If you have ever searched for a case on the eCourts portal, you have seen a mysterious 16 character alphanumeric code called the CNR. Short for Case Number Record, the CNR is the permanent, unique identifier for every case filed in the Indian judicial system. It is portable across transfers, survives re numbering, and is the single most reliable key to pull up a case anywhere in the country. This guide decodes what each character means, how to read a CNR at a glance, and how to use it on eCourtsIndia to save hours of search time.
What is a CNR and why it matters
Before the eCourts project standardised case records, every court used its own numbering. A civil suit at Tis Hazari had a format different from a sessions case in Bengaluru. When a case moved on transfer, it often got a new number, orphaning the old history. The CNR fixed this. It is assigned at the moment of filing, stays with the case through its life, and is accepted across all court websites that feed into the National Judicial Data Grid.
If you know the CNR, you can look up the case, download orders, check the next hearing date, and see the advocate on record without needing to know the court, case type, or year. It is the closest thing Indian litigation has to a universal case ID.
The 16 character structure, character by character
| Positions | Field | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | State code | Two letter ISO style state / UT code | DL for Delhi |
| 3 to 4 | District / establishment code | Two letter or alphanumeric court complex code | ST for Saket courts |
| 5 to 10 | Sequence number | Six digit running serial within that establishment | 001234 |
| 11 to 14 | Year of institution | Four digit calendar year the case was filed | 2024 |
| 15 to 16 | Check characters | Two alphanumeric validation characters | XY |
Put together, a valid CNR looks like DLST010012342024XY. Reading left to right you can immediately tell this is a Delhi case filed in the Saket court complex in 2024, at serial 1234 for that establishment.
State codes used in CNR positions 1 to 2
| Code | State / UT | Code | State / UT |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP | Andhra Pradesh | MN | Manipur |
| AR | Arunachal Pradesh | ML | Meghalaya |
| AS | Assam | MZ | Mizoram |
| BR | Bihar | NL | Nagaland |
| CG | Chhattisgarh | OR | Odisha |
| GA | Goa | PB | Punjab |
| GJ | Gujarat | RJ | Rajasthan |
| HR | Haryana | SK | Sikkim |
| HP | Himachal Pradesh | TN | Tamil Nadu |
| JH | Jharkhand | TS | Telangana |
| KA | Karnataka | TR | Tripura |
| KL | Kerala | UP | Uttar Pradesh |
| MP | Madhya Pradesh | UK | Uttarakhand |
| MH | Maharashtra | WB | West Bengal |
| AN | Andaman & Nicobar | DL | Delhi |
| CH | Chandigarh | JK | Jammu & Kashmir |
| DN | DNH & Daman & Diu | LA | Ladakh |
| LD | Lakshadweep | PY | Puducherry |
Reading the district / establishment code
Positions 3 and 4 identify the court establishment, not just the district. A large city typically has multiple court complexes, each with its own code. In Delhi alone you will see TH (Tis Hazari), ST (Saket), KK (Karkardooma), RC (Rohini), DW (Dwarka), and PL (Patiala House). Bombay has BY for the city civil court, ES for Esplanade, and MZ for Mazgaon. Each High Court registry has its own code too. When you see the first four characters of a CNR, you already know the exact court where the case lives.
Sequence number and year
The six digit sequence number is reset on 1 January each year and counts up for every case filed at that establishment during the year. A CNR ending in 2024 at position 11 to 14 means the case was instituted in 2024, regardless of the cause of action date. If the case is transferred to another court later, the CNR does not change. The year remains the year of original institution.
Why the last two check characters exist
Positions 15 and 16 are generated by the eCourts system and serve as a checksum against typos. If you mistype any character in the first fourteen, the check characters will not match and the system will reject the lookup. This means you do not need to memorise or verify them manually. When you paste a CNR, the system validates the whole string in one step.
How to find your CNR
- Check the filing receipt issued by the court registry at the time of institution. The CNR is printed on it.
- Look at any court order or daily order sheet. The CNR appears in the header.
- Search by party name, filing number, or advocate name on the eCourtsIndia case search. The CNR is displayed in the result row.
- Ask your advocate. They always have the CNR in the vakalatnama file.
Using the CNR on eCourtsIndia
The fastest way to pull up a case is to plug the CNR into the direct lookup path: https://ecourtsindia.com/cnr?cnr={your_16_character_code}. You get a case page with the full history, hearing dates, advocates, orders, and linked cases. You can also use the CNR to subscribe to hearing alerts or download certified order copies if the court publishes them digitally.
If you are managing a portfolio of cases, the CNR is the preferred key to store in your system. Party names change on consolidation, filing numbers change on transfer, but the CNR is stable for the life of the case.
Common CNR mistakes
- Mixing up the digit zero with the letter O. CNRs use both, so check carefully. The state and establishment code sections use letters only, the sequence and year use digits only.
- Copying only the first 14 characters and missing the two check characters. The CNR must be 16 characters to resolve.
- Confusing CNR with Filing Number. Filing number is internal to the establishment and year, and is part of the CNR but not a substitute.
- Using uppercase versus lowercase. CNRs are always treated as uppercase. Any lowercase input is normalised before validation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CNR the same as the case number?
No. The case number is a human readable label like CS 234 of 2024 that indicates case type and filing year. The CNR is a machine friendly 16 character unique ID. Both point to the same case, but only the CNR is guaranteed unique across India.
Does the CNR change if a case is transferred?
No. The CNR stays with the case. Only the receiving court internal number changes. This is one of the main reasons the CNR was introduced.
Can two cases have the same CNR?
No. The state code, establishment code, sequence, year, and check characters together guarantee uniqueness across the country.
Do all courts issue a CNR?
All District Courts, High Courts, and most tribunals integrated with the eCourts Services platform issue CNRs. The Supreme Court uses its own Diary Number, not a CNR. NCLT and NCLAT use CP / CA numbers, not CNR.
What do I do if the CNR does not resolve?
Double check for digit / letter confusion (zero vs O, one vs I). Confirm the full 16 characters. If it still fails, the case may not have been indexed yet. Fresh filings can take a day to appear.
Where can I learn more about court taxonomies?
Read the India courts directory for the big picture and the machine readable anchor for the full code tables.
Related reading on blogs.ecourtsindia.com: Case status dictionary, Case type encyclopedia, Bench types explained.