HomeInterpol Red Notices
What an INTERPOL Red Notice is (the red notice meaning in practice), what information it contains and what legal effect it has in the UK and elsewhere. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. The page explains how to find out whether a notice concerns you and how our solicitors can advise on access, correction or deletion before the CCF.
Red NoticeLocate and arrest a person with a view to extraditionYou are here
Blue NoticeCollect information about a personLearn more →
Green NoticeWarn about a person considered a dangerLearn more →
Yellow NoticeLocate a missing personLearn more →
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 Red Notice?
What is a Red Notice? An INTERPOL Red Notice — the best-known Interpol notice — is a request to law-enforcement authorities worldwide to locate a wanted person and, where national law permits, provisionally arrest that person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.
It is normally based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the competent authorities of the requesting country.
A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. It is often described as an Interpol arrest warrant, but INTERPOL does not determine guilt, issue national arrest warrants or compel a member country to arrest a person. The individual is wanted by the requesting state or an authorised international tribunal, not by INTERPOL itself.
A Red Notice may contain:
- the person’s name and identifying details;
- date and place of birth;
- nationality;
- photographs;
- fingerprints or other biometric data where available;
- information about the alleged offence;
- details of the underlying warrant or judicial decision.
In the United Kingdom, the existence of a Red Notice does not automatically authorise an arrest in every case. The applicable procedure depends on UK extradition law and the legal basis relied upon.
For certain specified territories, the Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act 2020 allows provisional arrest without a domestic warrant where the statutory conditions are satisfied and the relevant INTERPOL alert has been reviewed and certified by the National Crime Agency. Other cases may require a different domestic warrant or extradition procedure.
Our extradition solicitors can assess how a Red Notice interacts with the applicable UK extradition framework.
The Main Functions of a Red Notice Include:
- alerting law-enforcement authorities that a person is internationally wanted;
- helping authorities locate the person concerned;
- enabling a member country to consider provisional arrest where its national law permits;
- sharing identification and case-related information between competent authorities;
- supporting international police cooperation while a separate extradition or surrender process is considered.
A Red Notice should not be described as creating an independent legal basis for extradition. Extradition is a separate legal process governed by national law, treaties and other applicable international arrangements.
Where another mechanism such as a international arrest warrant is involved, its legal effect must be analysed separately from the Red Notice itself.
How to Find Out if There is a Red Notice Against You?
There are two principal ways to investigate whether INTERPOL data may concern you: checking the public Red Notice database and, where appropriate, submitting an access request to the CCF.
The public database alone is not conclusive because the majority of Red Notices are restricted to law-enforcement use.
Interpol’s Web Page
INTERPOL maintains a public search facility containing extracts of Red Notices that have been made public.
You can search using information such as:
- surname and first name;
- nationality;
- age;
- sex;
- requesting country.
However, most Red Notices do not appear on the public website.
Therefore, if your name does not appear in a public search, this does not establish that INTERPOL holds no data about you. A non-public Red Notice, Diffusion or other information may still be processed through INTERPOL channels.
For cases in which there is a genuine concern that information is being processed, a formal INTERPOL access request may be appropriate.
Interpol Files Control Commission (CCF)
The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files is the independent body responsible for considering individual requests concerning personal data processed in the INTERPOL Information System.
The Requests Chamber considers applications for:
- access to personal data;
- correction of data;
- deletion of data;
- revision of certain CCF decisions.
Since 26 March 2026, new CCF requests must be submitted through the Commission’s dedicated secure online portal.
Once an access request has been declared admissible, the CCF should generally decide it within four months. Requests for correction or deletion are generally subject to a nine-month statutory timeframe from admissibility, although extensions may apply in appropriate circumstances.
These timeframes should not be treated as guaranteed completion dates. The CCF itself has reported cases exceeding the statutory periods where additional information, consultation or exceptional circumstances were involved.
Our solicitors can assist with preparing an INTERPOL data access request and assessing any response received from the CCF.
