CNR stands for Case Number Record
A CNR is a fixed-length, all-India identifier created by the eCourts project of the Supreme Court's eCommittee. Case numbers like "O.S. 1234/2025" are reused across thousands of courts, and party names are shared by many people; the CNR is the one identifier that is unique across the whole country. It is generated when the case is registered and never changes, even if the case is transferred or renumbered.
How to read a CNR: the 16 characters
Take the example WBCS020034812025. It reads, left to right:
- WB — the two-letter state code (here West Bengal; DL is Delhi, MH Maharashtra, TN Tamil Nadu, KA Karnataka, UP Uttar Pradesh, and so on).
- CS — a two-letter code for the district or, for a High Court, HC.
- 02 — a two-digit code for the court establishment within that district or High Court.
- 003481 — a six-digit running serial number for the case within that establishment.
- 2025 — the four-digit year of registration.
Where the CNR is printed
- On the summons or notice served on you by the court.
- At the top of every order and judgment downloaded from the court's website or from eCourts.
- On the cause list, against the case entry.
- On the case-status printout from services.ecourts.gov.in.
- In your advocate's file — the vakalatnama copy and the order sheets both carry it.
How to check case status with a CNR
- Choose CNR Number in the search box on this page.
- Type or paste the 16 characters. Case does not matter; spaces and hyphens are ignored.
- Press Search. The result shows the parties, the current stage, the judge, the next hearing date and every hearing so far.
- Track the case to get a WhatsApp alert before each hearing and when a new order is uploaded.
If you do not have the CNR
You can still find the case. Search by case number — pick the court, the case type (such as W.P. or O.S.), the serial number and the year — or by party name with the filing year. The result page shows the CNR, so note it down for next time. Supreme Court matters are the exception: the Supreme Court runs its own case-information system and does not issue CNRs, so search those by case type and number or by party name.
Common questions
Is the CNR the same as the case number?
No. The case number (for example W.P. 1234/2025) is assigned by the individual court and is reused across courts and years. The CNR is a separate 16-character code that is unique across every eCourts court in India. Both identify the same case; the CNR is the more reliable one to search with.
Do Supreme Court cases have a CNR number?
No. The Supreme Court is not on the eCourts CNR system used by High Courts and district courts. Supreme Court matters are identified by a Diary Number at filing and a case number on registration, such as SLP(C) 4567/2025.
Can two cases have the same CNR?
No. The CNR is unique across all eCourts-connected courts in India. If a search by CNR returns nothing, check the characters again — the letter O and the digit 0 are the usual mix-up — or search by case number instead.
Does the CNR change if my case is transferred?
The CNR is assigned on registration and stays with the record. If a matter is re-registered in a different court after a transfer it may receive a new case number and a new CNR there; the original record keeps its own.