step 3: What the FIR must contain
An FIR doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it does need to be accurate and complete on the essentials. Make sure it captures the date and time of the offence, the place, a clear sequence of what happened, and the details of the accused if you know them (name, description, vehicle number, anything identifying).
If you don’t know who did it, that’s fine, an FIR can name “unknown persons.” Don’t invent a name or a detail to fill a gap; an FIR built on a guess can hurt your case later. State what you actually know, and flag what you don’t.
The mistake we see most often here is over-narration. People try to prove their whole case in the FIR, motive, history, every grievance. You don’t need to. The FIR sets the investigation in motion; the proof comes later. Stick to the facts of the offence.
Step 4: Read it, verify it, sign it (and the language question)
This step is non-negotiable: before you sign, read the recorded FIR carefully (or have it read out to you) and check that it matches what you said. If a detail is wrong, a date, a name, an amount, get it corrected before you sign, not after.
Can you file in your own language? Yes. You can give your information in the regional language you’re comfortable with; you’re not obliged to file in English. If the FIR is recorded in a language you can’t read, insist that it be read over to you in a language you understand before you sign.
A common worry is whether signing somehow commits you to something you didn’t intend. It doesn’t, your signature confirms that the FIR accurately records what you reported. That’s exactly why you read it first. Sign once you’re satisfied it’s right.
Step 5: Collect your free copy and note the FIR number
Don’t leave without your copy. Under Section 173(2) BNSS, a copy of the FIR must be given to you free of cost. This is the single most-skipped step, and it’s the one that comes back to bite people, because without the FIR copy and number you can’t easily track the case, claim insurance, or escalate later.
Note down the FIR number (and the date and police station). That number is your case’s reference for everything that follows: tracking status, downloading the copy online, following up on the investigation. If they can’t hand you a printed copy on the spot, ask when and how you can collect it, and get the FIR number in writing before you go. Frankly, this gets overlooked far too often, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to insist on.
How to file an FIR online: state portals and national routes
Not every FIR needs a trip to the station. For a growing list of offences, theft, lost property, vehicle theft, certain cyber matters, you can start the process online from your phone. The catch is that “online FIR” means slightly different things in different states, and getting the expectation right saves a lot of confusion.
So how do you actually file an FIR online in India? The mechanics are similar across most state portals, even though the branding differs. Here’s the standard flow.
Step-by-step on a state CCTNS citizen portal
Most states run a citizen-services portal on the national Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) backbone. The process generally runs like this:
- Open your state police citizen portal (for example UPCOP in Uttar Pradesh, or the Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, or Rajasthan police citizen portals).
- Register or log in using your mobile number and verify with an OTP.
- Choose the right service, often labelled “Lost Article Report,” “Vehicle Theft,” “Complaint,” or in some states a direct “e-FIR” option.
- Fill in the details: your information, the offence, date, time, place, and what happened.
- Upload supporting evidence: photos, screenshots, documents, a list of witnesses.
- Submit and save the acknowledgement number. This is your reference, treat it the way you’d treat an FIR number.
That acknowledgement number is the online equivalent of noting your FIR number at the counter. Save it, screenshot it, email it to yourself. You’ll need it to follow up.
What you can and cannot file online
Here’s the part most quick guides skip. In many states, what you file online is technically an online complaint that becomes an FIR after the police verify it, not always an instant FIR. For certain categories, lost articles, theft of property, vehicle theft, the online route often does generate an FIR (or an equivalent report) directly. For others, it logs a complaint that an officer reviews before registering.
What you generally cannot sort out fully online: serious or violent offences, anything needing immediate police response, situations with an ongoing threat. For those, go to the station or call the emergency helpline. The practical reality is that online filing shines for documentary, non-urgent offences and falls short where physical urgency or sensitive investigation is involved.
If your matter is really a broader grievance rather than a clear cognizable offence, you may also be looking to file a police complaint online, which follows a related but distinct process. Knowing which one you need keeps you from filing the wrong thing in the wrong place.
A question that comes up constantly: after filing online, do I still have to go to the station? Sometimes, yes. For a statutory e-FIR you’ll need to sign within three days (that’s its own section below), and for some categories the police may ask you to come in to verify documents or record a statement. Treat the online filing as starting the clock, not always finishing the job.
State-by-state online FIR portals
Which states actually let you file online, and what can you file? It varies, and it changes as states expand their portals, so always confirm on your own state’s official site. Here’s a working snapshot of the major states and what their portals typically handle.
