Yes. An INTERPOL Yellow Notice or related personal data may be corrected or deleted when the purpose of the alert has been achieved, the information is inaccurate or outdated, or its continued processing no longer complies with INTERPOL’s rules.
A Yellow Notice is used to locate a missing person or identify someone who is unable to identify themselves. It is not an arrest warrant and does not, by itself, accuse the person concerned of committing a criminal offence.
Depending on the circumstances, the country that requested the Notice may withdraw it, the INTERPOL General Secretariat may cancel it, or the person concerned may submit a correction or deletion request to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files, known as the CCF.
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What Is an Interpol Yellow Notice?
An INTERPOL Yellow Notice is a global police alert used to locate a missing person or identify someone who is unable to identify themselves. It may be issued in cases involving parental abduction, criminal kidnapping, unexplained disappearance or an unidentified person.
A national police authority requests the Notice through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau and provides the relevant identifying and case information. Some Yellow Notices are restricted to authorised law-enforcement users, while others are published on INTERPOL’s public website to seek assistance in locating the missing person.
A Yellow Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not accuse the person concerned of committing a crime. Its purpose is to locate or identify a person. However, authorities may verify the person’s identity or contact the requesting country when the Notice appears during a police, immigration or border check.
In cross-border parental cases, the Yellow Notice normally concerns a child reported missing or abducted. Later custody decisions, evidence of parental consent, proof that the child has been located or other material developments may affect whether the information remains accurate and necessary.
What Practical Effects Can a Yellow Notice Have?
A Yellow Notice may cause a person to be identified during a police, immigration or border check. Authorities may verify the person’s identity, contact the country that requested the Notice or examine whether the person is still considered missing.
The Notice does not provide an independent legal basis for arrest. Nevertheless, incorrect or outdated information may cause:
- additional identity checks;
- questioning by police or immigration authorities;
- travel delays;
- contact with the requesting country;
- temporary administrative complications.
The consequences depend on the country, the person’s documentation and the circumstances in which the Yellow Notice data are discovered.
It is important to distinguish these practical effects from the legal purpose of the Notice. A Yellow Notice is designed to locate or identify a person, not to declare them guilty of an offence or request their extradition. INTERPOL states that Yellow Notices increase the international visibility of missing-person cases and may flag the person to border officials.
What Conditions Apply to a Yellow Notice?
Article 90 of INTERPOL’s Rules on the Processing of Data sets specific conditions for publishing a Yellow Notice.
The disappearance or discovery of the person must have been reported to and recorded by the police. In addition:
- the missing person’s location must remain unknown to the police; or
- the identity of the discovered person must remain unknown;
- applicable privacy law must permit the request where the case concerns an adult;
- sufficient information must be available to identify the person.
A Yellow Notice must also contain sufficient identifiers. Depending on the case, these may include the person’s name, sex, date of birth, physical description, photograph, fingerprints or DNA profile.
The requesting authority remains responsible for ensuring that the information stays accurate and relevant. It must notify the General Secretariat of developments that change the content of the Notice and assess whether those developments require withdrawal.
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When Can a Yellow Notice Be Corrected or Deleted?
A Yellow Notice may require correction, withdrawal or deletion in several situations.
The Person Has Been Located or Identified
The central purpose of a Yellow Notice may end when the missing person has been safely located or the identity of an unidentified person has been established.
INTERPOL’s rules require the requesting authority to withdraw the alert and ask the General Secretariat to cancel the Notice once its purpose has been achieved. The General Secretariat may also cancel it when the purpose has ended and this has been confirmed by the source of the data.
The Notice No Longer Meets the Publication Conditions
A Yellow Notice should not remain active where the requirements of Article 90 are no longer satisfied.
This may occur where:
- the person’s location is already known to the authorities;
- the person has been identified;
- the original disappearance was not properly recorded;
- the identifying information is insufficient;
- continued processing conflicts with applicable privacy requirements.
The Information Is Inaccurate or Outdated
The Notice may contain incorrect or obsolete information concerning:
- the person’s name or identity;
- date or place of birth;
- residence or current location;
- photographs or identifying details;
- the circumstances of the disappearance;
- custody rights or parental consent;
- medical or psychological information;
- later court proceedings.
Correction may be appropriate where only part of the record is inaccurate. Deletion may be required where the errors affect the entire purpose or lawfulness of the Notice.
