Section 14 BNSS: Executive Magistrates
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 14 BNSS at a Glance
Section 14 BNSS deals with executive Magistrates. It replaced Section 20 CrPC on 1 July 2024.
Section 14 BNSS Bare Act Text
(1) In every district, the State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit to be Executive Magistrates and shall appoint one of them to be the District Magistrate.
(2) The State Government may appoint any Executive Magistrate to be an Additional District Magistrate, and such Magistrate shall have such of the powers of a District Magistrate under this Sanhita or under any other law for the time being in force as may be directed by the State Government.
(3) Whenever, in consequence of the office of a District Magistrate becoming vacant, any officer succeeds temporarily to the executive administration of the district, such officer shall, pending the orders of the State Government, exercise all the powers and perform all the duties respectively conferred and imposed by this Sanhita on the District Magistrate.
(4) The State Government may place an Executive Magistrate in charge of a sub-division and may relieve him of the charge as occasion requires; and the Magistrate so placed in charge of a sub-division shall be called the Sub-divisional Magistrate.
(5) The State Government may, by general or special order and subject to such control and directions as it may deem fit to impose, delegate its powers under sub-section (4) to the District Magistrate.
(6) Nothing in this section shall preclude the State Government from conferring, under any law for the time being in force, on a Commissioner of Police all or any of the powers of an Executive Magistrate.
Source: Section 14, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 14 BNSS in Simple Words
Section 14 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 deals with Executive Magistrates. In every district, the State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit to be Executive Magistrates and shall appoint one of them to be the District Magistrate.
Section 14 BNSS also provides for Additional District Magistrates, for an officer who succeeds temporarily when the office of District Magistrate becomes vacant, for Sub-divisional Magistrates, and for delegating the power over sub-divisions to the District Magistrate. It does not preclude the State Government from conferring Executive Magistrate powers on a Commissioner of Police.
When Section 14 BNSS Applies
- Under Section 14(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in every district, the State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit to be Executive Magistrates and shall appoint one of them to be the District Magistrate.
- Under Section 14(2) BNSS, the State Government may appoint any Executive Magistrate to be an Additional District Magistrate, who shall have such of the powers of a District Magistrate under the Sanhita or under any other law for the time being in force as the State Government may direct.
- Under Section 14(3) BNSS, whenever the office of a District Magistrate becomes vacant and an officer succeeds temporarily to the executive administration of the district, that officer shall, pending the orders of the State Government, exercise all the powers and perform all the duties conferred and imposed by the Sanhita on the District Magistrate.
- Under Section 14(4) BNSS, the State Government may place an Executive Magistrate in charge of a sub-division and may relieve that Magistrate of the charge as occasion requires. The Magistrate so placed in charge shall be called the Sub-divisional Magistrate.
- By a general or special order under Section 14(5) BNSS, the State Government may delegate to the District Magistrate its Section 14(4) BNSS powers to place or relieve an Executive Magistrate in a sub-division, subject to such control and directions as the State Government may deem fit to impose.
- Under Section 14(6) BNSS, nothing in Section 14 BNSS shall preclude the State Government from conferring, under any law for the time being in force, on a Commissioner of Police all or any of the powers of an Executive Magistrate.
Time Limits Under Section 14 BNSS
- Pending the orders of the State Government is the period under Section 14(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 during which an officer who temporarily succeeds to the executive administration of a district upon a vacancy in the office of District Magistrate shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the District Magistrate.Act text: “pending the orders of the State Government”
Example of Section 14 BNSS
When Section 14 BNSS Does Not Apply
- A person who is not an Executive Magistrate cannot be appointed as an Additional District Magistrate under Section 14(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and an Additional District Magistrate does not have any powers of a District Magistrate that the State Government has not directed.
- An officer does not exercise the powers or perform the duties of the District Magistrate under Section 14(3) BNSS where the office of a District Magistrate has not become vacant or where that officer has not succeeded temporarily to the executive administration of the district.
- A person who is not an Executive Magistrate cannot be placed in charge of a sub-division as a Sub-divisional Magistrate under Section 14(4) BNSS, and a District Magistrate cannot exercise the powers under Section 14(4) BNSS without a delegation by general or special order of the State Government under Section 14(5) BNSS.