[INFOGRAPHIC 2: state-wise online FIR portals table]
Notice the pattern in that table: theft, lost articles, and vehicle-related reports are the workhorses of online filing almost everywhere, while serious offences still route you to the station. That’s not a quirk of any one state; it reflects what online filing is genuinely built for.
The national Digital Police portal and what it actually does
Above the state portals sits the National Digital Police Portal, run under the Ministry of Home Affairs as part of the CCTNS and Inter-operable Criminal Justice System framework. People sometimes expect it to be a single national “file your FIR here” button. It isn’t, quite.
What it actually does is act as a national gateway: it offers citizen services like searching for an FIR, requesting certain reports, and links through to state-level services. The actual FIR registration still happens through your state police system. Think of the national portal as the directory and the verification layer; the state portal (or the station) is where the FIR is born. Knowing that distinction stops you from hunting for a national filing button that doesn’t exist the way people imagine it.
e-FIR and the 3-day signing rule (the trap most people miss)
Of everything in this guide, this is the part that quietly trips up the most people. An e-FIR can feel like you’re done the moment you hit submit. You’re not, not yet, and the gap between “submitted” and “valid” is exactly where complaints go to die.
What an e-FIR is and whether it is legally valid
An e-FIR is an FIR initiated through electronic information rather than in person at the counter. Under Section 173(1) BNSS, giving information about a cognizable offence by electronic communication is now expressly recognised. So is an e-FIR legally valid? Yes, provided you complete the one step that makes it stick.
That’s the difference between the casual “online complaint” and a true statutory e-FIR. The statute didn’t just bless online filing in spirit; it built in a verification step to confirm the information genuinely came from you.
Why you must sign within 3 days, and what happens if you don’t
Here’s the trap. When information is given electronically under Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, it’s taken on record only after you sign it within three days. Submit the e-FIR, then fail to go in and sign within that window, and the electronic information may not be treated as a validly registered FIR.
Think about what that means at scale. As online filing grows, a predictable failure mode is complaints that quietly lapse, not because the police rejected them, but because the citizen never returned to sign and assumed the submission alone had done the job. The complaint sits in limbo; the investigation never starts; and the person finds out months later, when they go to check, that there was no valid FIR at all.
So treat the submit button as step one of two. Calendar the three days. Go in, sign, collect your copy. (We’d genuinely rather you over-remember this than learn it the hard way.) The whole point of the electronic route is speed, don’t surrender that advantage by missing the signature.
Zero FIR: how to file when the crime happened somewhere else
This is the right that turns “sorry, wrong jurisdiction, go to the other station” from a dead end into a non-starter. If you remember one thing from this guide for an emergency, make it this one.
What a Zero FIR is and your right to it
A Zero FIR is an FIR that any police station can register, regardless of where the offence actually took place. It’s called “Zero” because it’s numbered zero initially, then transferred to the police station that has territorial jurisdiction, which gives it a regular FIR number and investigates. Crucially, registration happens immediately, wherever you are.
Your right to it is now statutory. Section 173(1) BNSS allows information of a cognizable offence to be recorded irrespective of the area where the offence is committed. And the broader right to registration sits on settled ground: in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, (2014) 2 SCC 1, the Supreme Court held that registration of an FIR is mandatory once information discloses a cognizable offence. For a deeper treatment of the concept, the dedicated Zero FIR explainer is worth a read. For filing, what matters is that the police cannot lawfully send you away on jurisdiction grounds for a cognizable offence.
This is most useful in exactly the situations where people feel most stuck: you’re travelling and a crime happens far from home; the offence spans multiple districts; or the local station is the very place you’d rather not approach (more on that scenario in the special-situations section).
What to say if the police cite “wrong jurisdiction”
So what do you actually say at the counter when an officer tells you the crime “didn’t happen here”? Keep it calm and specific. State that the offence is cognizable, that under Section 173(1) BNSS information can be recorded irrespective of the area, and that you are asking for a Zero FIR, which will be transferred to the jurisdictional station afterward.
Here’s the second-order shift that’s easy to miss: with Zero FIR now written into the statute, a refusal on jurisdiction grounds isn’t just unhelpful, it’s plainly unlawful for a cognizable offence. That changes your posture from “please help me” to “the law requires this.” You’re not asking for a favour; you’re invoking a right. If they still refuse, you’ve already moved onto the refusal-remedy ladder, and you should note the officer’s name and the time.