Relevant Court Decisions Were Not Considered
In parental or family-law cases, later judicial decisions may materially change the factual and legal context.
Relevant documents may include:
- custody judgments;
- relocation orders;
- findings concerning parental consent;
- decisions confirming the child’s lawful residence;
- judgments rejecting allegations of abduction;
- decisions closing a missing-person investigation.
A national judgment does not automatically delete INTERPOL data. However, it may provide important evidence that the Notice has become inaccurate, unnecessary or inconsistent with its original purpose.
Continued Processing Is No Longer Necessary
INTERPOL data should remain recorded only for as long as they serve a legitimate international police-cooperation purpose.
Where the original purpose has been achieved, the data should generally be deleted unless the source identifies and justifies a separate lawful purpose for retaining them.
The Data Do Not Comply With INTERPOL’s Rules
A correction or deletion request may also raise broader compliance issues, including:
- inaccurate or irrelevant data;
- an improper purpose;
- failure to update the information;
- lack of sufficient identifying details;
- continued processing after the search has ended;
- incompatibility with INTERPOL’s Constitution or data-processing rules.
The appropriate grounds depend on the documents held by INTERPOL and the particular circumstances of the case.
Who Can Request Access, Correction or Deletion?
A person concerned by data processed in INTERPOL’s Information System may submit a request to the CCF. An authorised representative may also apply on the person’s behalf.
The available request types include:
- access to personal data;
- correction of personal data;
- deletion of personal data;
- revision of an earlier CCF decision where the relevant requirements are met.
An access request may be useful where the applicant does not know what information INTERPOL holds. However, access is not always a mandatory preliminary stage before requesting correction or deletion. The appropriate request depends on the information already available and the result sought.
How the CCF Yellow Notice Removal Process Works
1. Review of the Notice and Related Proceedings
The available information should first be assessed, including:
- any public Yellow Notice;
- missing-person records;
- police correspondence;
- custody and family-court decisions;
- proof that the person has been located;
- identity and residence documents;
- later procedural developments.
This review helps determine whether the request should seek access, correction, deletion or a combination of remedies.
2. Preparation of the Legal Grounds
The application should identify the relevant provisions of INTERPOL’s Constitution, Rules on the Processing of Data, CCF Statute and Operating Rules.
It should explain:
- what information is incorrect or outdated;
- why the Notice’s purpose has ended;
- which publication condition is no longer met;
- how the supporting evidence changes the case;
- what specific correction or deletion the applicant requests.
3. Submission Through the CCF Online Portal
Since 26 March 2026, new CCF requests must generally be submitted through the dedicated secure online portal. The portal is used for access, correction, deletion and revision requests.
Email and postal submissions are no longer accepted as the standard filing method, except where the CCF recognises exceptional circumstances.
4. Admissibility Review
The CCF first examines whether the application meets its formal admissibility requirements and falls within its competence.
Incomplete applications or requests concerning matters outside the CCF’s mandate may not proceed to a substantive compliance review.
5. Written Examination
The CCF normally decides cases on the basis of written submissions and documentary evidence. It does not usually hold oral hearings.
The Commission may request further information from:
- the applicant;
- the applicant’s authorised representative;
- the source of the challenged data;
- the INTERPOL General Secretariat;
- another relevant authority or entity.
6. Decision and Implementation
Once the CCF considers that it has sufficient information, it issues a written and reasoned decision.
The decision is provided to the General Secretariat for implementation. Where correction or deletion is required, INTERPOL implements the decision and notifies the applicant and the source of the data where applicable.
What Evidence May Support a Yellow Notice Challenge?
The appropriate evidence depends on the circumstances and the grounds relied upon.
Relevant documents may include:
- passport or national identity documents;
- proof of current residence;
- confirmation that the person has been located;
- police decisions closing the missing-person search;
- custody and parental-responsibility judgments;
- relocation or travel-consent documents;
- court decisions rejecting allegations of abduction;
- birth certificates and family records;
- correspondence with national police or the requesting authority;
- medical or psychological reports where directly relevant;
- evidence showing that photographs or identifying data are incorrect;
- official documents confirming later factual or procedural developments.
The evidence should be clear, legible and directly connected to the correction or deletion grounds. General allegations without supporting documents are less likely to establish that INTERPOL data are non-compliant.
