How to File an FIR Online in India
Every state police force now runs some form of online complaint portal, but very few of them register a true FIR online. Understanding what you are actually filing prevents the most common and most costly mistake — believing a complaint has been registered when it has not.
Online complaint versus FIR
Most state portals accept an online complaint, which is then converted into an FIR only after a police officer reviews it. Until that conversion happens, no investigation is legally underway.
A limited set of offences is genuinely e-FIR eligible in several states — typically vehicle theft, mobile phone loss, and theft of property with no named accused. These generate a real FIR number, and in some states it must be validated in person within a set period or it lapses.
Zero FIR
A police station cannot refuse to register an FIR on the ground that the offence occurred outside its jurisdiction. It must register a Zero FIR and transfer it to the correct station.
This is one of the most frequently violated rules and one of the most useful to know. If you are told to go to a different station, cite the Zero FIR provision under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
When the police refuse to register an FIR
Registration is mandatory for a cognizable offence — the Supreme Court settled this in Lalita Kumari. Refusal is not discretionary.
The escalation path is defined: a written complaint by registered post to the Superintendent of Police; if that fails, an application to the Magistrate under the BNSS provision corresponding to the old §156(3) CrPC, which can direct the police to register and investigate.
- Always keep a copy of the complaint you submitted, with the date
- Send the escalation by registered post and keep the receipt — it is proof of the date
- Note the name and buckle number of any officer who refuses, and the time
- A free copy of a registered FIR is your right; take it before you leave
The record you keep yourself
Nearly every failure mode above is a documentation failure — a complaint that cannot be proved to have been submitted, on a date that cannot be established. An independently timestamped, tamper-evident copy of what you filed and when converts a disputed account into a checkable fact, which is what CrimeZero seals into the chain at the moment a report lands.
Frequently asked questions
Can I file an FIR online in India?
In most states you can file an online complaint, which becomes an FIR only after police review. A limited set of offences, typically vehicle theft and lost property with no named accused, can be registered as a true e-FIR in several states.
What is a Zero FIR?
An FIR registered by a police station that does not have territorial jurisdiction over the offence, which is then transferred to the correct station. A station cannot refuse to register on jurisdictional grounds.
What if the police refuse to register my FIR?
Send a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police by registered post. If that fails, apply to the Magistrate, who can direct the police to register and investigate. Registration of a cognizable offence is mandatory, not discretionary.