The pitfall is accepting the brush-off. People hear “wrong area” and assume they have to trek across the city, sometimes across state lines, before anyone will write anything down. You don’t. Insist on the Zero FIR.
How to file an FIR for cybercrime and online fraud (e-Zero FIR)
Cyber fraud is its own animal, and it’s the area where speed matters most and where the filing route has changed the most. If money has just left your account, the next few minutes count more than they do in almost any other kind of case.
Report on cybercrime.gov.in or the 1930 helpline
For online fraud and cybercrime, the front door is the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and the 1930 helpline. For financial fraud especially, call 1930 first: it routes to a system that can flag and attempt to freeze the transaction at the receiving bank, which is the action that actually protects your money. Then file the detailed complaint on the portal with your transaction IDs, screenshots, and account details.
Does a complaint on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in automatically become an FIR? Not always by itself, in the ordinary course it’s a complaint that the cyber cell acts on, and an FIR may follow. But for high-value fraud, a faster route now exists.
e-Zero FIR for high-value fraud and the “golden hour”
This is the mechanism from the opening of this guide. The e-Zero FIR system, launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in May 2025, auto-registers a cyber-financial-fraud complaint above Rs 10 lakh, lodged via the cybercrime portal or 1930, as a Zero FIR, without needing you to physically reach a station to start the clock. You then convert it into a regular FIR within three days at the designated cybercrime police station.
The whole design is built around the “golden hour”, the early window when stolen funds can still be intercepted before they’re layered across mule accounts. By collapsing the gap between “report” and “registered FIR,” the system buys back the time that used to be lost in queues and counter-hopping. For now it runs as a pilot in Delhi, where the complaint auto-registers as a Zero FIR at the e-Crime Police Station and is routed to the local cybercrime station, with a nationwide rollout planned and the value threshold likely to broaden over time. So it’s worth checking the current scope in your state when you need it.
e-FIR vs Zero FIR vs e-Zero FIR (quick comparison)
These three terms get tangled constantly, so here’s the clean distinction. An e-FIR is about the mode: an FIR initiated electronically (with that 3-day signing step). A Zero FIR is about jurisdiction: an FIR any station can register irrespective of where the crime happened. An e-Zero FIR combines both for cyber fraud: an electronic complaint that auto-becomes a Zero FIR, with a conversion-to-regular-FIR step.
In one line each: e-FIR solves “I don’t want to stand in a queue,” Zero FIR solves “the crime happened elsewhere,” and e-Zero FIR solves “I’ve just been defrauded online and every minute counts.”
Documents to carry and a sample FIR complaint format (BNSS 2026)
This is the section to bookmark, because it’s the part you’ll actually use when you sit down to file. A clean written complaint and the right documents do more to get an FIR registered smoothly than anything else. Here’s what to carry and a format you can adapt.
Documents and evidence checklist to carry
You don’t strictly need ID to file an FIR, the police can’t refuse to register a cognizable offence because you forgot your Aadhaar, but bringing the right material makes the process faster and the FIR stronger. Carry the following:
- Photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, or driving licence) and a copy.
- Your written complaint, signed and dated, with enough copies (keep one for yourself).
- Evidence: photographs, screenshots, CCTV stills, documents, medical reports, anything that supports the offence.
- Financial proof for fraud cases: transaction IDs, bank statements, the fraudulent message or call details.
- Witness details: names and contact numbers of anyone who saw what happened.
- Any prior complaints you’ve already made on the same matter (online acknowledgement numbers, helpline references).
You won’t always need all of these. But assembling them before you go means you’re not scrambling to recall a transaction time or a witness’s number while a duty officer waits.
Annotated sample written complaint to the SHO
Below is a clean, adaptable format for a written complaint addressed to the Station House Officer (SHO). The left side is the text you write; the bracketed notes explain the purpose of each part so you can adapt it to your facts. Under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, this is the written information that becomes your FIR.
To,
The Station House Officer,
[Name of Police Station], [District], [State]
[Addresses the complaint to the officer in charge, the right recipient under Section 173.]Subject: Complaint for registration of an FIR for a cognizable offence
[States plainly that you are seeking FIR registration, not just lodging a general grievance, this frames it correctly.]Respected Sir/Madam,
I, [your full name], aged [ ] years, resident of [full address], contactable at [phone/email], wish to report the following cognizable offence and request that an FIR be registered.
