GO:0004905

Combining with a type I interferon and transmitting the signal from one side of the membrane to the other to initiate a change in cell activity. Type I interferons include the interferon-alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, zeta, kappa, tau, and omega gene families. [GOC:add, GOC:signaling, ISBN:0126896631, PMID:15546383, PMID:16681834]