FIR Online in India: How to File, Check Status and What a Zero FIR Is (2026)

How-To Guide · FIR and Police Complaints

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

Many people think an FIR can only be filed by walking into a police station and waiting for a constable to agree. That is not true, and the confusion costs victims days of delay. You can file an FIR online on your state police portal for the offences it allows, any police station must take a Zero FIR whatever the area, and you can check the status of your FIR online. This guide shows how, step by step. It was last verified in October 2026.

01Quick answer: how to file an FIR online

To file an FIR online, use your state police citizen or e-FIR portal, register with your mobile number, fill in the incident details and submit. Online filing is allowed only for certain offences, such as theft and lost property. For serious crimes, go to any police station: a Zero FIR must be registered whatever the jurisdiction. Check status on the same portal.

An FIR is the first written record of a cognizable offence. The law says the police must register it, and a Zero FIR means it cannot be refused just because the crime happened in another area.

The rules are made by each state, so the portal and the list of allowed offences change from state to state. The steps below work as a general pattern.

02Why FIR filing goes wrong

The most common problem is not the law. It is that people do not know which door to use. Three mistakes cause most of the delay.

Going to the wrong station and being turned away

Many victims are told, "this is not our area, go to the other station." That advice is wrong for a cognizable offence. Zero FIR exists exactly to stop this.

Using a complaint when an FIR is needed

A simple written complaint or an online grievance is not always an FIR. Without an FIR number, the police do not have a legal duty to start an investigation. People then wait for weeks on a complaint that never turns into an FIR.

Filing online for an offence the portal does not accept

Online portals take only certain offences. If you pick the wrong category, the system may treat your entry as a general complaint. Know the list for your state before you start.

03Steps to file an FIR online

These steps follow the usual pattern on state police portals and the CCTNS citizen services. Screens differ, but the order is much the same.

1. Find your state police portal. Each state runs its own. Examples are the Delhi Police website, the UP Police citizen services section (which opens the CCTNS citizen portal), and the Maharashtra Police citizen portal.
2. Register as a citizen. Give your name, mobile number and email. Verify with the OTP.
3. Choose e-FIR or complaint. Pick the offence type from the list the portal allows.
4. Describe the incident. Write the date, time and place. Tell the story in order, in simple words. Do not guess or exaggerate.
5. Add the details. Give names or descriptions of the accused and witnesses, and a list of lost or stolen items with values. Upload photos or documents if asked.
6. Submit and save the number. You get an acknowledgement or complaint number. Keep it safe.
7. Sign the e-FIR. When information is given by electronic communication, the law says the informant must sign it within three days. The police will tell you how, often by a visit or an e-signature.
8. Download the FIR. Once registered, you get an FIR number and can download the copy from the portal.

04Which offences can be filed online

Online FIR is not open for every crime. Most state portals accept it mainly for less serious or property offences. Common examples are:

• Theft, including vehicle theft and mobile phone theft.
• Lost documents or lost property (often a lost report, not an FIR).
• Some cheating and fraud complaints, where the portal allows them.
• Cyber offences, which have a separate national portal at cybercrime.gov.in.

Crimes against the body, such as murder, rape or serious assault, and cases where the accused is known and violence is involved, are generally taken in person. Go to the nearest police station or call 112 in an emergency.

05Online, police station or magistrate: which route

There are three routes to get an FIR registered. Each suits a different situation.

Under the new criminal law, the magistrate route is now found in Section 175(3) of the BNSS, which replaces Section 156(3) of the CrPC. If a station refuses, you can also send the information in writing to the Superintendent of Police.

06What is a Zero FIR

A Zero FIR is an FIR registered at any police station, even if the crime did not happen in that station’s area. It is numbered zero at first, and then transferred to the police station that has jurisdiction.

The point is speed. In the first hours after a crime, evidence can be lost and the accused can run. A Zero FIR means the victim does not lose that time arguing about territory. After registering it, the station sends it on, and the right station gives it a regular number and investigates.