[Identifies the informant clearly, your details anchor the record and let the police reach you.]On [date] at approximately [time], at [exact place], the following occurred: [state, in plain chronological order, exactly what happened, who did what, how, and the loss or harm caused].
[The factual heart of the complaint. Chronological, specific, no padding. This is what the investigation works from.]The person(s) responsible is/are [name and description if known, or “unknown persons”]. The following witnesses are aware of the incident: [names and contacts].
[Identifies the accused if known, never guess, and lists witnesses. “Unknown persons” is perfectly valid.]I am enclosing the following in support: [list of evidence/documents].
[Lists your annexures so the record shows what you handed over.]I request that an FIR be registered under the appropriate provisions and that a free copy be provided to me under Section 173(2) BNSS.
[Asks expressly for FIR registration and your free copy, putting your statutory entitlements on record.]Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Name] | [Date]
[Sign and date, your signature confirms the information is yours.]
Adapt the bracketed parts to your facts and you have a complaint that reads exactly the way an FIR should: clear, dated, signed, and pointed at the cognizable offence.
Language, number of copies, and filing confidentially
A few practical questions that come up every time. Which language? File in the language you’re comfortable with, English or your state language is fine; the police will record the FIR in the language the station uses, and you can ask for it to be read over to you. How many copies? Bring at least two of your written complaint, one for the station, one for yourself with a “received” acknowledgement noted on it.
Can you file anonymously or keep your identity confidential? An FIR generally requires the informant’s identity, that’s part of the record. But for certain sensitive offences there are protections around confidentiality, and you can request that your identity be handled sensitively. If safety is a real concern, say so explicitly when you file, and consider the special protections covered in the special-situations section below.
Who can file an FIR
A common assumption is that only the victim can file an FIR. That’s not how the law works, and it matters, because in the worst situations the victim may be injured, in shock, missing, or a child.
Anyone who is aware of the commission of a cognizable offence can give the information that becomes an FIR. That includes the victim, of course, but also a witness who saw it happen, a family member or friend acting on the victim’s behalf, or any other person with knowledge of the offence. You don’t have to be personally harmed to set the law in motion.
Can a minor file? Yes, a minor can give information about a cognizable offence, though in practice a guardian or trusted adult usually helps. Can someone file on your behalf if you’re unable to? Yes, a relative or friend can lodge the FIR for you, which is exactly what happens in cases of serious injury, abduction, or where the victim cannot act for themselves.
The police themselves can also initiate an FIR, a “suo motu” FIR, when they directly learn of a cognizable offence, for instance on patrol or from credible information, without anyone walking in to complain. The takeaway for a reader: if you know of a serious offence, your standing to report it is wider than you think.
After you file: get your copy, track the status, and what comes next
Filing the FIR is the beginning, not the end, and this is the part competitors skip almost entirely. Once it’s registered, you have a toolkit: get your copy, find your number, track the case, and know what to expect. Here’s how to use it.
Get your free copy and download it
Your free copy isn’t a courtesy; it’s a right under Section 173(2) BNSS, and you should walk out of the station with it (or know exactly how to get it). Beyond the printed copy, most states now let you view and download FIRs online.
The basis for online availability is judicial: in Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India, (2016) 9 SCC 473, the Supreme Court directed that FIRs (with exceptions for sensitive categories) be uploaded online within 24 hours of registration so the accused and the public can access them. In practice, you can usually find your FIR through your state police citizen portal’s “View FIR” or “Download FIR” service, and copies of many FIRs and case documents also surface on the eCourts platform. Search by FIR number, police station, and date.
The catch with sensitive cases (sexual offences, offences against children, certain others): those FIRs are deliberately not posted online, to protect the people involved. So if you can’t find a sensitive-category FIR online, that’s by design, not an error.
Find your FIR number and track investigation status online
Your FIR number is the key to everything that follows, so if you don’t have it, that’s the first thing to retrieve. It’s printed on your FIR copy; if you filed online, your acknowledgement number leads to it. Lost both? Go back to the station or use the state portal’s FIR-search service with the date and station details.
With the number in hand, you can track status. Many state CCTNS citizen portals offer a status-check or “know your case status” service, and the eCourts portal and app let you follow the case once it reaches court. The level of detail varies by state, but at minimum you can usually confirm the FIR is live and find which officer or court it sits with.