How Long Does Yellow Notice Removal Take?
The official time limit depends on the type of request and begins when the CCF declares the application admissible:
- an access request is generally decided within four months;
- a correction or deletion request is generally decided within nine months.
The General Secretariat then has an additional period to comment on the CCF’s conclusions in correction or deletion cases, and the applicant is notified after the decision becomes final.
Complex matters may take longer in practice where the CCF requests additional documents, consults the source of the data or considers the case during a later session.
What Does Yellow Notice Deletion Change?
Deletion removes the relevant data from INTERPOL’s Information System in accordance with the applicable decision or withdrawal.
However, deletion does not automatically:
- close a national missing-person investigation;
- reverse a family-court or custody judgment;
- delete records held independently by national police;
- resolve an immigration matter;
- determine whether a parent acted lawfully;
- end separate national proceedings.
The CCF only assesses the processing of data in INTERPOL’s systems. It does not conduct a national investigation, decide the merits of a family dispute or amend domestic police databases. Related national records and proceedings may therefore require separate legal action.
Can a Yellow Notice Be Reissued After Deletion?
A previous deletion does not create an absolute prohibition on all future Yellow Notice data.
A new request could potentially arise if materially different facts develop and the requesting authority submits information that satisfies INTERPOL’s rules. However, a new Notice should not simply reproduce data already found to be non-compliant without a valid new legal and factual basis.
Any new alert would need to satisfy the publication conditions applicable at that time.
Can a Public Yellow Notice Be Removed From the Website?
A public Yellow Notice extract may be removed when the underlying Notice is withdrawn or cancelled.
However, removing a public webpage and deleting restricted data from INTERPOL’s Information System are related but distinct issues. An applicant should identify whether the concern relates only to public publication, the underlying police record or both.
Can a Parent Request the Removal of a Yellow Notice Concerning a Child?
A parent or authorised representative may be able to submit a request where they have the necessary authority and supporting documents.
In a cross-border custody dispute, the application may need to explain:
- who has parental responsibility;
- whether relocation was authorised;
- what custody orders are currently in force;
- whether the child has been located;
- whether national proceedings remain active;
- which information in the Yellow Notice is inaccurate or outdated.
The CCF does not replace the family courts. Therefore, the INTERPOL application and the underlying custody proceedings may need to be addressed separately.
Is a Yellow Notice the Same as a Red Notice?
No.
A Yellow Notice is used to locate a missing person or identify someone who cannot identify themselves.
A Red Notice concerns a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence and requests their location and possible provisional arrest under national law.
The two Notices have different purposes, publication conditions and legal implications.
Legal Assistance With a Yellow Notice Challenge
A Yellow Notice matter may involve INTERPOL’s data-processing rules, the original missing-person report, identity documents, custody proceedings and the continuing purpose of the international alert.
A lawyer handling CCF and INTERPOL data matters may assist with:
- identifying the appropriate type of CCF request;
- reviewing the factual and legal basis of the Notice;
- analysing the requirements of Article 90;
- collecting relevant court and police documents;
- preparing correction or deletion arguments;
- organising evidence for the CCF;
- responding to additional questions;
- coordinating related proceedings with appropriately authorised local counsel.
Legal representation does not guarantee deletion. The outcome depends on the information processed by INTERPOL, the supporting documents, the position of the source country and the applicable rules.
Contact our legal team for a confidential assessment of the Notice, the relevant documents and the available procedure.
FAQ
Can an INTERPOL Yellow Notice be removed?
Yes. It may be withdrawn, corrected or deleted where its purpose has been achieved, the person has been located or identified, the information is inaccurate or the data no longer comply with INTERPOL’s rules.
Is a Yellow Notice an arrest warrant?
No. Its purpose is to locate a missing person or identify someone unable to identify themselves. It does not independently request arrest or accuse the person of a crime.
Are all Yellow Notices publicly available?
No. Some are published on INTERPOL’s website, while others are restricted to authorised law-enforcement users.
Must I submit an access request before requesting deletion?
Not necessarily. An access request may be useful where the full record is unknown, but correction and deletion are separate forms of request available through the CCF portal.
Does finding the missing person automatically remove the Notice?
The requesting authority should update INTERPOL and request cancellation once the purpose has been achieved. Where this does not happen, the person concerned or an authorised representative may consider applying to the CCF.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified lawyer.