An FIR copy is available as of right to the informant, and the law requires that a copy be given to the informant free of cost and forthwith when the information is recorded. Where the FIR names you as the accused, you obtain a copy from the court once the case is before it, or through the investigating officer or an application under the Right to Information Act, rather than from a public portal. Several state police portals also let the informant view or verify the FIR online, and that can be combined with a written request at the police station where it was registered.
Who is entitled to a copy
- The informant or complainant who lodged the FIR, who is entitled to a free copy when the information is recorded.
- The victim, in the situations the law allows.
- The accused, who gets a copy through the court once the FIR is part of the case record, or on an application to the investigating officer or the court.
- Any person, through the Right to Information Act, subject to the exemptions in that Act.
The entitlements differ, so work out first which of these you are, because that decides the route you take.
Ways to get the copy online
- The state police portal. Many state police organisations publish an FIR or case search, or a citizen service where the informant can view and print the FIR, sometimes after verifying a mobile number or a captcha. Check the relevant state police website's citizen services rather than assume the FIR appears there.
- The e-Courts services portal. Once the case is registered with a court and given a number, the case status and the orders can be viewed there, and a certified copy is applied for at the court's copying section.
- The police station register. A written application to the officer in charge, quoting the FIR number and date, is the fallback when there is no online route.
- An RTI application to the public information officer of the police district, where the portal and the station do not provide it.
Details you need before you apply
- The FIR number, the date it was registered, and the police station.
- The complaint or diary number, if you have it.
- Proof of identity of the applicant.
- Proof that you are the informant or the victim, where that is the basis of your request.
- For the accused, the case number and the court, once the case is filed.
- The copying charge prescribed by the court rules, confirmed at the counter.
Steps, in order
- Find the FIR number, date and police station from the acknowledgment the informant received, or from the case status online.
- If you are the informant, open the state police citizen services and try the FIR or case search first.
- If it is not there, apply in writing to the officer in charge of the police station, quoting the details and enclosing identity proof.
- If the case is already before a court, search it on the e-Courts services portal and apply to the court's copying section for a certified copy.
- If those fail, file an RTI application with the public information officer of the concerned police unit, describing exactly what you seek.
- Keep every acknowledgment, application and receipt, because a refusal can be taken up in the manner the law provides.
Time limits and what happens if you are refused
The informant's copy should be given when the FIR is recorded, so in the ordinary case there is nothing to wait for; a delay is a matter to take up with the officer and, if needed, the supervisory officer. Where you seek the copy from the court, the copying rules of that court govern the time and the charges, and you should confirm them at the counter. An RTI request is answered within the period the RTI Act prescribes, and a refusal or silence can be taken up by a first appeal and then a second appeal to the Information Commission. Do not rely on a figure you were told unofficially; confirm the current position from the Act and the office.
Common mistakes
- Being refused because the requester is neither the informant nor the victim and has not yet reached the court route.
- Quoting the wrong FIR number or the wrong police station, so the search fails.
- Assuming the accused can download the FIR from a public portal. Before the case is in court, the accused usually cannot.
- Treating the FIR copy as the whole case. It is only the first information, not the evidence or the chargesheet.
- Not preserving the acknowledgment of the complaint, which is what proves the FIR number and date.
Getting help
Where a copy is refused, or where the FIR leads to a case in which you must appear, the next step is a legal one. Our criminal law service covers FIR, bail, complaint and trial matters, and if you need a written request or an application drafted, see the drafts in our legal formats section. To raise a specific FIR with us, use the criminal law page or contact the office. Our published consultation and appearance fees are set out on our pricing page.
Questions we are asked
Is the FIR copy free for the informant?
Yes. The law requires a copy to be given to the informant free of cost when the information is recorded, so you should not have to pay for it.
Can I get a copy online without going to the police station?
Often, through the state police portal, and through the e-Courts portal once the case is in court. Availability varies, so try the portal first and fall back on a written request if the FIR is not listed.
What if the police refuse to give me a copy?
Apply in writing and keep the acknowledgment, escalate to the supervisory officer, and if you are the accused or a stranger to the FIR use the court or the RTI route. A refusal can be challenged in the manner the law provides.
Is a copy of the FIR enough to defend myself?
No. The FIR is only the first information. You also need the chargesheet, the statements and the documents on which the prosecution relies, which you obtain from the court as the case proceeds.