What happens after registration, briefly
So the FIR is registered, then what? In short: the police investigate, gather evidence, record statements, and, if they find a case, file a chargesheet before the Magistrate; if they don’t, they file a closure report. Investigation timelines vary widely with the offence and the workload, there’s no single fixed duration, though serious cases are meant to be pursued promptly and the law sets outer limits for certain stages.
This is intentionally brief, because the post-FIR criminal process is a large topic of its own. What you need to know as a complainant: your FIR triggers a real investigation, and you can follow up with the investigating officer using your FIR number if it stalls.
Can an FIR be corrected, cancelled, or withdrawn?
Can you add or fix information after filing? You generally can’t rewrite the original FIR, but you can give a further statement or supplementary information to the investigating officer, which becomes part of the record. So if you remember a detail or get new evidence, report it; don’t try to quietly amend the FIR itself.
Can an FIR be cancelled or withdrawn once registered? Not by you simply changing your mind. An FIR for a cognizable offence isn’t a private matter you can switch off; quashing an FIR typically requires the High Court’s intervention, and outright “withdrawal” by the complainant isn’t how it works for cognizable offences. The practical reality is that once the machinery starts, stopping it is a court’s call, not the complainant’s.
What to do if the police refuse to register your FIR (the refusal-remedy ladder)
If you’ve been turned away at a counter, this is the section you came for. Police refusal to register a cognizable offence is unlawful, and the law gives you a clear escalation ladder. You climb it rung by rung, and at each rung the pressure on the system to act goes up. Don’t give up after the first “no.”
Rung 1: Insist at the counter
Start where you are. Politely but firmly state that the offence is cognizable, that registration is mandatory, and that you’re asking for an FIR under Section 173(1) BNSS. The law genuinely is on your side here: in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, (2014) 2 SCC 1, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that the police must register an FIR the moment the information discloses a cognizable offence, the word “shall” leaves no room for discretion.
Can the police legally refuse a cognizable offence? No. The duty to register on disclosure of a cognizable offence is settled, reinforced again in cases like State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335, which mapped the narrow situations where proceedings can later be questioned, not a licence to refuse registration up front.
So why are police often reluctant? Sometimes it’s workload, sometimes a misplaced “let’s verify first” instinct, sometimes pressure to keep crime figures down. Knowing that the reluctance is usually about them, not the validity of your complaint, helps you hold your ground.
If you sense a refusal coming, note the officer’s name, the time, and what you were told. That record matters at the next rung. And ask for it in writing if they’re declining, a refusal they won’t put in writing tells you a lot.
Rung 2: Written complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Section 173(4)
If the officer in charge still won’t register, the statute gives you the next step directly. Under Section 173(4) BNSS, you can send the substance of your information in writing, by post, to the Superintendent of Police (SP). If the SP is satisfied that the information discloses a cognizable offence, the SP shall investigate the case or direct an investigation.
Here’s a skeleton you can adapt:
To, The Superintendent of Police, [District].
Subject: Complaint under Section 173(4) BNSS, refusal of [Station] to register an FIR for a cognizable offence.
[Body:] I approached [Police Station] on [date] to report [briefly state the cognizable offence]. The officer in charge declined to register an FIR. I enclose a copy of my written complaint and the relevant evidence. As the matter discloses a cognizable offence, I request that you investigate or direct an investigation under Section 173(4) BNSS, and that an FIR be registered.
[Signature, name, date, contact details, enclosures.]
Send it by post or registered route so you have proof of delivery, and keep a copy. That paper trail is what makes the next rung credible if you have to climb it.
Rung 3: Application to the Magistrate, Section 175(3) BNSS
If the SP also fails to act, you go to the court. Under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, a Magistrate empowered to take cognizance can, on your application, order the police to register an FIR and investigate. This is a powerful remedy because it brings judicial weight directly onto the police.
What do you attach? Typically: your application setting out the facts and the cognizable offence, copies of your earlier complaint to the station and to the SP, proof that you approached them (and were refused or ignored), an affidavit supporting your statements, and your evidence. The point is to show the court you exhausted the police channel first and were still denied registration.
A skeleton application reads roughly: a heading naming the Magistrate’s court; a statement of who you are; the facts of the cognizable offence; the dates you approached the station and the SP and how each refused or failed to act; and a prayer that the court direct registration of an FIR and investigation under Section 175(3) BNSS. Many people who reach this rung engage a lawyer, the drafting of a §175(3) application, an SP complaint, and the surrounding criminal procedure is exactly the practitioner skill set taught in courses like the Diploma in Criminal Litigation and Trial Advocacy, though a self-represented complainant can certainly file one.
