HomeInterpol Yellow Notice: Legal Help in International Missing Persons Cases
An INTERPOL Yellow Notice is used to help locate missing persons and identify people unable to identify themselves. The page explains when a Yellow Notice is issued, how a case is submitted through the National Central Bureau, how it differs from other notices and how our solicitors can assist families and individuals.
Red NoticeLocate and arrest a person with a view to extraditionLearn more →
Blue NoticeCollect information about a personLearn more →
Green NoticeWarn about a person considered a dangerLearn more →
Yellow NoticeLocate a missing personYou are here
Orange NoticeWarn of a serious and imminent threatLearn more →
Purple NoticeShare criminal modus operandiLearn more →
Black NoticeIdentify unidentified bodiesLearn more →
Silver NoticeLocate assets of criminal originLearn more →
INTERPOL–UN Special NoticeIndividuals and entities subject to UN Security Council sanctionsLearn more →
DiffusionRequest sent directly by a member countryLearn more →
What is an Interpol Yellow Notice? Yellow notice meaning
A yellow notice is one of the Interpol notice types used to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to identify people who are unable to identify themselves (for example because of amnesia, mental illness or young age). Unidentified bodies are covered by a separate Black Notice.
In practice, an Interpol yellow notice is used:
- when the police do not know where a missing person is and the search may extend beyond national borders;
- for the identification of individuals found abroad and unable to provide personal data;
- in international parental child abduction cases, to help locate a child taken abroad by one parent (the return itself is decided under the Hague Convention and national law).
A yellow notice is not a request for arrest and is not an arrest warrant. Unlike a Red Notice, which seeks provisional arrest, it is a law enforcement tool for sharing information linked to unexplained disappearances. This global police alert is requested by national police through their Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB). Once reviewed and approved by Interpol’s General Secretariat, the notice is circulated to all 196 member countries.
When is a Yellow Notice Issued?
Under Article 90 of INTERPOL’s Rules on the Processing of Data (RPD), a yellow notice can be published only if minimum conditions are met:
- the disappearance (or the finding of a person who cannot be identified) has been reported to and recorded by the police;
- the whereabouts of the missing person are unknown to the police;
- the request contains sufficient identifiers — for a missing person at least the family name, forename, sex and date of birth (at least the year);
- the request genuinely aims to locate or identify a person and is not used to pursue a private matter, such as a family dispute.
Important: INTERPOL’s General Secretariat publishes a yellow notice only if there is sufficient identifying information (photo, full name, date of birth, etc.). It may refuse a request that breaches INTERPOL’s neutrality rule (Article 3 of the Constitution) or human rights standards (Article 2).
Parental abduction: a yellow notice can be issued for kidnappings, parental abductions and unexplained disappearances. In family cases, however, INTERPOL checks that the notice really serves to locate a missing child and is not used as leverage in a private custody dispute.
How to Submit a Missing Person Case for Yellow Notice Publication?
Submitting data for a yellow notice Interpol to identify missing persons involves several steps:
Initial Report
The first step is filing a missing person report with the local police or investigative authority. This international alert must include:
- full identifying information of the missing person;
- circumstances of disappearance;
- photographs;
- medical, identification, and other relevant data.
If there are signs that the person may have gone abroad, describe them — they help the police decide whether an international search is needed.
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Your situation requires immediate action. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation at [email protected] and learn what legal tools can help you address an INTERPOL Yellow Notice and protect your rights.
National Central Bureau (NCB)
The case is forwarded to the National Central Bureau—Interpol’s structure within the country. The NCB assesses:
- whether the request meets international criteria;
- sufficiency of identifying data;
- risks of rights violations or abuse of the Interpol system.
If all conditions are satisfied, the NCB prepares the file for Interpol’s General Secretariat to publish this global police alert.
Submission to Interpol
The materials are sent to Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, where they undergo further legal and procedural review for compliance with Interpol’s rules, including:
- absence of political, racial, religious, or military motivations;
- compliance with human rights standards;
- sufficiency and quality of the data provided.
Notice Publication
Once approved, the yellow notice is circulated on the secure I-24/7 network to all member countries. At the request of the country concerned, an extract can also be published on INTERPOL’s public website — the list people search for as the Interpol missing persons list. Not every yellow notice is made public: many remain restricted to police use, especially in cases involving children or people at risk of harm.
Strengthening International Search
A yellow notice may be accompanied by:
- distribution of data to border officials;
- alerts at border checkpoints;
- parallel alerts in regional systems, such as missing-person alerts in the Schengen Information System within the EU.
Coordination and Follow-up
After publication, coordination is handled through the NCB for law enforcement use. Upon locating the individual:
- The requesting country is notified.
- In child cases, return procedures are triggered via guardianship authorities, courts, or the Hague Convention mechanisms.
- If the person is identified, steps are taken to provide protection, including medical or consular assistance.
How Can Our Solicitors Help?
Legal assistance is crucial in matters related to Interpol Yellow Notice, both for families of missing persons and missing children and for individuals who have been misidentified.
Lawyers can:
- Prepare a properly formulated missing person report, avoiding errors that lead to rejection;
- Assist the family when the police or the NCB do not pursue the request, or when more information is needed for the notice to be published;
- Represent individuals who are incorrectly listed under a yellow notice;
- In disputed cases, file a complaint with the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) to remove the notice;
- Defend human rights if the publication violates international or national legal norms;
- Support cases involving the return of children, including international legal procedures in UK and foreign courts.
If you are facing an international search involving an Interpol yellow notice, do not delay. Our lawyers have experience working with Interpol mechanisms, challenging notices, and handling cross-border missing person cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a yellow notice mean and what is it used for?
A Yellow Notice helps police in INTERPOL member countries locate missing persons, often minors, whose whereabouts are unknown. It is also used to identify people who cannot state their own identity, for example because of amnesia, mental illness or infancy.
Is a Yellow Notice the same as an arrest warrant?
No. Unlike a Red Notice, a Yellow Notice does not ask for anyone to be arrested. It is a tool for sharing information about missing or unidentified persons between police forces.
How is a missing person case submitted for a Yellow Notice?
An official missing person report is first filed with the national police, with identifying details and photographs, describing any signs that the person may be abroad. The National Central Bureau checks the request and forwards it to INTERPOL's General Secretariat, which reviews it before publication.
Why might a Yellow Notice request be refused?
A request may be refused if identifying information is insufficient, if it raises human rights or neutrality concerns, or if the matter is essentially a private legal dispute rather than a missing person case. Lawyers can help prepare the report properly and assess whether a refusal can be challenged.
What can I do if I am wrongly listed in a Yellow Notice?
A person incorrectly listed or misidentified can seek legal representation, and in disputed cases a complaint may be filed with the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL's Files asking for the data to be corrected or removed.
Is there a public Interpol missing persons list?
Yes. At the request of the country concerned, INTERPOL can publish extracts of yellow notices on its public website so that the public can help find missing persons, including missing children. Not every yellow notice is public: many are shared only between police forces through the I-24/7 network.