• It applies to cognizable offences, which are serious offences where police can arrest without a warrant.
• The station cannot refuse on the ground of jurisdiction.
• You get a free copy of the FIR.
• Section 173(1) of the BNSS now states this in the law, saying information about a cognizable offence can be given irrespective of the area where the offence was committed.

07FIR vs complaint, and Section 154 CrPC and BNSS 173

FIR vs complaint

An FIR is information about a cognizable offence given to the police, which they must record and act on. A complaint is a wider word. It can be a general grievance, or a complaint made to a magistrate directly. A complaint to the police about a non-cognizable offence usually needs a magistrate’s order before the police investigate. So never assume a complaint is an FIR. Ask for the FIR number.

Section 154 CrPC and Section 173 BNSS

Earlier, Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) governed the FIR. From 1 July 2024, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replaced the CrPC, and Section 173 now covers the FIR. Key points:

• Information may be given orally or by electronic communication.
• If given electronically, it is recorded after the informant signs it within three days.
• The informant gets a copy free of cost.
• For some offences, the police may hold a short preliminary inquiry before registering. This is limited to certain offences and time.

Offences before 1 July 2024 stay under the old CrPC and IPC. Check which law applies to the date of your incident.

08How to check FIR status

You can check an FIR on the same state portal you used to file it. Use your acknowledgement number, FIR number, or mobile number.

1. Open your state police citizen portal.
2. Go to the option to view or download an FIR, or check complaint status.
3. Enter the FIR number, police station, year, or your acknowledgement number.
4. View the status and download the copy.

Many states publish registered FIRs on their portal, in line with rules that FIRs be uploaded within a short time, except sensitive cases. If you cannot find it, ask the station for the copy, as it is your right.

After the police file a chargesheet and the case goes to court, the FIR becomes a court case. Then the status you need is the court status, not the police status. That is a different system, and a different search.

09How to search or view an FIR online

Many people looking for an FIR search do not want to file anything. They want to find and read an FIR that is already registered, for example their own FIR, or one linked to a case. Many state police portals let you do this. You can search a registered FIR by FIR number, police station and year, and then view or download a copy.

Steps to search and view a registered FIR

1. Open your state police portal. Use the official website of the police of the state where the FIR was registered. Look for a link such as "View FIR", "FIR search" or "Citizen services".
2. Pick the search option. Choose the option to search or view a registered FIR, not the option to file a new one.
3. Select the district and police station. Choose the district and then the police station where the FIR was registered.
4. Enter the FIR number and year. Some portals also let you search by date range or by the name of the complainant or accused. This differs by state.
5. Complete the captcha or OTP. Many portals ask for this before they show the result.
6. View and download the FIR. Open the result and save the PDF copy. Keep it safe, as courts and banks often ask for it.

Examples

The Delhi Police website has a citizen section where registered FIRs can be viewed. The UP Police website has citizen services that include viewing an FIR. Other states have their own pages.

Courts have asked police to upload FIRs online soon after registration, except for sensitive cases, so that the public can see them. In practice, how fast this happens differs by state.

If you only know the party name and the case is already in court, an FIR search will not help. You need a court case search instead. See the next section.

10Where Claw fits

Claw does not file or register FIRs. That is done by the police and the magistrate. Claw helps after the matter reaches court.

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Once your FIR becomes a court case, you can track it by party name across 9,102 forums, and search over 30 crore judgments for the point of law you need, with results in under 5 seconds. Create a FREE Claw account to track the resulting case by party name once it reaches court. Claw has a free plan for individual advocates. Paid plans are for teams and enterprises. Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models.

For related guides, see tribunal case tracking software, arbitration management for construction and infra, and trademark status codes for other status searches.

11Sources and further reading

Official sources used for this guide:

• Delhi Police: delhipolice.gov.in
• UP Police: uppolice.gov.in
• Maharashtra Police citizen portal: citizen.mahapolice.gov.in
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This is general information, not legal advice. Portals and rules change by state, so confirm on your state police website or with a criminal lawyer.

12Frequently asked questions