Rung 4: Section 199 BNS against the erring officer, and a High Court writ
Two further levers exist for the worst cases. First, under Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, a public servant who disobeys a direction of the law, including an officer who fails to record information of certain cognizable offences under Section 173 BNSS, can face consequences as an offence. Raising this isn’t about vengeance; it’s a recognised pressure point that signals you know the refusal itself is unlawful.
Second, you can approach the High Court with a writ petition seeking a direction that your FIR be registered. This is the constitutional backstop when the ordinary channels fail, and courts have used it to compel registration where police inaction is clear. It’s the heaviest rung, usually with a lawyer’s help, but it exists precisely so that a citizen’s right to an FIR isn’t left to the goodwill of a reluctant station.
If your complaint was logged as an NCR, not an FIR
There’s a quieter form of refusal: the police accept your complaint but record it as a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) instead of an FIR. If your offence is cognizable, an NCR is the wrong entry, and it usually means no real investigation will follow unless a court steps in.
What do you do? Point out that the offence is cognizable and ask, in writing, for an FIR to be registered. If they still log only an NCR, you’re back on the ladder above: SP complaint, then a Magistrate’s application. The earlier cognizable-versus-non-cognizable check is exactly what arms you to recognise this misclassification when it happens, don’t let an NCR quietly stand in for the FIR your matter actually warrants.
Section 173(3) preliminary inquiry: when your FIR can be lawfully delayed
There’s one lawful exception to immediate registration, and it surprises people who expect an instant FIR for every cognizable offence. Knowing it exists stops you from misreading a legitimate delay as a refusal.
Under Section 173(3) BNSS, for a cognizable offence punishable with three years or more but less than seven years, the officer in charge may, with the prior permission of an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and considering the nature and gravity of the matter, conduct a preliminary inquiry within fourteen days to check whether there’s a prima facie case before registering an FIR. So for that band of mid-tier offences, a short, bounded delay can be lawful.
What does that mean for your complaint? If your matter falls in the 3-to-under-7-year range, don’t panic if the police say they’re verifying first, that can be legitimate, within the 14-day cap and with the required senior permission. But it’s also a window you should track: note the date, ask whether a preliminary inquiry has been authorised, and follow up as the fourteen days run.
Worth flagging: how Section 173(3) sits alongside the older mandatory-registration rule is still being worked out. Commentators and at least one High Court have debated whether this preliminary-inquiry option dilutes the long-standing principle that registration is mandatory for cognizable offences, with arguments that the provision should be read harmoniously with the victim’s remedies elsewhere in the BNSS. The position is developing, not settled, so treat the 14-day window as the practical guardrail and keep your paper trail in case you need to escalate.
Special situations
Some scenarios don’t fit the standard walkthrough, and they’re often the ones where people feel most lost. Three come up again and again.
Lost property, lost documents, or a missing person
Lost your phone, wallet, or important documents? Most states let you file this online as a “lost article report,” which gives you the acknowledgement you need for insurance, a duplicate SIM, or replacing an ID, often without a station visit. If there’s reason to believe it was stolen rather than merely lost, that’s a theft, a cognizable offence, and you should push for an FIR, not just a lost-article report.
A missing person is different and urgent: report it immediately at the police station, you don’t have to wait any “24-hour” period, that’s a myth. For a missing child especially, treat it as an emergency and insist on prompt registration. Carry a recent photograph and identifying details.
Crimes against women and children
These cases carry special protections, and you should know them going in. For certain offences against women, the law provides that the information be recorded by a woman police officer where required, and there are confidentiality safeguards built around the survivor’s identity. The mandatory-registration duty applies with full force here, refusal is not an option for the police.
For offences against children, additional protections apply, including how the information is recorded and the child’s identity safeguarded. If you’re filing on behalf of a child or a survivor, state the sensitive nature of the matter clearly so the station applies the right protections from the start. And remember: a relative, friend, or any aware person can file, the survivor doesn’t have to do it alone.
Filing an FIR against a police officer or a public official
What if the wrongdoer is a police officer, or the very station you’d approach is the problem? This is where Zero FIR becomes invaluable: you can register the FIR at a different station, irrespective of jurisdiction. You can also escalate directly to a senior officer (the SP or above) and, where appropriate, to the Magistrate under Section 175(3) BNSS.