Section 14 BNSS in the CrPC (Previous Law)
Section 14 BNSS replaced Section 20 CrPC from 1 July 2024.
Section 20 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 became Section 14 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. The references to a metropolitan area are removed: Section 14(1) BNSS omits the words and in every metropolitan area that appeared in Section 20(1) CrPC, and Section 14(6) BNSS omits the words in relation to a metropolitan area that appeared in Section 20(5) CrPC. Renumbering the section and sub-sections, including Section 20(4A) CrPC and Section 20(5) CrPC as Section 14(5) BNSS and Section 14(6) BNSS, and replacing Code with Sanhita are changes of form, while the remaining rules are unchanged.
Each sub-section below names its own source.
FAQs on Section 14 BNSS
Who appoints Executive Magistrates and the District Magistrate under Section 14 BNSS?▼
Under Section 14(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in every district, the State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit to be Executive Magistrates, and shall appoint one of them to be the District Magistrate.
What powers does an Additional District Magistrate exercise under Section 14(2) BNSS?▼
The State Government may appoint any Executive Magistrate to be an Additional District Magistrate under Section 14(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. An Additional District Magistrate shall have such of the powers of a District Magistrate under the Sanhita or under any other law for the time being in force as may be directed by the State Government. The scope of those powers depends on the directions issued by the State Government under Section 14(2) BNSS.
How is a Sub-divisional Magistrate placed in charge of a sub-division under Section 14 BNSS?▼
Section 14(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 gives the power to the State Government, which may place an Executive Magistrate in charge of a sub-division and relieve that Magistrate of the charge as occasion requires. Under Section 14(5) BNSS, the State Government may, by general or special order and subject to such control and directions as it may deem fit to impose, delegate its powers under Section 14(4) BNSS to the District Magistrate.
Can Executive Magistrate powers be conferred on a Commissioner of Police under Section 14(6) BNSS?▼
Yes. Section 14(6) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 provides that nothing in Section 14 BNSS shall preclude the State Government from conferring, under any law for the time being in force, on a Commissioner of Police all or any of the powers of an Executive Magistrate. Section 14(6) BNSS does not contain the words in relation to a metropolitan area, which Section 20(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 contained.
What changed from Section 20 CrPC to Section 14 BNSS from 1 July 2024?▼
From 1 July 2024, Section 14 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 replaced Section 20 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Section 14(1) BNSS reads in every district, without the words and in every metropolitan area in Section 20(1) CrPC. Section 14(6) BNSS does not contain the words in relation to a metropolitan area in Section 20(5) CrPC. Section 20(4A) CrPC and Section 20(5) CrPC are numbered Section 14(5) BNSS and Section 14(6) BNSS, and the Sanhita is referred to in place of the Code.
Section 14 BNSS: Sub-sections Explained
Section 14(1) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(1) In every district, the State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit to be Executive Magistrates and shall appoint one of them to be the District Magistrate.
Section 14(2) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(2) The State Government may appoint any Executive Magistrate to be an Additional District Magistrate, and such Magistrate shall have such of the powers of a District Magistrate under this Sanhita or under any other law for the time being in force as may be directed by the State Government.
Section 14(3) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(3) Whenever, in consequence of the office of a District Magistrate becoming vacant, any officer succeeds temporarily to the executive administration of the district, such officer shall, pending the orders of the State Government, exercise all the powers and perform all the duties respectively conferred and imposed by this Sanhita on the District Magistrate.
Section 14(4) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(4) The State Government may place an Executive Magistrate in charge of a sub-division and may relieve him of the charge as occasion requires; and the Magistrate so placed in charge of a sub-division shall be called the Sub-divisional Magistrate.
Section 14(5) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(5) The State Government may, by general or special order and subject to such control and directions as it may deem fit to impose, delegate its powers under sub-section (4) to the District Magistrate.
Section 14(6) BNSS: Executive Magistrates
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Bare Act Text
(6) Nothing in this section shall preclude the State Government from conferring, under any law for the time being in force, on a Commissioner of Police all or any of the powers of an Executive Magistrate.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 22 Oct 2026 ·