Guides

Guides to FIRs and public police records

Plain explanations of what an FIR is, how to find one online, and what to do when the state portal will not give you a copy.

Guide4 min

What is an FIR?

An FIR, or First Information Report, is the written record police create when they first receive information about a cognizable offence. It starts an investigation. It is not a conviction, and it is not proof that anyone is guilty.

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Guide5 min

How to download an FIR copy online

If your state police publish FIRs online, you can download the PDF yourself by finding the record through the police station, the date it was registered, and the FIR number. In Maharashtra you can do it through the Citizen Portal, or search it here and open the same official PDF.

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Guide5 min

FIR download in Maharashtra: how it works

Maharashtra Police publish FIRs on the Citizen Portal at citizen.mahapolice.gov.in. You can search by district, police station and date, and download the PDF free. FIRSetu searches the same portal and gives you the same file.

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Guide5 min

How to register an FIR

You register an FIR by reporting a cognizable offence to a police station, which writes it down, reads it back to you, and gives you a free copy. Many states also accept an initial complaint online, though serious offences usually still need you to attend in person.

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Guide3 min

How FIR numbers work

An FIR number identifies one record within one police station for one year. It restarts every January, so a number alone means nothing without the station and the year, which is why searches ask for all three.

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Guide4 min

Why an FIR may not appear online

An FIR you cannot find online is usually one the state has not published, one registered too recently to appear yet, or one you are searching for at the wrong station or in the wrong date range. Absence from a portal does not mean the record does not exist.

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This is a description of the public process, not legal advice. For advice about your own case, speak to a lawyer or the police station handling it.