For serious misconduct, the refusal-remedy ladder and the High Court writ route are equally available. The practical reality is that filing against an official takes more persistence and a careful paper trail, document every approach, every refusal, every name, but the legal avenues are real and the citizen’s right to registration doesn’t evaporate because the accused wears a uniform.
Common mistakes that delay or derail your FIR
Most FIRs that go sideways do so for a handful of avoidable reasons. Run through this list before and after you file, and you’ll dodge the traps that cost people time, evidence, and sometimes their case.
- Vague facts. A foggy, undated, “they cheated me somehow” complaint is easy to park. State the date, time, place, and sequence precisely.
- Accepting a wrong-jurisdiction refusal. You have a statutory right to a Zero FIR. Don’t trek across the city because someone said “not our area.”
- Leaving without your free copy. No copy, no FIR number, no easy way to track or escalate. Collect it under Section 173(2) BNSS before you go.
- Missing the 3-day e-FIR signature. The single most common silent failure. Submit, then sign within three days, or the e-FIR may lapse.
- Letting an NCR stand for a cognizable offence. If it’s cognizable, it’s an FIR. Contest a misclassification in writing.
- Over-narrating instead of stating facts. The FIR isn’t your closing argument. State what happened; save the proof for the investigation.
The thread running through all of these? Each one is a quiet failure mode, nobody slams a door in your face; the complaint just stalls. As filing moves online and volumes climb, these silent stalls are exactly where cases get lost. Knowing them in advance is how you keep yours moving.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I file an FIR online in India?
A: Open your state police or CCTNS citizen portal, register with your mobile number and an OTP, choose the right service (lost article, vehicle theft, complaint, or e-FIR where offered), enter the offence details, upload your evidence, and submit. Save the acknowledgement number, it’s your reference. For a statutory e-FIR, remember you must sign within three days for it to be valid.
Q: How do I file an FIR offline at a police station?
A: Go to the police station with jurisdiction (or any station via Zero FIR), give your information to the officer in charge orally or, better, in a signed written complaint. Make sure the FIR records the date, time, place, sequence, and accused details accurately. Read it, sign it, and collect your free copy with the FIR number before you leave.
Q: Can I file an FIR online for any crime?
A: No. Online filing works best for documentary, non-urgent offences like theft, lost articles, vehicle theft, and certain cyber matters. Serious or violent offences, or anything with an ongoing threat, need a station visit or the emergency helpline. In several states, what you file online is a complaint that becomes an FIR after police verification.
Q: Is there any fee to file an FIR?
A: No. Filing an FIR is completely free of cost in India, and the police cannot charge you to register one. Under Section 173(2) BNSS you’re also entitled to a free copy of the FIR. A charge may apply only later, for certified copies, in some states.
Q: How long does it take for the police to register an FIR?
A: For a cognizable offence, registration is meant to be immediate, you give the information, it’s recorded, you sign, you get your copy. The one lawful exception is the Section 173(3) preliminary inquiry for offences punishable with three to under seven years, which can take up to fourteen days with senior-officer permission.
Q: After filing online, do I still have to visit the police station?
A: Sometimes. For a statutory e-FIR, you must visit to sign within three days. For some categories the police may also ask you to come in to verify documents or record a statement. For straightforward lost-article reports, you often don’t need to visit at all.
Q: What is an e-FIR and is it legally valid?
A: An e-FIR is an FIR initiated through electronic information, recognised under Section 173(1) BNSS. Yes, it’s legally valid, but only once you sign it within three days. If you submit electronically and never go in to sign within that window, the information may not be treated as a validly registered FIR.
Q: What is a Zero FIR and how do I file one?
A: A Zero FIR is an FIR that any police station can register, irrespective of where the crime happened; it’s later transferred to the station with jurisdiction. To file one, go to any station, state that the offence is cognizable and that under Section 173(1) BNSS information can be recorded irrespective of the area, and ask for a Zero FIR. The police cannot refuse on jurisdiction grounds.
Q: What is the e-Zero FIR for cyber fraud and when can I use it?
A: The e-Zero FIR, launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in May 2025, auto-registers a cyber-financial-fraud complaint above Rs 10 lakh, filed on cybercrime.gov.in or the 1930 helpline, as a Zero FIR, without a station visit to start the clock. You then convert it into a regular FIR within three days. It’s designed for the “golden hour” when stolen funds can still be frozen, and for now it runs as a pilot in Delhi, with a nationwide rollout planned.
