Updated 16 July 2026 · 8 min read
Eight notice colours
arrest for extradition
missing / identification
information and warning
In short: eight colours and the diffusion
INTERPOL uses a system of colour-coded notices, each colour serving a different purpose. What matters most for an individual is knowing which type concerns them: only the Red Notice is directly tied to arrest for extradition, while Blue, Green or Yellow carry other consequences.
Separate from the colours is the diffusion — not a notice but a faster, direct request from one country to others, yet in practice often as consequential as a Red Notice.
What each colour means
Red — wanted for arrest with a view to extradition; this is the one that leads to detention at a border. Yellow — to help locate missing persons or identify someone unable to identify themselves (not linked to any charge).
Blue — to collect additional information about a person's identity, location or activities in a criminal investigation. Green — a warning about a person who has committed offences and is likely to repeat them in other countries. Black — to seek identification of unidentified bodies.
Orange — a warning of an imminent threat (an event, object or device). Purple — information on the methods, objects and devices used by criminals. The INTERPOL–UN Security Council Special Notice concerns individuals and entities under UN sanctions.
Which notice can lead to arrest
The direct arrest risk comes from a Red Notice and a diffusion requesting detention. Blue, Green and Yellow are not, by themselves, grounds for extradition, but they can trigger questions at borders, visa refusals and banking problems.
The legal force of any notice depends on national law: INTERPOL issues no arrest warrants, it only relays a country's request. The final decision is always made by the country where the person is stopped.
How to find out which type concerns you
INTERPOL's public database shows only some Red and Yellow notices and reflects no Blue or Green notices or diffusions. A clean public search therefore guarantees nothing.
The only reliable way to learn what data about you is processed, and in what form, is an access request to the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). It is confidential and does not notify the requesting country.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be arrested on a Blue or Green notice?
Not by itself: they are not arrest requests. But they can cause border delays, questioning and refusals. The arrest risk comes from a Red Notice and a detention diffusion.
How does a Yellow Notice differ from a Red one?
Yellow is about missing persons or identification and is not linked to any charge or extradition. Red is a request to arrest a wanted person for surrender.
Are all notices visible in the public database?
No. Only some Red and Yellow notices are published with the country's consent; Blue, Green and diffusions are not. Only a CCF request gives the full picture.
What is a diffusion?
It is a direct request from a country to other INTERPOL members without prior review by the General Secretariat. Often as consequential as a Red Notice; removed the same way — through the CCF.