How do I check if a phone is stolen in India?

Use the government's CEIR portal at ceir.gov.in and enter the handset's IMEI. It will show whether the device has been reported lost or stolen and blocked on Indian networks.

It displays the phone's IMEI number immediately. It is a standard code that works on every GSM phone and does not place a call.

Can a blocked IMEI be unblocked?

Only by the person who reported it, through the CEIR portal, using the original complaint reference — typically when a lost phone is recovered. There is no legitimate way to alter an IMEI.

Does the IMEI on the box have to match the phone?

For the best price, yes. Most price books give accessory credit for a box and bill only when the IMEI matches the handset being sold.

Data & safety

Check your IMEI before you sell — here's why

A fifteen-digit number decides whether your phone can be sold at all. Checking it takes a minute and saves a wasted pickup.

By the sellyourphone.in teamUpdated 4 Aug 20265 min read

Illustration of an IMEI number being checked against a registry

What the IMEI is

The IMEI — International Mobile Equipment Identity — is a fifteen-digit serial number burned into the phone's hardware. Networks use it to identify the device itself, separately from the SIM in it. Dual-SIM phones have two.

Because it identifies the hardware rather than the account, it survives a factory reset, a change of owner and a change of network. That is exactly what makes it useful for proving what a phone is, and for blocking one that was stolen.

How to find yours

Dial **\*#06#** on the keypad. The number appears immediately, no call required.
Android: Settings › About phone › IMEI.
iPhone: Settings › General › About, scroll to IMEI. It is also etched on the SIM tray on many models.
The original box carries it on the barcode label, and the invoice should repeat it.

Check that all three agree — phone, box, bill. A mismatch usually means the box belongs to a different unit, which is common with replaced handsets and matters because accessory credit is normally conditional on a matching IMEI.

Checking the CEIR registry

The Department of Telecommunications runs the Central Equipment Identity Register at ceir.gov.in. It is the national list of handsets reported lost or stolen, and it is what makes a blocked phone unusable on Indian networks.

Open the CEIR portal and choose the IMEI verification option.
Enter the fifteen-digit IMEI and your mobile number for the OTP.
Read the status: a clean handset returns a normal result; a reported one is flagged as blocked or under investigation.

Do this before you list the phone, especially if you bought it used. A block placed by a previous owner is invisible until someone checks, and it will surface at the worst possible moment — during a pickup, with a rider at your door.

What happens if the IMEI is blocked

A blocked IMEI cannot be legitimately sold. Networks refuse the handset, buyback services decline it, and re-flashing an IMEI is a criminal offence in India rather than a workaround.

If your own phone was reported lost and has since been recovered, you can request an unblock through the same CEIR portal using the original complaint reference. If you bought a phone that turns out to be blocked, the seller is your recourse — the handset itself is not recoverable value.

Keep the number after the sale

Photograph the IMEI and the invoice before the phone leaves. If a dispute ever arises about which handset was collected, that photograph is the only evidence that ties a specific device to a specific pickup.

It also matters for warranty: a phone sold with time left on its warranty transfers that cover to the next owner in most cases, and the IMEI is how it is claimed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a phone is stolen in India?: Use the government's CEIR portal at ceir.gov.in and enter the handset's IMEI. It will show whether the device has been reported lost or stolen and blocked on Indian networks.
What does *#06# do?: It displays the phone's IMEI number immediately. It is a standard code that works on every GSM phone and does not place a call.
Can a blocked IMEI be unblocked?: Only by the person who reported it, through the CEIR portal, using the original complaint reference — typically when a lost phone is recovered. There is no legitimate way to alter an IMEI.
Does the IMEI on the box have to match the phone?: For the best price, yes. Most price books give accessory credit for a box and bill only when the IMEI matches the handset being sold.