First Information Report (FIR)
Added Last checked against India Code
The written record police make when someone reports a cognizable offence. It starts the police investigation. Governed by Section 173 BNSS (old Section 154 CrPC).
- Law
- Section 173 BNSS (old 154 CrPC)
- How to report
- In person, in writing or electronically
- Copy
- Free to the informant
- If refused
- Write to the SP, then the Magistrate
What brings you here?
Pick one and the page points you to the right next step. We remember it on other glossary pages, on this device only.
I want to report a crime
Write down what happened, when and who was involved before you go. Ask for a copy of the FIR before you leave the station.
A complaint or FIR names me
Find out what the offence is and whether it is bailable. Talk to a criminal lawyer before you respond to the police.
I am a law student or judiciary aspirant
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What it means
An FIR is the first written record of information about a cognizable offence given to the officer in charge of a police station. Registering it is what sets the criminal investigation in motion.
You can give the information in person, in writing, or by electronic communication. Information given orally has to be written down, read back to you and signed by you. You are entitled to a copy of the FIR free of cost.
An FIR is not proof that anyone committed a crime. It records what was reported. Whether an offence was committed is decided after investigation and, if a charge sheet is filed, at trial.
The law
| Current provision | Replaced |
|---|---|
| Section 173, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023Information in cognizable cases | Section 154, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 |
| Section 174, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023Information as to non-cognizable cases and investigation of such cases | Section 155, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 |
When it matters
- You are the victim of, or a witness to, a cognizable offence such as theft, assault, cheating or cyber fraud.
- You need an official record for an insurance claim, a lost document or a bank dispute.
- Someone has filed an FIR naming you. Its contents decide whether you should seek anticipatory bail or quashing.
Example
A shopkeeper's phone is snatched on a Delhi street. He walks into the nearest police station and describes what happened. The duty officer writes it down, reads it back, takes his signature and gives him a copy with an FIR number. The investigating officer is assigned from there.
Watch out for
- For a cognizable offence, registration is the rule. The Supreme Court held in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh (2014) that police must register an FIR when the information discloses a cognizable offence. For offences punishable with three to seven years, BNSS now allows a short preliminary enquiry first, with a senior officer's permission.
- If the police refuse, you can send the substance of the information in writing to the Superintendent of Police, and after that approach the Magistrate.
- Check the copy before you leave. Dates, names and the sequence of events are hard to correct later.
Reporting a crime?
A criminal lawyer can help you put the complaint in writing and follow it up.
Worried about arrest?
Speak to a criminal lawyer before you meet the police. It costs nothing to enquire.
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Last checked against the official text on India Code on 6 Nov 2026. This is general information on Indian law, not legal advice for your situation. Laws and court rulings change; a lawyer can tell you how they apply to your facts.