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Independent guide by India Customer Care · Not the Parivahan government website · We never ask for your licence number, vehicle number, Aadhaar or OTP. Official services: parivahan.gov.in

Vehicle Stolen in India: FIR, Insurance Claim and Next Steps

By ICC TeamUpdated Facts checked against official sources on

If your vehicle is stolen, file a police FIR immediately; a late FIR can sink a theft claim. Delhi lets you file a vehicle-theft e-FIR online. Then tell your insurer in writing, inform the RTO and your lender, and ask your bank to close the FASTag. If the police can't trace the vehicle, they file an untraced report; once the court accepts it, the insurer settles the claim up to the vehicle's IDV.

First step
FIR, immediately
Online FIR
Delhi (e-MV Theft)
Claim up to
The IDV
Key document
Untraced report
FASTag
Ask the bank to close it
An empty parking space where a car was, and four steps to take: file the FIR, tell the insurer, inform the RTO and close the FASTag. ! 1 File the FIR at once 2 Tell your insurer in writing 3 Inform the RTO and lender 4 Close the FASTag
The FIR comes first; then the insurer, RTO and FASTagIllustration · not an official image
On this page
  1. What to do, step by step
  2. Filing the FIR, including online
  3. The insurance claim
  4. If the vehicle is found
  5. Checking a used vehicle isn't stolen
  6. Problems and fixes
  7. Frequently asked questions

What should I do when my vehicle is stolen?

YouPolice / insurerDecision

After a vehicle theft
  1. File the FIR at once, online where your state allows
  2. Tell your insurer in writing and send the FIR
  3. Inform the RTO and your lender in writing
  4. Ask the bank that issued your FASTag to close it
  5. Did the police find the vehicle?No: get the untraced report and claim
  6. Tell the police and insurer, and collect the vehicle
  1. FIR: go to the police station, or use your state's e-FIR service (see below). Note the FIR number and get a copy.
  2. Insurer: inform the insurer at once, in writing. Quote the FIR number.
  3. RTO: inform the RTO where the vehicle is registered, in writing, and keep the acknowledgment. We found no online VAHAN service for this.
  4. FASTag: ask the issuing bank to close the tag. Under NPCI's 2023 rules, the bank can close a tag that you can't access because the vehicle is stolen, and refunds the balance within 15 working days of a valid request. See FASTag.
  5. Lender: if the vehicle is on a loan, tell the lender. The lender has an interest in the claim payout.

Can I file the FIR online?

Delhi: e-MV Theft

  • Delhi Police's e-MV Theft service, running since April 2015, lets you file a vehicle-theft e-FIR from a computer or phone.
  • An e-Police Station investigates, and if the vehicle isn't traced, the untraced report goes to the court electronically.
  • You can download the FIR from the MVT FIR portal using your mobile number.

Other states

Go to the police station with jurisdiction over the place of theft, or check your state police website for an e-FIR service. Under the new criminal procedure law (BNSS section 173), information given electronically is taken on record once you sign it within three days.

Take your RC, a copy of your driving licence and the insurance policy if you have them; the chassis and engine numbers on the RC help the police.

How does the theft insurance claim work?

  • Theft is covered under the own-damage part of a comprehensive policy. A third-party-only policy doesn't cover it.
  • The insurer appoints a surveyor or investigator, and then waits for the police untraced (final) report accepted by the court.
  • The payout is capped at the insured declared value (IDV), the sum insured on your policy.

Ask your insurer for its document list. It usually includes:

  • the claim form and the FIR;
  • the police untraced (final) report, accepted by the court;
  • the RC;
  • signed transfer forms (Forms 28, 29 and 30) and a letter of subrogation, so the vehicle can be registered in the insurer's name;
  • if the vehicle is on a loan, the lender's NOC or letter.

For the general claim process and complaints, see motor insurance claims.

What if the vehicle is found?

  • Tell the police and your insurer at once.
  • Before the claim is settled: insurers ask you to withdraw the theft claim; damage caused during the theft may still be claimable.
  • After the claim is settled: the vehicle belongs to the insurer under the transfer papers you signed; the insurer adjusts the settlement under its terms.
  • If the RC was lost with the vehicle, apply for a duplicate RC.

How can I check that a used vehicle isn't stolen?

  • NCRB Digital Police Portal: the "Generate Vehicle NOC" service checks whether a vehicle is reported stolen or linked to a crime, by registration, chassis or engine number. Some states need this NCRB clearance for an RTO NOC.
  • ZIPNET: the Zonal Integrated Police Network (Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh) lists stolen and unclaimed or seized vehicles.
  • Then follow the ownership transfer steps.

What if the claim runs into trouble?

ProblemWhat to do
The insurer rejects the claim because I told it lateIf you filed the FIR immediately, cite the Supreme Court's ruling in Gurshinder Singh v. Shriram General Insurance (24 January 2020): a mere delay in telling the insurer can't defeat a genuine theft claim.
The insurer rejects it because the FIR was lateThis is hard to fix: the Supreme Court's 2020 ruling protects claims only where the FIR was lodged immediately.
I have only one keyGive the insurer and police a written note about the missing key.
The claim is stuckIt usually waits for the untraced report. Follow up with the investigating officer, then complain to the insurer, Bima Bharosa or the Insurance Ombudsman.
Toll charges still appear on my FASTagAsk the bank to close the tag; transactions are debited only for a few days after the closure request.
Only my number plate was stolenGive the police a written complaint to guard against misuse, then ask your RTO and dealer about a replacement plate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to do if my car is stolen?

File an FIR immediately, at the police station or online where your state allows it.

Can I file a vehicle-theft FIR online?

In Delhi, through e-MV Theft. Elsewhere, check your state police website for an e-FIR service.

How soon must I tell my insurer?

At once, in writing. If the FIR was immediate, the Supreme Court has held that a delay in telling the insurer alone is not a reason to reject the claim.

How much will the insurer pay?

Up to the IDV (sum insured) on your policy, minus any terms your policy sets.

How long does a theft claim take?

It often takes months, mostly waiting for the court to accept the police's untraced report.

Do I need an NCRB NOC for the claim?

We found no official rule requiring an NCRB NOC for a theft claim. NCRB clearance is used for RTO NOCs in some states.

What about my FASTag?

Ask the issuing bank to close it; the balance is refunded within 15 working days of a valid request.

Sources

  1. Delhi Police – best practices: e-MV Theft (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  2. Delhi Police – MVT FIR portal (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  3. ZIPNET – Zonal Integrated Police Network (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  4. NCRB Digital Police Portal (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  5. Supreme Court – Gurshinder Singh v. Shriram General Insurance, 24 Jan 2020 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  6. NPCI – FASTag closure and replacement policy, 17 May 2023 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  7. PIB – CrPC and BNSS: a comparative analysis (section 173) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
  8. Council for Insurance Ombudsmen – synopses of motor awards, 2008–09: theft claim papers (accessed 25 Oct 2026)

Page history: 25 Oct 2026: first published. 25 Oct 2026: sources limited to government websites.

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