Red, blue, yellow, green and the rest, explained

INTERPOL issues nine types of colour-coded notices to share critical crime-related information between its 196 member countries. These are not international arrest warrants but function as global alerts, with the most well-known, the Red Notice, requesting the location and provisional arrest of a person pending extradition. These notices are tools for international police cooperation, requested by a member country and published by INTERPOL, subject to compliance with its Constitution.

A notice is one of several tools used for international law enforcement cooperation. To understand their context, it helps to know what INTERPOL can and cannot do.

H2: What is the Difference Between an INTERPOL Notice and an Arrest Warrant?

A common misconception is that an INTERPOL Notice, particularly a Red Notice, is an international arrest warrant. This is incorrect. A notice is a request for cooperation from law enforcement worldwide, while the legal authority to make an arrest always comes from the national authorities of the country where the person is located.

Each member country decides for itself what legal value to give an INTERPOL notice. While some countries may treat a Red Notice as a valid basis for a provisional arrest, others require a separate, formal extradition request and a domestic warrant before taking any action.

INTERPOL itself has no police powers. Its role is to facilitate the secure exchange of information between national police forces. This function is strictly governed by its own rules, including Article 3 of the INTERPOL Constitution, which forbids the organisation from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character.

H2: What Are the Most Common Types of INTERPOL Notices?

While there are nine notice types, a few are more frequently issued and relate directly to individuals, making them the most publicly discussed.

H3: The Red Notice: The Global "Wanted" Alert

A Red Notice is issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence. It is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. Under Article 82 of INTERPOL's Rules on the Processing of Data (RPD), a Red Notice can only be issued for serious ordinary-law crimes where the offence is punishable by a minimum of two years' imprisonment. It must be based on a valid national arrest warrant or court order.

H3: The Yellow Notice: Finding Missing Persons

A Yellow Notice is a global police alert to help locate missing persons. This is often used in cases involving minors, but can also be used to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves, such as vulnerable adults or amnesia victims. They are a critical tool in cross-border cases of parental abduction or disappearances.

H3: The Blue Notice: Tracing and Tracking Individuals

A Blue Notice is used to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation. It functions as an international request for information, or a "check and report" on a person of interest to a national police force. It is not a request for arrest.

H2: What Do the Other INTERPOL Colour Notices Mean?

Beyond the well-known Red, Yellow, and Blue Notices, INTERPOL uses a wider spectrum of alerts to warn police about specific threats, criminal methods, and unidentified individuals.

H3: The Black Notice: Identifying Deceased Individuals

A Black Notice is issued to seek information on unidentified bodies. It allows police forces to share forensic data such as DNA, fingerprints, and dental patterns with member countries, in the hope of matching them to missing persons' records and enabling families to be notified.

H3: The Green Notice: Warnings About Repeat Offenders

A Green Notice serves as a warning and provides intelligence about persons who have committed criminal offences and are considered likely to repeat these crimes in other countries. This is a proactive alert that allows police to be aware of potential threats from known criminals who travel internationally.

H3: The Orange Notice: Alerts for Imminent Threats

An Orange Notice is an urgent alert regarding an event, a person, an object, or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety. These are among the most serious alerts and can warn of threats like parcel bombs, contaminated goods, or other concealed and dangerous materials.

H3: The Purple Notice: Exposing Criminal Methods

A Purple Notice is used to seek or provide information on the modus operandi (methods), objects, devices, and concealment methods used by criminals. By sharing this intelligence, it helps police forces in different countries recognise emerging criminal patterns, techniques, and technologies.

H2: Are There Any Other Types of INTERPOL Alerts?

Beyond the standard colour-coded system, INTERPOL has developed other notices to address specific international mandates. The process for challenging these notices is complex, and individuals may need legal assistance. Learn more about the grounds on which a notice is removed.

The INTERPOL–UN Security Council Special Notice

This is a distinct category of alert issued for individuals and entities that are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. Its primary purpose is to alert national law enforcement that specific restrictive measures, such as asset freezes or travel bans, are in place, as mandated by UN Security Council sanctions resolutions.

The Silver Notice (Pilot Phase)

Introduced as a pilot project, the Silver Notice is a new tool dedicated to locating, identifying, freezing, seizing, and confiscating criminal assets. This notice directly supports member countries in their efforts to trace and recover the proceeds of crime, which is a growing priority in global anti-money laundering efforts.

H2: How Can an INTERPOL Notice Be Challenged or Removed?

Before any notice is published, INTERPOL's General Secretariat is meant to review it for compliance with its rules, particularly the prohibition on political, military, religious, or racial matters under Article 3 of its Constitution. However, non-compliant notices are sometimes published.

The primary avenue for an individual to challenge a notice is the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF). The CCF is an independent body that handles requests from individuals to access, correct, or delete data held in INTERPOL's systems. A person can petition the CCF to have a notice reviewed and deleted if it is found to be non-compliant with INTERPOL's rules.

A successful challenge typically argues that the notice violates INTERPOL's regulations. Common grounds include the political nature of the charges, the absence of a valid underlying legal basis, or that the subject's fundamental human rights are at risk. Strong arguments often reference jurisprudence from bodies like the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Understanding the role of the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files is the first step in this process.

This article is published by an independent law firm for informational purposes only and does not represent or claim affiliation with any government body, international organization, or official authority.

• What is the INTERPOL Notices list? The INTERPOL Notices list is the complete set of alerts used by the organisation. It includes eight colour-coded notices (Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, Green, Orange, Purple, and the pilot-phase Silver) plus the INTERPOL-UN Security Council Special Notice. Each colour corresponds to a specific function, from locating fugitives to warning of public threats.

• What is an Orange Notice INTERPOL? An Orange Notice is a high-level alert issued to warn police and public bodies of an event, person, or object representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety. Examples include warnings about letter bombs, dangerous chemicals, or other immediate dangers requiring enhanced vigilance.

• What is a Black Notice INTERPOL? A Black Notice is used to seek information about unidentified deceased persons. It circulates details like dental records, DNA profiles, and other identifying information to law enforcement agencies worldwide in an effort to determine the person's identity and inform their next of kin.

• What is a Blue Notice INTERPOL? A Blue Notice is an "enquiry" notice. It is issued to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or criminal activities in relation to an ongoing investigation. It is not a request for arrest but a formal request for information and monitoring from member countries.

• What is a Green Notice INTERPOL? A Green Notice is a warning and intelligence alert. It is issued to provide information about individuals who have committed criminal offences and are considered likely to commit similar crimes in other countries, helping police forces to be aware of potential repeat offenders in their jurisdiction.