Zero FIR and e-FIR: How to Report a Crime Anywhere in India

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The short answer

A Zero FIR lets you report a cognizable offence at any police station in India, wherever it happened, under section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. You can also report electronically, but an e-FIR is taken on record only once you sign it within three days. You get a free copy. If police refuse, send your complaint in writing by post to the Superintendent of Police, then approach a Magistrate.

• Any police station must record a cognizable offence, wherever it happened: that is a Zero FIR.
• An e-FIR is taken on record once you sign it within three days.
• You are entitled to a free copy of the FIR and an update on the investigation within 90 days.
• If police refuse, write to the Superintendent of Police by post, then apply to a Magistrate.
• For online fraud, call 1930 at once and report on cybercrime.gov.in.

This guide is for anyone in India who needs to report a crime: a woman harassed on her commute, a family whose phone or scooter was stolen in another city, or someone who lost money to an online fraud. It explains Zero FIR and e-FIR under the new criminal law, your rights at the police station, and exactly what to do if the police will not register your complaint.

What is a Zero FIR?

A Zero FIR is a First Information Report registered at any police station, regardless of where the offence happened. The station records it and transfers it to the police station that has jurisdiction, which then investigates. You do not have to work out the right station first.

The legal basis is section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure on 1 July 2024 (the old FIR provision was CrPC section 154). It says every information about a cognizable offence, "irrespective of the area where the offence is committed", may be given orally or by electronic communication to the officer in charge of a police station. Cognizable offences are the serious ones the police must act on directly, such as theft, snatching, robbery and sexual offences.

This matters most when you are away from home. If your bag is snatched while you are visiting Jaipur, or you are harassed on a train between Pune and Mumbai, report at the nearest station instead of being sent from one station to another while evidence fades.

What is an e-FIR and how does it work?

An e-FIR is a report you make by electronic communication instead of in person. Under BNSS section 173(1)(ii), it is taken on record once you sign it within three days, and its substance is then entered in the police station's records. What you can file online depends on your state:

Most state e-FIR systems cover a limited set of offences, typically theft where the accused is unknown. For violence, sexual offences, threats, or any case where you know the accused, go to a police station or call 112.

How do I file an FIR at a police station? Step by step

1. If you are in danger, call 112 first. Reporting can wait until you are safe.
2. Go to the nearest police station. Thanks to Zero FIR, it does not need to be the one covering the place of the crime.
3. Tell the duty officer you want to register an FIR. You can give the information in writing or say it aloud. If you speak, the officer must write it down and read it back to you.
4. Check every line before you sign. Ask for corrections to names, times, places and what was taken. Never sign a blank page or a statement you have not understood.
5. Sign it and take your free copy. BNSS section 173(2) says a copy must be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant or the victim.
6. Note the details: FIR number, date, police station, and the name and number of the officer.
7. Follow up. Under BNSS section 193(3)(ii), the police must inform you of the progress of the investigation within 90 days, by any means including electronic communication.

What information should you give the police?

Give as much as you know, in the order it happened. You can add details later in your statement, so do not delay reporting to collect everything.

• Your name, address and phone number.
• The date, approximate time and exact place.
• What happened, step by step, in your own words.
• Descriptions of the people involved: height, clothing, language, any names used, and vehicle numbers.
• What was taken: phone IMEI numbers, bills, serial numbers, bank or UPI transaction IDs.
• Any injuries, and the hospital where you were treated.
• Witnesses, and where CCTV cameras might be, such as shops, ATMs or society gates.
• Digital evidence: screenshots, call logs, chat messages and links, saved before anything is deleted.

What are your rights when you file an FIR?

• A free copy of the FIR, given immediately (BNSS section 173(2)).
• A woman officer for certain offences. If a woman reports an offence under BNS sections 64 to 79 or 124, which include rape, sexual harassment, stalking, voyeurism and acid attack, the information must be recorded by a woman police officer or any woman officer. Her later statement must also be recorded by a woman officer (BNSS section 180(3)).
• Recording at home for persons with disabilities. If the victim has a temporary or permanent mental or physical disability, the information is recorded at their home or a place of their choice, with an interpreter or special educator, and the recording is videographed.
• No compulsory trips to the police station. Under BNSS section 179, women, males under 15 or over 60, persons with a disability and people with an acute illness cannot be required to attend anywhere other than where they live for police questioning. They may still choose to go.
• Free medical treatment. Under BNSS section 397, every hospital, public or private, must immediately give free first aid or treatment to victims of rape, certain other sexual offences and acid attack, and inform the police.
• An update within 90 days on the progress of the investigation.

