The short answer
An FIR sets three clocks running at once: the police's duty to investigate, the magistrate's oversight, and the public record. Registration happens under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) — and for cognizable offences, the Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari v. Government of UP (2014) made registration mandatory, not discretionary. Within 24 hours, the FIR should also be publicly visible online: the Supreme Court in Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India (2016) directed that FIRs be uploaded on police websites within 24 hours of registration.
Hour zero: registration
It starts with information about a cognizable offence reaching the police. Under Section 173 of the BNSS (formerly Section 154 of the CrPC), that information is reduced to writing, read over to the informant, and signed — and that written record is the First Information Report. Since Lalita Kumari (2014), the police do not get to weigh whether the story sounds convincing first: if the information discloses a cognizable offence, registration is mandatory.
Your free copy
Section 173(2) of the BNSS gives the informant a copy of the FIR free of cost, immediately. Keep it safe — the FIR number, the date, the sections invoked, and the name of the police station on that copy are the reference numbers for everything that follows: tracking the case, the online upload, and any future verification.
The magistrate is informed
A copy of the registered FIR is sent to the magistrate. This is the point where judicial oversight begins: from day one, the case exists not only in the police station's records but before a court. If you are the accused, this is also the route through which you eventually get the FIR and related documents from the court — Sections 230 and 231 of the BNSS provide for the accused to receive the FIR and the chargesheet papers once the investigation is complete.
Investigation begins
Registration is the starting gun for investigation. What follows varies by case, but the standard shape is:
- 1An investigating officer is assigned to the case.
- 2Statements of the complainant and witnesses are recorded.
- 3The scene is visited and physical or digital evidence is collected.
- 4The accused, if identified, is questioned — and any arrest decision is taken under the arrest rules, not automatically because an FIR exists.
The 24-hour mark: it goes online
In Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India (2016), the Supreme Court directed that FIRs be uploaded on police websites within 24 hours of registration, so that the accused and the public can access them. There is a narrow exception for sensitive categories of cases, where withholding the upload needs a reasoned decision — but the default is public. After this point, an FIR against you is not a secret file: it is a searchable record.
What to do in this window
The first day is when the record is freshest. Use it:
- If you are the complainant: keep the free copy safe, and note the FIR number, date, station, and the investigating officer's name.
- If you are the accused or their family: check the state portal after 24 hours to read exactly what has been registered.
- Do not destroy, hide, or tamper with anything connected to the case — phones, documents, CCTV footage.
- Write down your own timeline of events while it is fresh; memories blur faster than you expect.
A note on this guide
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.