How to Remove a Red Notice?
A Red Notice can be challenged where the processing of the relevant data does not comply with INTERPOL’s Constitution or Rules on the Processing of Data.
The CCF does not conduct a criminal trial and does not decide whether an individual is guilty or innocent. Its role is to determine whether the processing of information through INTERPOL complies with the Organisation’s rules.
Potential issues may include:
- predominantly political use of INTERPOL channels;
- incompatibility with Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution;
- human-rights concerns relevant to Article 2;
- inaccurate, outdated or misleading information;
- changes in the underlying national proceedings;
- problems with the underlying warrant;
- failure to satisfy INTERPOL’s data-processing requirements (for example the Article 83 RPD conditions: a serious ordinary-law crime punishable by at least two years’ imprisonment, not an administrative violation or a private dispute);
- confirmed refugee status in circumstances covered by INTERPOL’s refugee policy.
A successful CCF challenge concerns the processing of INTERPOL data. It does not automatically cancel the underlying national arrest warrant, prosecution or extradition request.
These separate matters may need to be challenged in the relevant national jurisdiction.
If a Red Notice has already been issued, see our dedicated service for INTERPOL Red Notice removal.
Requirements for Removal Requests
A deletion request should clearly identify the INTERPOL rules said to have been breached and provide documents and factual material supporting the challenge.
The strongest applications usually focus on specific compliance issues rather than simply arguing that the criminal allegations are incorrect.
Relevant evidence may include:
- court decisions;
- documents showing that proceedings were dismissed or materially changed;
- information concerning the status of an arrest warrant;
- evidence demonstrating political circumstances surrounding the prosecution;
- evidence concerning refugee or asylum status; documents identifying factual inaccuracies;
- material relevant to potential human-rights violations.
Where political persecution or serious human-rights concerns form part of the case, our international human rights lawyers can assess those issues alongside the INTERPOL challenge.
If a Red Notice has not yet been published, but there is a credible risk that an abusive international request may be submitted, it may also be appropriate to consider a preventive request to INTERPOL.
How Long Red Notice Valid?
A Red Notice should not be assumed to disappear automatically after a fixed date without further verification.
INTERPOL’s Rules on the Processing of Data require personal data to be retained only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was recorded. As a rule, the initial retention period does not exceed five years. Before it ends, the General Secretariat asks the country that supplied the data to assess whether continued retention is needed — and where the requirements are still met, the notice may be kept for a further period.
Accordingly, a person should not rely solely on an assumed expiry date. The current status of the notice and the underlying national warrant should be verified separately.
Deletion of an INTERPOL Red Notice also does not necessarily mean that the underlying national warrant has expired or been cancelled.
Can Interpol Red Notices be Misused?
Yes. Concerns about politically motivated or otherwise abusive use of INTERPOL mechanisms have been documented for many years.
INTERPOL’s Constitution provides safeguards designed to prevent misuse. In particular:
- Article 2 requires INTERPOL cooperation to operate in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- Article 3 strictly prohibits INTERPOL from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.
Requests for Notices are reviewed for compliance with INTERPOL’s rules by the Notices and Diffusions Task Force.
Nevertheless, disputes can arise over the true nature of a prosecution, the accuracy of the information supplied by a requesting country and whether a case is predominantly political.
Where such concerns exist, the appropriate response is to identify the specific rule violations and provide evidence capable of supporting a challenge before the CCF.
How does the TRAP Act Prevent Abuses?
The Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention Act, commonly known as the TRAP Act, forms part of the United States’ policy response to concerns about misuse of INTERPOL systems for transnational repression.
It was enacted through the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 and required US authorities to monitor and report on misuse of INTERPOL communications and support institutional reforms.
The TRAP Act is US legislation. It does not create a UK procedure for cancelling a Red Notice and does not replace an application to the CCF.