What can you do if the police refuse to register your FIR?

Push back calmly, because registration is mandatory for cognizable offences. A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held this in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh on 12 November 2013. The BNSS allows one exception: for offences punishable with three years or more but less than seven years, the officer may, with the prior permission of an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, hold a preliminary enquiry within 14 days to check whether there is a prima facie case. If you are turned away:

1. Ask for the reason and note it down, along with the officer's name, the time and the station.
2. Write to the Superintendent of Police. Under BNSS section 173(4), send the substance of your complaint in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police concerned. If satisfied that it discloses a cognizable offence, the SP must investigate or direct an investigation. Keep the postal receipt.
3. Apply to a Magistrate. If the SP route fails, you can apply to a Magistrate under BNSS section 175(3), supported by an affidavit. The Magistrate may order an investigation after hearing the police officer's side.
4. Know that refusal can be a crime. For offences including rape, assault on a woman to outrage her modesty, voyeurism, acid attack and trafficking, a police officer who fails to record the information commits an offence under BNS section 199 (formerly IPC section 166A), punishable with rigorous imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine.
5. Get support. Call 112 in an emergency, or 181 for the women helpline. Our list of women helpline numbers in India covers state lines too.

How do you report a cyber crime online in India?

For money lost to online fraud, call 1930 immediately, then file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Reporting fast gives the best chance of stopping the money moving further.

• Three complaint types: women and children related crime, financial fraud, and other cyber crime.
• Anonymous reporting is available for crimes against women and children, or you can register and track your complaint.
• e-Zero FIR for large frauds. Launched on 19 May 2025 as a pilot in Delhi, this system automatically turns cyber financial fraud complaints on the portal or 1930 above ₹10 lakh into a Zero FIR and routes it to the cyber crime police station concerned. You then visit that station within three days to convert it into a regular FIR. The government said it would extend the system to other states and union territories.
• Save your evidence: screenshots, transaction IDs, phone numbers, URLs and the time of each step.

Zero FIR, e-FIR and online complaint: what is the difference?

Whatever route you use, keep a record of every step: dates, names, numbers and copies. If something happens while you are out, call 112 first; our 112 India app and SOS guide shows how to do it fast. A personal safety device such as Kavach can also send your emergency contacts an SOS with your name, the time and a live location link, which helps them reach you and gives you a clear record of when and where it happened. It does not replace 112 or a police report.

This article is general information about Indian law, not legal advice; for your own case, speak to a lawyer or your local legal services authority.

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 112. It works across India.

Questions people ask

Can I file an FIR in any police station in India?

Yes. Under section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, information about a cognizable offence can be given at any police station, irrespective of where the offence was committed. This is called a Zero FIR. The station records it and transfers it to the police station that has jurisdiction, which then investigates. You do not need to find the right station first.

How many days do I have to sign an e-FIR?

Three days. Under BNSS section 173(1)(ii), information given by electronic communication is taken on record once the person who gave it signs it within three days. In practice, many state systems ask you to visit the police station to sign. For e-Zero FIRs on large cyber frauds, complainants are asked to visit the cyber crime police station within three days.

Is a copy of the FIR free?

Yes. BNSS section 173(2) says a copy of the information as recorded must be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant or the victim. Ask for it before you leave the police station, check that the FIR number, date and your account are correct, and keep a photo of it on your phone as a backup.

Can a woman ask for a woman police officer to record her complaint?

For many offences, the law requires it. If a woman reports an offence under BNS sections 64 to 79 or section 124, which include rape, sexual harassment, stalking, voyeurism and acid attack, the information must be recorded by a woman police officer or any woman officer. Her statement during the investigation must also be recorded by a woman officer for these offences.

What is the cyber crime helpline number in India?

Call 1930 to report online financial fraud, and file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, which is run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Report as soon as you notice the fraud. Crimes against women and children can also be reported on the portal, including anonymously. In any emergency, call 112.

What happens if police refuse to register an FIR?

Registration is mandatory for cognizable offences, as the Supreme Court held in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2013. If an officer refuses, send the substance of your complaint in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police under BNSS section 173(4). If that fails, apply to a Magistrate with an affidavit under section 175(3).

Sources

1. Press Information Bureau: Victim-centric provisions in the new criminal laws
2. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, Ministry of Home Affairs
3. The Week (PTI): New e-Zero FIR will help nab cyber criminals, says Amit Shah
4. LiveLaw: FIR registration is mandatory, Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari
5. SCC Online: Magistrate to hear police officer before ordering investigation under section 175(3) BNSS

Checked on 3 October 2026. Helpline numbers and rules change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.

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