NC stands for non-cognizable. It is a complaint about an offence the police may record but may not investigate on their own, and for which they cannot arrest without a warrant. The station makes an entry in its diary and gives you an NC number. To have it investigated, a Magistrate must first grant permission.
| NC stands for | Non-cognizable |
| Governing provision | Section 174, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (earlier Section 155, CrPC) |
| What the police do | Record the entry, give you an NC number, refer you to the Magistrate |
| Arrest without warrant | Not permitted |
| Investigation | Only after a Magistrate's order |
| Cost | Free |
| Typical offences | Simple hurt, criminal intimidation, public nuisance, defamation, simple cheating, mischief causing limited loss |
| Escalates to | Private complaint before the Magistrate under Section 223 BNSS |
What the letters mean
NC is simply shorthand for non-cognizable. It describes a category of offence, not the quality of your complaint. The schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita classifies every offence as either cognizable or non-cognizable, and that classification — not the station's discretion — decides which record gets made.
When the information you give discloses a non-cognizable offence, the officer enters the substance in the station diary, refers you to the Magistrate, and gives you an NC number. The governing provision is Section 174 of the BNSS, which replaced Section 155 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Being handed an NC number is frequently taken as the police declining to help. It is not. The officer is following the only procedure the law permits for that category. The question worth asking is a different one: was the classification correct on the facts you gave?
NC and FIR side by side
| FIR | NC entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Offence category | Cognizable | Non-cognizable |
| Provision | Section 173 BNSS | Section 174 BNSS |
| Police investigate on their own | Yes, immediately | No — Magistrate's order needed |
| Arrest without warrant | Permitted | Not permitted |
| Copy to informant | Free and mandatory | No statutory right; many states give one free on request |
| Usual end point | Charge sheet or closure report | Often the entry itself; otherwise a Magistrate's order or a private complaint |
The single operative difference is who may set an investigation going. In a cognizable matter the police may act on their own. In a non-cognizable matter they may not, and the Magistrate stands between the complaint and the investigation.
Offences usually recorded as NC
These are the categories that most often produce an NC entry at a station counter:
- Simple hurt — an assault causing injury that is not grievous
- Mischief causing limited damage to property
- Public nuisance, including persistent noise and obstruction
- Defamation, which remains non-cognizable
- Criminal intimidation, including threats to kill, under the central schedule — though some states have notified it as cognizable
- Simple cheating, where nothing was handed over because of the deception
The same underlying incident can fall on either side of the line depending on detail. Simple hurt is non-cognizable; grievous hurt, or hurt caused with a dangerous weapon, is cognizable. Simple cheating is non-cognizable; cheating that induces someone to hand over property is cognizable. If the facts you reported included an aggravating element and it was not recorded, that is worth taking up in writing.
Which offences are non-cognizable
The classification is fixed by the schedule to the Sanhita, offence by offence. Below are the categories that most commonly produce an NC entry at a station counter, with the distinction that flips each one into cognizable territory.
| Non-cognizable | Becomes cognizable when |
|---|---|
| Simple hurt | The injury is grievous — a fracture, permanent loss of sight in an eye or hearing in an ear, permanent disfigurement, or an injury endangering life — or the hurt is caused with a dangerous weapon |
| Criminal intimidation | It does not under the central schedule — even a threat to kill is non-cognizable. Some states have notified it as cognizable, so check locally |
| Mischief causing limited loss | The loss is ₹1 lakh or more, or it is committed by fire or explosives, or damages a road, bridge or drainage work |
| Public nuisance | It does not — but carrying on a nuisance after being ordered to stop is a separate, cognizable offence |
| Defamation | It does not — and a court can act on defamation only on a complaint by the person defamed |
| Cheating of the simple kind | Property is handed over because of the deception, or the cheating is by personation |
Two offences people often expect to find here are in fact cognizable even in their simplest form: criminal trespass and wrongful restraint. Report either and the station should register an FIR.
