If the police gave you a number, check the label. An FIR (Section 173 BNSS) starts a police investigation into a cognizable offence. An NCR (Section 174 BNSS) only records a non-cognizable offence and sends you to a Magistrate. A Zero FIR is an FIR taken at any station, whatever the area. A GD or DD entry is a diary note, not an FIR. This guide shows how to tell them apart in India.
Why this matters
People leave police stations holding very different pieces of paper and assume they all mean "a case has been registered." They do not. What was written decides whether the police can investigate, whether they can arrest, and whether you must now go to a Magistrate. Getting this wrong costs time, and in a minor-offence case, time can run out: courts cannot take cognizance of minor offences after the limitation in Section 514 BNSS.
Here is the whole picture in one table, then each record in turn.
The 60-second decoder
| What you were given | What it is | Section | Can police investigate and arrest on their own? | What you do next |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIR (an FIR number, offence sections) | Record of information about a cognizable offence | Section 173 BNSS (earlier 154 CrPC) | Yes. The police can investigate without a Magistrate's order (Section 175(1) BNSS) | Get your free copy; cooperate with the investigation |
| Zero FIR | An FIR registered at a station outside the area where the offence happened | Section 173(1) BNSS | Same as an FIR | Keep the copy; follow up on which station will investigate |
| NCR / NC Report | Record of information about a non-cognizable offence | Section 174 BNSS (earlier 155 CrPC) | No. Needs a Magistrate's order; no arrest without a warrant or order | Go to the Magistrate (application or private complaint) |
| GD / DD / daily diary entry only | A line in the station's daily record | Kept under State police law, not Section 173 | Not by itself an FIR | Ask that the FIR (or NCR) be registered; escalate if refused |
| Preliminary enquiry | A short check before deciding on an FIR, allowed only in limited cases | Section 173(3) BNSS | Not yet an investigation | Follow up; ask for the outcome in writing |
FIR: the record that starts an investigation
An FIR is the record of information about a cognizable offence, one for which police can arrest without a warrant (Section 2(1)(g) BNSS). Under Section 173(1) BNSS:
- The information may be given orally or by electronic communication to an officer in charge of a police station.
- If given orally, it must be reduced to writing, read over to you, and signed by you.
- If given electronically, it is taken on record when you sign it within three days.
- If a woman reports certain offences against her (the sections the proviso lists in the BNS), the information must be recorded by a woman police officer.
Then Section 173(2) says a copy of the information as recorded must be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant or the victim. So if you filed an FIR, you are entitled to a copy on the spot.
The Supreme Court's rule: where the information discloses a cognizable offence, registering the FIR is mandatory, and no preliminary inquiry is permitted (Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, Constitution Bench, 12 November 2013). The Court said the police officer cannot avoid the duty, and that action must be taken against officers who do not register an FIR in such a case.
The BNSS adds a limited window. For cognizable offences punishable with three years or more but less than seven, the officer in charge may, with prior permission from an officer not below Deputy Superintendent of Police, hold a preliminary enquiry within fourteen days to see whether a prima facie case exists, or proceed to investigate when one does (Section 173(3) BNSS).
Zero FIR: an FIR from any station
A Zero FIR is not a separate legal document. It is an FIR registered at a police station that is not the one covering the place of the offence. The legal basis is the wording of Section 173(1) BNSS: information about a cognizable offence "irrespective of the area where the offence is committed" may be given to an officer in charge of a police station. That removes "this is not our area" as a reason to refuse to register.
What happens next, including which station finally investigates, follows State police procedure. This guide has not verified a transfer rule from the BNSS text, so ask the station for the receiving station's name and the date of transfer in writing. For the step-by-step process, see our guide to filing a Zero FIR.
NCR: the record for a non-cognizable offence
An NCR records information about a non-cognizable offence, one for which police cannot arrest without a warrant (Section 2(1)(o) BNSS). Under Section 174(1) BNSS the officer must enter the substance of the information in the register, refer you to the Magistrate, and forward the daily diary report of such cases to the Magistrate every fortnight. The police may not investigate without a Magistrate's order (Section 174(2) BNSS), and nobody can be arrested for it except under a warrant or order of a Magistrate (Section 35(2) BNSS).
Typical NCR matters include simple hurt, ordinary assault, criminal intimidation and defamation. Our guides cover each step: the short explainer What Is a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) and When Is It Filed?, the full guide Got an NCR Instead of an FIR? What Happens Next, and the definition page NCR Full Form in Police and Law.
If one incident involves several offences and at least one is cognizable, the whole case is treated as cognizable and an FIR should be registered (Section 174(4) BNSS).
GD or DD entry: not the same as an FIR
The General Diary (also called the Station Diary or Daily Diary) is the police station's running log of what happens each day: staff arriving and leaving, arrests, visits by senior officers, and the substance of information received. In Lalita Kumari the Constitution Bench set out how it differs from an FIR:
- An FIR must be registered in the FIR book, which carries a unique annual number; the General Diary is kept under the State's police law and records many other events.
- The informant's signature is taken on the FIR; there is no such requirement for the diary.
- A complaint may be many pages long, but only its gist goes in the General Diary.
- The Court rejected the idea that information is first noted in the diary and only registered as an FIR after a preliminary inquiry.
