Updated 16 July 2026 · 7 min read
Yellow Notice
missing persons and identification
not an extradition request
channel to challenge the data
In short: what a Yellow Notice is
An INTERPOL Yellow Notice helps locate a missing person — most often a minor — or identify someone unable to identify themselves. It is not linked to any criminal charge and is not an arrest request.
It is published at the request of a country's national bureau. Some Yellow Notices appear in INTERPOL's public database, but far from all.
How it differs from a Red Notice
A Red Notice is a request to arrest a wanted person for extradition. A Yellow Notice has a humanitarian purpose: to reunite a family, find a missing person or identify someone. It therefore does not lead to detention for surrender.
Even so, a Yellow Notice can lead to questions at a border and checks, especially if the data is outdated — for instance, the person was found long ago but the record was never removed.
How to challenge or remove the data
If a Yellow Notice is outdated, inaccurate or no longer justified, the data can be challenged through the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF) — the same channel as for Red Notices. You first file an access request, then a reasoned deletion request.
The grounds are inaccurate or outdated data and the disproportionality of continued processing. A competent adult may object to the processing of data about themselves; cases involving minors follow a different logic and need separate assessment.
Country-by-country guides
Frequently asked questions
Can you be arrested on a Yellow Notice?
No, it is not an arrest request. But the data can surface at a border check and prompt questions, especially if the record is outdated.
Is a Yellow Notice visible in the public database?
Some are, with the requesting country's consent. Not all are published, so absence from the public list guarantees nothing.
How do you remove an outdated Yellow Notice?
Through the CCF: an access request, then a deletion request citing the data being outdated or the processing disproportionate.