The same punch can be simple hurt or grievous hurt depending on the medical finding, and becomes cognizable if a weapon was used. If you believe an aggravating element was present and it was not recorded, get a medical certificate the same day and raise it in writing straight away.
Arrest, bail and the police's powers in an NC matter
Three questions come up constantly here, and the answers are short.
Can the police arrest without a warrant?
No. That is the defining feature of a non-cognizable offence. An arrest requires a warrant issued by a Magistrate. If an arrest has been made in a purely non-cognizable matter without a warrant, that is a serious irregularity. The one narrow exception is a person who refuses to give, or gives a false, name and address when an officer asks for it (Section 39 BNSS).
Are non-cognizable offences bailable?
Almost always, yes. Cognizability and bailability are two separate classifications, but in practice they overlap heavily — the great majority of non-cognizable offences are also bailable, which means bail is available as a matter of right rather than at the court's discretion. Do not assume it, though: check the schedule entry for the specific offence, because the two classifications are decided independently.
Can an FIR be registered for a non-cognizable offence?
Not as an FIR under the cognizable-offence provision. The station makes an NC entry instead. There is one important qualification: where a single incident discloses both a non-cognizable and a cognizable offence, the case is treated as cognizable and an FIR is registered covering the whole matter (Section 174(4) BNSS). This is why the exact facts you report matter so much.
| Cognizable / non-cognizable | Whether police may investigate and arrest without an order |
| Bailable / non-bailable | Whether bail is a right or a matter for the court's discretion |
| Compoundable / non-compoundable | Whether the parties may lawfully settle and end the case |
| Triable by | Which court hears the matter |
These four are set independently for every offence. An offence can be non-cognizable and compoundable, or non-cognizable and non-compoundable. Reading one from another is a common and costly mistake.
Getting a Magistrate's order to investigate
If you want the police to actually investigate a non-cognizable matter, the Magistrate has to authorise it. There are two routes, and they lead to different places.
Route one: ask for an investigation order
You apply to the jurisdictional Magistrate for an order directing the police to investigate. If granted, the police then have the same investigative powers they would have in a cognizable case — with the significant exception that they still cannot arrest without a warrant.
Route two: file a private complaint
A complaint under Section 223 of the BNSS brings the matter before the Magistrate directly, without the police as intermediary. The Magistrate examines the complainant on oath, and must give the accused an opportunity to be heard before taking cognizance. The Magistrate may then issue process against the accused, order an investigation first (Section 225), or dismiss the complaint (Section 226).
| Investigation order | Private complaint | |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | Evidence exists but you cannot gather it — CCTV held by third parties, records, call data | You already hold the evidence and want the matter before the court |
| Who gathers evidence | The police | You do |
| Speed | Depends on the police after the order | Usually faster to reach the court |
| What you need ready | The NC entry and a clear account of what evidence exists and where | Your documents, your witnesses, and a properly drawn complaint |
Which one fits depends almost entirely on where the evidence sits. If it is in your own hands, the private complaint is usually the more direct road.
Filing an NC complaint online
Several state police portals now accept non-cognizable complaints online, and some issue the NC number digitally. Where it is available, this is genuinely useful — it produces a timestamped record without a trip to the station.
The process mirrors the offline one: register on the state police citizen portal, choose the complaint category, describe the incident, and submit. You receive an acknowledgement, and in most states the entry is subsequently made in the station diary with an NC number against it.
First, follow up and obtain the actual NC number — an online acknowledgement number is not the same thing. Second, preserve your own evidence from the day of the incident, because no investigation is running and nobody else is collecting it.
What to do after you have an NC number
- Collect the NC number and a copy of the entry Before leaving the station, note the NC number, the date, the station name and the officer's name. Ask for a copy of the entry. There is no fee.
- Preserve the evidence yourself Because no investigation is running, nobody else is collecting evidence. Photograph injuries and damage with the date visible. Obtain a medical certificate the same day where there is injury. Note the names and contact details of anyone who saw what happened.
- Decide whether the matter is worth pursuing further Many non-cognizable matters are better resolved through a legal notice, a civil claim, or a settlement than through criminal proceedings. The NC entry supports all of those routes.
