Interpol notices
INTERPOL Notices are international requests for cooperation and alerts used by police authorities to exchange crime-related information. They may concern wanted persons, missing people, unidentified bodies, public safety threats, criminal methods or assets linked to crime.
The General Secretariat publishes Notices following a request from a member country’s National Central Bureau. Authorized authorities across INTERPOL’s 196 member countries can consult them through the Organization’s secure information system.
Notices may also be requested by international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court for persons wanted in connection with genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. INTERPOL also issues Special Notices relating to individuals and entities subject to United Nations Security Council sanctions.
INTERPOL’s colour-coded Notices allow police services to share alerts and requests with other countries through a standardized system. Each colour has a defined purpose and its own legal requirements.
A Notice may contain personal details, biometric identifiers, judicial information, photographs, descriptions of objects or instructions about the information requested. The exact content depends on the Notice category.
| Notice Type | Color | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Red | To seek the arrest or provisional arrest of wanted persons, with a view to extradition. |
| Blue | Blue | To locate, identify, or obtain information about individuals of interest in criminal investigations or to identify unidentified bodies. |
| Green | Green | To warn and provide information about individuals who have committed criminal offenses and are likely to repeat these crimes in other countries. |
| Yellow | Yellow | To locate and identify missing persons, especially minors or individuals unable to identify themselves. |
| Black | Black | To seek information about unidentified bodies. |
| Orange | Orange | To warn and provide information about potential threats from individuals, objects, or events that could harm public safety, security, or health. |
| Purple | Purple | To provide information about modus operandi, objects, devices, and concealment methods used by criminals. |
These categories and their current purposes are defined by INTERPOL. The Silver Notice remains in a pilot phase.
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Are INTERPOL Notices public?
Most Notices are available only to police and other authorized authorities. A public extract may appear on INTERPOL’s website when the requesting country wishes to seek assistance from the public or warn of a specific risk.
Publication on the website remains an exception. The absence of a person’s name from the public database does not confirm that no Notice or Diffusion exists. All INTERPOL-United Nations Security Council Special Notices are publicly accessible.
INTERPOL’s 2024 Annual Report recorded 223,641 valid Notices, while 17,612 were shared publicly through the website. These figures cover all Notice categories and show that only a limited part of the system is open to public searches.
Interpol Notices vs Diffusions
A Diffusion is another method of requesting international police cooperation. A National Central Bureau sends it directly to all member countries or to a selected group of recipients.
Diffusions follow the same colour-based purposes as Notices. A red Diffusion may request the arrest, detention or restriction of movement of an accused or convicted person. Other Diffusions can concern missing persons, unidentified bodies, criminal intelligence or public safety threats.
The main procedural difference concerns circulation. A Notice is published by the General Secretariat after a request from an authorized source. A Diffusion is circulated directly by the requesting National Central Bureau.
Both mechanisms must comply with INTERPOL’s Constitution and Rules on the Processing of Data. Wanted Persons Diffusions and Red Notice requests undergo review by the Notices and Diffusions Task Force.
Wanted persons diffusions published per year
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16,048 | 15,763 | 15,697 | 13,618 | 12,940 |
How are Notices reviewed?
Member countries are responsible for ensuring that their requests comply with national law, international obligations and INTERPOL’s rules. The General Secretariat also conducts a quality and legal compliance review.
The Notices and Diffusions Task Force includes lawyers, police officers and operational specialists. It assesses identifying details, judicial information, the purpose of the request and the wider context of the case. The review may include information from the requesting country, other member states and public sources.
Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution prohibits activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. INTERPOL also operates within the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under Article 2 of its Constitution.
The Task Force may request further documents, authorize the Notice, deny publication or block data while concerns are examined. Existing Notices can also be reviewed and cancelled when new information shows that their processing no longer complies with INTERPOL’s rules.
What legal effect does a Notice have?
The legal consequences depend on the Notice type and the law of the country where the information is used.
A Red Notice can result in a border check, provisional arrest or the start of extradition proceedings. The arrest requires authority under national law. A formal extradition request and a separate national decision are normally required before surrender can take place.
Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Orange and Purple Notices serve different information-sharing purposes. Their existence does not automatically authorize detention, asset seizure, immigration restrictions or another coercive measure.
National authorities must identify an applicable legal basis for any action they take.
How can you check whether a Notice exists?
Public Red and Yellow Notice extracts can be searched on INTERPOL’s website. This method covers only information approved for public disclosure.
A person who suspects that their personal data are held in INTERPOL’s Information System may submit an access request to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files, known as the CCF.
Since 26 March 2026, new requests must be filed through the secure CCF online portal. Applicants and authorized representatives can request access, correction, deletion or revision, upload supporting documents and receive the Commission’s decision through the portal.
The CCF generally decides an admissible access request within four months. Disclosure may be limited because the Commission consults the source of the information before releasing data.
Can an INTERPOL Notice be challenged?
A person may request correction or deletion when the data are inaccurate, outdated or incompatible with INTERPOL’s rules.
Possible grounds include:
- mistaken identity or incorrect personal details;
- cancellation of the national arrest warrant;
- termination of the underlying criminal proceedings;
- a predominantly political or discriminatory purpose;
- use of criminal proceedings in a private or commercial conflict;
- insufficient judicial information;
- loss of relevance or accuracy;
- failure to meet the requirements for the relevant Notice category.
The CCF considers written submissions and documentary evidence. It may obtain further information from the applicant, the source of the disputed data, the General Secretariat or another relevant body.
The Commission deals only with data processed through INTERPOL. It cannot terminate a national criminal case, cancel a domestic warrant, determine guilt, decide an extradition case or guarantee safe international travel.
Legal assistance with INTERPOL Notices
Our lawyers assist clients affected by Red, Blue, Green and other INTERPOL Notices, as well as Diffusions and national wanted-person records.
Legal assistance may include:
- identifying the type and source of an alert;
- preparing an access request to the CCF;
- analysing the national criminal proceedings;
- correcting inaccurate identification data;
- requesting deletion where legal grounds exist;
- coordinating representation in several countries;
- preparing a defence after arrest;
- challenging extradition or immigration measures;
- checking implementation of a favourable CCF decision.
A favourable result cannot be guaranteed in advance. The outcome depends on the applicable INTERPOL rules, the national proceedings, the documents submitted and the position of the authority that supplied the data.
Contact our legal team if you believe that you are affected by an INTERPOL Notice or Diffusion. We will review the available information, identify the relevant procedures and prepare a coordinated legal strategy.
