FIR full form: First Information Report

How to say it: letter by letter.

FIR stands for First Information Report. It is the written document the police prepare when they first receive information that a cognisable offence has been committed. It sets the criminal law in motion: after it is registered, the police begin their investigation.

Cognisable offence

A cognisable offence is a more serious offence, such as theft, robbery, kidnapping or murder, in which the police may register a case and investigate without first obtaining an order from a magistrate. For less serious, non-cognisable matters the police make a different entry and the complainant is directed to a magistrate.

Who can give the information

Anyone who knows of the offence may report it: the victim, a relative, a witness or any other person. The information may be given in writing or spoken, in which case the officer writes it down and reads it back. The informant signs it and is entitled to a copy free of cost.

What an FIR records

• The date, time and place of the incident.
• What happened, as the informant describes it.
• The names or descriptions of the persons involved, if known.
• The name and address of the informant.

Related terms

• Zero FIR: an FIR registered at any police station regardless of where the offence took place, and then transferred to the station that has jurisdiction.
• e-FIR: information lodged online, where a state offers this.
• NCR: Non-Cognisable Report.
• SHO: Station House Officer, the officer in charge of a police station.
• BNSS: Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the procedural law that replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure in 2024.

This page explains the term in general. It is not legal advice. For a real matter, consult a lawyer or the police.

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Check what matters. These pages explain names and terms in general. Rules, dates, fees and limits change: take them from the official body. Read on 12 November 2026.