The Court also noted that, in an appropriate case, a GD entry may be treated as the first information where it discloses a cognizable offence (citing Superintendent of Police, CBI v. Tapan Kumar Singh, 10 April 2003). That is a safety net for the case where the police never wrote an FIR. It is not a reason to accept a diary entry in place of one. Ask for the FIR.
The Court also directed that all information relating to cognizable offences, whether it leads to an FIR or to an inquiry, must be meticulously reflected in the General Diary, and that when a preliminary inquiry closes a complaint, the informant must receive a copy of the closure entry with brief reasons within a week.
What if you got the wrong record?
| You wanted | You got | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| FIR for a serious offence | NCR | Check whether the facts disclose a cognizable offence. If so, write to the Superintendent of Police by post (Section 173(4) BNSS), then apply to the Magistrate (Section 175(3) BNSS) |
| FIR | Only a GD or DD entry | Ask for the FIR in writing; if refused, use the same Section 173(4) route |
| FIR | "We are checking" | Ask whether it is a preliminary enquiry under Section 173(3) BNSS, and note the 14-day limit and the senior officer's permission it requires |
| A way to act on a minor offence | NCR | Go to the Magistrate with the NCR number: apply for an investigation order or file a private complaint (Sections 174 and 223 BNSS) |
The Supreme Court has said that for refusal to register an FIR the statutory ladder comes first, and a High Court writ is not the starting point. Our guide Police Won't Register Your FIR? Don't Go to the High Court First explains the 2026 rulings.
Five questions to ask at the desk
- What has been recorded: an FIR, an NCR, or only a diary entry?
- What is the number and date? (An FIR number, NCR number or entry number.)
- Which offence sections are written against it? You can check each section's classification in the BNSS First Schedule.
- Can I have a copy? For an FIR, the BNSS makes it free and immediate. For an NCR, ask and photograph the entry.
- What happens next, and who will contact me?
Common myths
Myth: Any number on a police receipt means a case is registered. Reality: Only an FIR starts a police investigation. An NCR sends you to a Magistrate, and a diary entry is a station note.
Myth: A Zero FIR is a weaker kind of FIR. Reality: It is an FIR. The only difference is that it was taken at a station outside the area.
Myth: Police can always switch an FIR to an NCR to avoid the work. Reality: If the facts disclose a cognizable offence, registration is mandatory (Lalita Kumari), and there is a statutory route if it is refused.
Myth: A GD entry has the same value as an FIR. Reality: It is a different record kept under a different law. A court may treat it as the first information in an appropriate case, but you should not rely on that.
The law behind this
| Aspect | Old Law (CrPC) | New Law (BNSS) |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizable offence defined | Section 2(c) | Section 2(1)(g) |
| Non-cognizable offence defined | Section 2(l) | Section 2(1)(o) |
| FIR for a cognizable offence | Section 154 | Section 173(1) |
| Free copy of the FIR | Section 154(2) | Section 173(2) |
| Limited preliminary enquiry | Judge-made (Lalita Kumari) | Section 173(3) |
| Complaint to the Superintendent of Police on refusal | Section 154(3) | Section 173(4) |
| NCR and referral to the Magistrate | Section 155(1) | Section 174(1) |
| Magistrate's direction to investigate | Section 156(3) | Section 175(3) |
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether police recorded an FIR or an NCR? Look at the document. An FIR is registered under Section 173 BNSS for a cognizable offence and carries an FIR number, the offence sections and your signature on the information. An NCR is recorded under Section 174 BNSS for a non-cognizable offence and is marked NCR or NC Report. If you were told only that a "diary entry" or "DD entry" was made, no FIR has been registered unless the entry itself discloses a cognizable offence.
Is a GD entry the same as an FIR? No. The Supreme Court's Constitution Bench in Lalita Kumari (2013) held that an FIR must be recorded in the FIR book, while the General Diary is a daily record of many events at the station. A GD entry can be treated as the first information in an appropriate case where it discloses a cognizable offence, but you should still insist that the FIR be registered.
What is a Zero FIR? It is an FIR registered at a police station even though the offence happened outside its area. Section 173(1) BNSS allows information about a cognizable offence to be given to an officer in charge of a police station "irrespective of the area where the offence is committed".
Can the police refuse to register an FIR and write NCR instead? Only if the offence is genuinely non-cognizable. If the facts disclose a cognizable offence, registering an FIR is mandatory with no preliminary inquiry (Lalita Kumari, 2013). If the police refuse, write to the Superintendent of Police under Section 173(4) BNSS and then apply to the Magistrate under Section 175(3) BNSS.
Do I get a copy of the FIR? Yes. Section 173(2) BNSS requires a copy of the information as recorded to be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant or the victim. The BNSS does not make the same promise for an NCR, so ask for the NCR number and date and keep a photograph of the entry.
Can police arrest someone on an NCR? No. A person concerned in a non-cognizable offence cannot be arrested except under a warrant or order of a Magistrate (Section 35(2) BNSS), and the police cannot investigate without a Magistrate's order (Section 174(2) BNSS).
This guide is general legal information for readers in India, not legal advice for your situation. Register names, numbering and procedure differ by State; confirm the position with a lawyer or your District Legal Services Authority before you act.