Q: What is the correct format of an FIR complaint to the police?
A: A written complaint to the SHO should address the officer in charge, state plainly that you’re seeking FIR registration of a cognizable offence, identify you as the informant, set out the facts chronologically (date, time, place, sequence, harm), name or describe the accused (or “unknown persons”), list witnesses and evidence, and request a free copy under Section 173(2) BNSS. Sign and date it. See the annotated format in this guide.
Q: Can someone else file an FIR on my behalf?
A: Yes. Anyone aware of a cognizable offence can file, the victim, a witness, or a relative or friend acting for the victim. This matters when the victim is injured, in shock, a minor, or unable to act. You don’t have to be personally harmed to set the investigation in motion.
Q: How do I get a free copy of my FIR?
A: Collect it at the station, it’s your right under Section 173(2) BNSS, free of cost. You can also view and download many FIRs through your state police citizen portal’s “View FIR” service or the eCourts platform, searching by FIR number, station, and date. Sensitive-category FIRs are deliberately not posted online.
Q: How do I check or track my FIR status online?
A: Use your state CCTNS citizen portal’s status-check or “know your case status” service with your FIR number and station details. Once the case reaches court, the eCourts portal and app let you follow it. The detail available varies by state, but you can usually confirm the FIR is live and find which officer or court holds it.
Q: What do I do if the police refuse to register my FIR?
A: Climb the refusal-remedy ladder. First insist at the counter, citing Section 173(1) BNSS and the mandatory-registration rule. If refused, send a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police under Section 173(4) BNSS. If the SP doesn’t act, apply to the Magistrate under Section 175(3) BNSS. Beyond that lie Section 199 BNS and a High Court writ.
Q: How do I escalate to the Superintendent of Police under Section 173(4) BNSS?
A: Send the substance of your information in writing, by post, to the SP of the district, attaching your original complaint and evidence and stating that the station refused to register a cognizable offence. If satisfied a cognizable offence is disclosed, the SP shall investigate or direct an investigation. Keep proof of delivery and a copy.
Q: The police logged my complaint as an NCR, not an FIR, what now?
A: If your offence is cognizable, an NCR is the wrong entry. Point this out and ask in writing for an FIR to be registered. If they still log only an NCR, escalate, written complaint to the SP under Section 173(4) BNSS, then a Magistrate’s application under Section 175(3) BNSS. An NCR for a cognizable offence usually means no real investigation unless a court intervenes.
Q: Which law governs FIRs now, Section 154 CrPC or Section 173 BNSS?
A: Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) governs FIR registration as of 1 July 2024, replacing Section 154 of the CrPC. The new provision adds electronic information (e-FIR), statutory Zero FIR irrespective of area, and a free copy to the informant. Cite Section 173 BNSS, not Section 154 CrPC.
Q: How do I file an FIR for a lost item or a missing person?
A: For a lost phone, wallet, or documents, most states offer an online “lost article report” that gives you an acknowledgement for insurance or replacements; if it was stolen, push for an FIR. For a missing person, report immediately at the station, there’s no 24-hour waiting rule, and treat a missing child as an emergency. Carry a photo and identifying details.
References
Case Law
- Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, (2014) 2 SCC 1 — AIR 2014 SC 187; Supreme Court, 5-judge Constitution Bench (12 November 2013).
- State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335 — AIR 1992 SC 604; Supreme Court of India (21 November 1990).
- Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India, (2016) 9 SCC 473 — AIR 2016 SC 4136; Supreme Court of India (7 September 2016).
Statutes
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — sections cited: 173(1), 173(2), 173(3), 173(4), 175(3).
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — section cited: 199.
Secondary sources
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in)
- National Digital Police Portal (digitalpolice.gov.in)
- e-Zero FIR to speed up action on cyber frauds — Business Standard
Legal disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an advocate-client relationship. The law stated here reflects the position as of May 2026 and may have changed since, and procedures and portals vary by state and are periodically updated. If you are dealing with a crime, a refusal to register an FIR, or any criminal matter, consult a qualified advocate who can advise you based on the specific facts of your case and your state’s current rules. The sample complaint and escalation formats in this article are illustrative templates and must be adapted to your facts and the applicable local procedure before use.
