How do I report a hate crime?

For people who have experienced a crime motivated by disability, transgender identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

Crimes against someone because of disability, transgender identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation are hate crimes. They include threats, property damage and online abuse.

Report online, or call 101 if it's not an emergency.
Call 999 if it's happening now or someone is in danger.
Support is available for victims.
In Northern Ireland, hate crime also covers crimes because of political opinion, including sectarian hate crime, and you can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Key facts

Report online or call 101
999 in an emergency
Online abuse counts

What counts as a hate crime

GOV.UK describes hate crimes as crimes committed against someone because of their:

disability
transgender identity
race
religion or belief
sexual orientation

Hate crimes can include:

threatening behaviour
assault
robbery
damage to property
encouraging other people to commit hate crimes
harassment
online abuse

How to report it

Situation	What to do
It is happening now, or someone is in danger	Call 999
It is not an emergency	Call 101, or contact your local police
You prefer to report online	Use the True Vision online reporting service, or contact your local police online through police.uk

What to include in your report

Try to note down:

what happened and what was said or done
the date, time and place
why you think it was because of who the victim is
a description of the people involved
any evidence, such as photos, screenshots of online abuse, or names of witnesses

For online abuse, take screenshots before you block or report the account, so you do not lose the evidence.

Support after a hate crime

Support is available for victims of crime, including hate crime. In England and Wales, GOV.UK has a list of victim support services. If you have been treated unfairly because of who you are but no crime took place, GOV.UK also explains your rights about discrimination.

If you live in Scotland

In Scotland, hate crimes are crimes against someone because of their disability, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or religion or belief. Verbal abuse, insults and name-calling are also listed as examples.

You can report:

by calling 999 in an emergency, or 101 if it is not an emergency
at your local police station
online through Police Scotland
at a third party reporting centre, if you do not want to go to the police directly
anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Victim Support Scotland can help on 0800 160 1985, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.

If you live in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, hate crime covers crimes against someone because of their race, religious belief, sexual orientation, political opinion, gender identity or disability. This includes sectarian hate crime.

You can report:

by calling 999 in an emergency
by calling your local police on 101
online through the police website, for non-emergencies
anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Interpreters are available 24 hours a day if you do not speak English. The Hate Crime Advocacy Service can support you while the police investigate.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Report hate crime, GOV.UK
Hate crime in Scotland, mygov.scot
Hate crime in Northern Ireland, nidirect

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Report online

Common questions

Is online abuse a hate crime?

It can be, if it targets someone because of their disability, transgender identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Can I report a hate crime anonymously?

In Scotland and Northern Ireland you can report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

What if I do not want to go to the police?

In Scotland, trained staff at third party reporting centres, such as housing associations and victim support offices, can report it for you or help you do it.

Can I get support if I do not report a hate crime?

Yes, in Scotland Victim Support Scotland can help whether or not you report it, on 0800 160 1985.

Official sources

1.Report hate crimewww.gov.uk/report-hate-crime
2.Hate crime (Northern Ireland)www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/hate-crime
3.Hate crime (Scotland)www.mygov.scot/hate-crime

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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