Zero FIR: Meaning and Law in India | LegalFirms.in
Criminal law

Zero FIR

Also called: FIR at any police station

Added Last checked against India Code

An FIR registered at any police station, even if the offence happened somewhere else. It is then transferred to the station with jurisdiction. Section 173(1) BNSS.

Where
Any police station
Then
Sent to the station with jurisdiction
Law
Section 173(1) BNSS

What brings you here?

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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.

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What it means

A Zero FIR is an FIR recorded by a police station that does not have territorial jurisdiction over the place where the offence happened. It is registered first and then sent to the police station that does.

The name comes from practice: the receiving station records it without its own serial number (often numbered "0") and the station that takes it over gives it a regular number.

Under the old CrPC this was a practice backed by court rulings and Home Ministry advisories. Since 1 July 2024 it has a statutory basis, because Section 173(1) BNSS says information about a cognizable offence may be given irrespective of the area where the offence is committed.

The law

Current provisionReplaced
Section 173(1), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023Information in cognizable cases Section 154, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (no express provision)

When it matters

  • The offence happened while you were travelling, for example on a train, a highway or in another city.
  • You are not sure which police station covers the spot, and delay could cost evidence or safety.
  • Online fraud, where the offender's location is unknown and you need a record quickly to ask the bank to freeze funds.

Example

A woman from Pune is harassed on an overnight bus that passes through three districts. When she reaches Bengaluru she reports it at the station near the bus stand. They register a Zero FIR and transfer it to the station covering the place where the incident happened.

Watch out for

  • A station cannot turn you away only because the offence happened outside its area. Ask for the information to be recorded under Section 173 BNSS as a Zero FIR.
  • The Supreme Court had already said in State of Andhra Pradesh v. Punati Ramulu (1993) that refusing to record information for lack of jurisdiction was a dereliction of duty.
  • Keep the Zero FIR copy and ask which station it is being sent to, so you can follow up there.

Reporting a crime?

A criminal lawyer can help you put the complaint in writing and follow it up.

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Free tools for this

FIR and cognizable offence guideIs the offence cognizable? What to tell the police.Bail checkerBailable or not, and which court, for BNS offences.IPC to BNS section finderFind the new section for an old IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act number.
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Related terms

First Information Report (FIR)Cognizable offence

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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.