- Approach the Magistrate if you want it taken further Either apply for an order directing the police to investigate (Section 174(2) BNSS), or file a private complaint under Section 223 of the BNSS — the two routes described above.
- If a case is filed, settlement is often possible Most non-cognizable offences are compoundable. Once a case is pending in court it can be referred to Lok Adalat, where a settlement is recorded as an award and is final.
Arun's neighbour in Indore damages the compound wall between their plots during a dispute. He reports it; the station records an NC for mischief and gives him the number. Nothing further happens, which is exactly what the procedure contemplates. Arun photographs the damage, obtains a repair estimate, and sends a legal notice seeking the cost. The neighbour responds, and the matter is settled without a court ever hearing it. The NC entry did its work — it fixed the date and the fact of the complaint.
What an NC entry is actually worth
Its value is evidentiary rather than investigative. A dated official record that you reported an incident on a particular day, naming particular people, is useful in several places:
- In a civil suit for damages arising from the same incident
- In an insurance claim, where insurers frequently ask whether the matter was reported
- In a housing society or employer proceeding, where a station record carries more weight than a private account
- In later criminal proceedings, where the date of first report can matter
- Before the Magistrate, when you apply for permission to investigate
What it does not do is start an investigation. Understanding that distinction at the counter, rather than three months later, saves a great deal of frustration.
Is yours actually a non-cognizable matter?
Stations sometimes record an NC where the facts disclose a cognizable offence. Describe the incident and NyayaMithra will tell you which provisions it maps to and which route applies.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an NC complaint useless?
No. It is a dated official record that you reported the incident, which matters in a later civil suit, an insurance claim, a society or employer dispute, or any subsequent criminal proceeding. It is also the document the Magistrate will look at if you apply for permission to investigate. Its limitation is narrow and specific: it does not by itself set the police investigating.
Can an NC be converted into an FIR?
Not by conversion as such. If further facts emerge that disclose a cognizable offence, the station must register an FIR on that information. If you believe the facts already disclosed a cognizable offence and the station recorded an NC instead, raise it in writing with the Superintendent of Police, or move the Magistrate.
Do I get a copy of the NC?
There is no statutory right to a copy, as there is for an FIR, but many states give one free on request. Ask for the NC number and a copy of the entry before you leave the station. If a copy is not given at the time, note the NC number, the date and the officer's name, and follow up in writing.
Can the police arrest anyone on an NC complaint?
Not without a warrant issued by a Magistrate — that is the defining feature of a non-cognizable offence. The only exception is a person who refuses to give, or falsely gives, their name and address when an officer asks (Section 39 BNSS).
How long does the Magistrate take to grant permission?
It varies considerably by court and by district, and no statutory period applies. In practice it depends on the Magistrate's board and how the application is drawn. An advocate who practises in that court will give you a realistic estimate for your district.
What is a compoundable offence in this context?
Many non-cognizable offences are compoundable, meaning the parties may lawfully settle and the case ends. This is why a large proportion of these matters are resolved in Lok Adalat rather than through trial. Some offences are compoundable only with the court's permission, so check which category yours falls into.
What exactly is a non-cognizable offence?
It is an offence listed in the schedule to the Sanhita as one in which the police may not arrest without a warrant and may not investigate without an order from a Magistrate. The classification is fixed by the schedule for each offence — it is not a judgment the station makes about how serious your complaint is.
Is a non-cognizable offence bailable?
The great majority are, which means bail is available as a matter of right. But cognizability and bailability are separate classifications decided independently for each offence, so check the schedule entry for the specific offence rather than assuming one follows from the other.
Can an FIR be registered for a non-cognizable offence?
Not on its own. The station makes an NC entry instead. However, where one incident discloses both a non-cognizable and a cognizable offence, an FIR is registered covering the whole matter — which is why the precise facts you report are so important.
Can I file an NC complaint online?
Several state police portals accept non-cognizable complaints online and issue an acknowledgement. Follow up to obtain the actual NC number, since an acknowledgement number is not the same thing.