For a person located in the United Kingdom, the legal analysis should instead focus on:
- compliance of the INTERPOL data with INTERPOL’s rules;
- any UK arrest or extradition process;
- the status of the underlying foreign proceedings;
- applicable human-rights protections.
The TRAP Act remains relevant as part of the broader international response to politically motivated misuse of INTERPOL, but it should not be presented as a direct UK remedy.
Contact us now!
Your situation requires immediate action. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation at [email protected] and learn what legal tools can help you remove the notice and protect your rights.
What is Interpol’s Refugee Policy
INTERPOL has adopted a refugee policy intended to balance international police cooperation with safeguards for individuals who have been granted refugee status.
Under INTERPOL’s Refugee Resolution, when a member country confirms that a person has been granted refugee status, INTERPOL will delete a Notice or Diffusion issued by the country from which that person fears persecution.
The application of this policy depends on formal confirmation of refugee status and the circumstances of the particular case.
Refugee status should therefore not be described as automatically cancelling every INTERPOL record or every national criminal proceeding.
Separate national arrest warrants or proceedings may remain in force, and the consequences of refugee status for extradition must be considered under the applicable national and international law.
Where refugee status, persecution or Article 3 ECHR issues arise alongside an INTERPOL matter, our human rights solicitors can assess these issues as part of the wider defence strategy.
Where a Red Notice is accompanied by an extradition request, our team can coordinate the INTERPOL challenge with the parallel extradition defence. Removal of INTERPOL data and termination of extradition proceedings are separate legal outcomes and may require different legal strategies.
Seeking a Red Notice Solicitor
If you discover that a Red Notice may have been issued against you, the first step is to establish precisely what information exists and what underlying judicial measure supports it.
Our Interpol Red Notice solicitors in London can assist with:
- checking the available INTERPOL information;
- preparing access requests to the CCF;
- analysing whether the Notice complies with INTERPOL’s Constitution and Rules;
- preparing correction or deletion applications;
- evaluating political or human-rights issues;
- analysing an underlying foreign arrest warrant;
- coordinating INTERPOL proceedings with UK extradition defence;
- advising on preventive measures where a Notice has not yet been issued.
If an arrest warrant or extradition request already exists, the national proceedings must be addressed separately. Our international arrest warrant solicitors can assess the underlying warrant and its potential consequences in the UK.
Contact us to arrange a confidential assessment of your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an Interpol Red Notice an Interpol arrest warrant?
No — red notices are not international arrest warrants. A Red Notice is a request to law-enforcement authorities to locate a wanted person and, where national law permits, provisionally arrest them pending extradition or similar action. Each member country decides what legal effect to give it under its own law.
Can I check online whether there is a Red Notice against me?
Only public Red Notices can be searched on INTERPOL's website, and most notices are restricted to law-enforcement use. If your name does not appear, that does not prove INTERPOL holds no data about you; a formal access request to the CCF may be appropriate.
How long does the CCF take to decide a request?
Once admissible, an access request should generally be decided within four months, and a correction or deletion request within nine months. Extensions may apply, so these timeframes are not guaranteed completion dates.
Does refugee status matter for a Red Notice?
Yes. Under INTERPOL's refugee policy, where a member country confirms that a person has refugee status, a Notice or Diffusion issued by the country they fear persecution from will be deleted. It does not automatically cancel national arrest warrants or proceedings.
Does a Red Notice automatically lead to extradition?
No. A Red Notice does not order extradition. Arrest and extradition depend on the domestic law, treaty framework and judicial decisions of the country concerned, and in the UK on the applicable extradition procedure.
What is an Interpol Red Notice, and what does a red notice mean?
An Interpol Red Notice is a request to law-enforcement authorities worldwide to locate a person sought by a member country and, where national law permits, provisionally arrest them pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. It is the best-known of INTERPOL’s colour-coded notices. In practice, a red notice means you may be stopped at borders or have difficulties with travel and banking, but whether you can be arrested or extradited depends on the law of the country where you are — in the UK, on the Extradition Act 2003.
