The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Central Act · Act 26 of 1881150 provisions26,166 citing judgments

The enactment

Full text, provision by provision

Every provision below opens in full, free and without an account.

• Section 1 Short title.6 citing judgments
• Section 4 ''Promissory note''.3 citing judgments
• Section 5 ''Bill of exchange''.1 citing judgment
• Section 6 ''Cheque''.7 citing judgments
• Section 7 ''Drawer.''3 citing judgments
• Section 8 ''Holder''.5 citing judgments
• Section 9 ''Holder in due course''.4 citing judgments
• Section 10 ''Payment in due course''.2 citing judgments
• Section 11 Inland instrument.3 citing judgments
• Section 12 Foreign instrument.
• Section 13 ''Negotiable instrument''.1 citing judgment
• Section 14 Negotiation.6 citing judgments
• Section 15 Indorsement.1 citing judgment
• Section 16 Indorsement ''in blank'' and ''in full''.
• Section 17 Ambiguous instruments.3 citing judgments
• Section 18 Where amount is stated differently in figures and words.5 citing judgments
• Section 19 Instruments payable on demand.1 citing judgment
• Section 20 Inchoate stamped instruments.41 citing judgments
• Section 21 ''At sight''.2 citing judgments
• Section 22 ''Maturity''.2 citing judgments
• Section 23 Calculating maturity of bill or note payable so many months after date or sight.
• Section 24 Calculating maturity of bill or note payable so many days after date or sight.1 citing judgment
• Section 25 When day of maturity is a holiday.3 citing judgments
• Section 26 Capacity to make, etc., promissory notes, etc.
• Section 27 Agency.1 citing judgment
• Section 28 Liability of agent signing.2 citing judgments
• Section 29 Liability of legal representative signing.1 citing judgment
• Section 30 Liability of drawer.3 citing judgments
• Section 31 Liability of drawee of cheque.1 citing judgment
• Section 32 Liability of maker of note and acceptor of bill.
• Section 33 Only drawee can be acceptor except in need or for honour.
• Section 34 Acceptance by several drawees not partners.
• Section 35 Liability of indorser.
• Section 36 Liability of prior parties to holder in due course.
• Section 37 Maker, drawer and acceptor principals.
• Section 38 Prior party a principal in respect of each subsequent party.2 citing judgments
• Section 39 Suretyship.
• Section 40 Discharge of indorser's liability.
• Section 41 Acceptor bound, although, indorsement forged.
• Section 42 Acceptance of bill drawn in fictitious name.
• Section 43 Negotiable instrument made, etc., without consideration.1 citing judgment
• Section 44 Partial absence or failure of money-consideration.
• Section 45 Partial failure of consideration not consisting of money.
• Section 45A Holder's right to duplicate of lost bill.
• Section 46 Delivery.1 citing judgment
• Section 47 Negotiation by delivery.1 citing judgment
• Section 49 Conversion of indorsement in blank into indorsement in full.2 citing judgments
• Section 50 Effect of indorsement.
• Section 51 Who may negotiate.
• Section 52 Indorser who excludes his own liability or makes it conditional.1 citing judgment
• Section 54 Instrument indorsed in blank.
• Section 55 Conversion of indorsement in blank into indorsement in full.
• Section 56 Indorsement for part of sum due.6 citing judgments
• Section 58 Instrument obtained by unlawful means or for unlawful consideration.
• Section 59 Instrument acquired after dishonour or when overdue.
• Section 60 Instrument negotiable till payment or satisfaction.
• Section 61 Presentment for acceptance.
• Section 62 Presentment of promissory note for sight.
• Section 63 Drawee's time for deliberation.
• Section 64 Presentment for payment.2 citing judgments
• Section 65 Hours for presentment.
• Section 66 Presentment for payment of instrument payable after date or sight.
• Section 67 Presentment for payment of promissory note payable by instalments.
• Section 68 Presentment for payment of instrument payable at specified place and not elsewhere.
• Section 69 Instrument payable at specified place.
• Section 70 Presentment where no exclusive place specified.
• Section 71 Presentment when maker, etc., has no known place of business or residence.
• Section 72 Presentment of cheque to charge drawer.
• Section 73 Presentment of cheque to charge any other person.
• Section 74 Presentment of instrument payable on demand.
• Section 75 Presentment by or to agent, representative of deceased, or assignee of insolvent.
• Section 75A Excuse for delay in presentment for acceptance or payment.
• Section 76 When presentment unnecessary.
• Section 77 Liability of banker for negligently dealing with bill presented for payment.
• Section 78 To whom payment should be made.
• Section 79 Interest when rate specified.
• Section 80 Interest when no rate specified.20 citing judgments
• Section 81 Delivery of instrument on payment or indemnity in case of loss.
• Section 82 Discharge from liability.
• Section 83 Discharge by allowing drawee more than forty-eight hours to accept.
• Section 84 When cheque not duly presented and drawer damaged thereby.1 citing judgment
• Section 85 Cheque payable to order.
• Section 85A Drafts drawn by one branch of a bank on another payable to order.
• Section 86 Parties not consenting discharged by qualified or limited acceptance.
• Section 87 Effect of material alteration.20 citing judgments
• Section 88 Acceptor or indorser bound notwithstanding previous alteration.
• Section 89 Payment of instrument on which alteration is not apparent.
• Section 90 Extinguishment of rights of action on bill in acceptor's hands.
• Section 91 Dishonour by non-acceptance.
• Section 92 Dishonour by non-payment.
• Section 93 By and to whom notice should be given.3 citing judgments
• Section 94 Mode in which notice may be given.
• Section 95 Party receiving must transmit notice of dishonour.
• Section 96 Agent for presentment.2 citing judgments
• Section 97 When party to whom notice given is dead.
• Section 98 When notice of dishonour is unnecessary.2 citing judgments
• Section 99 Noting.
• Section 100 Protest.2 citing judgments
• Section 101 Contents of protest.2 citing judgments
• Section 102 Notice of protest.1 citing judgment
• Section 103 Protest for non-payment after dishonour by non-acceptance.
• Section 104 Protest of foreign bills.
• Section 104A When noting equivalent to protest.
• Section 105 Reasonable time.
• Section 106 Reasonable time of giving notice of dishonour.
• Section 107 Reasonable time for transmitting such notice.
• Section 108 Acceptance for honour.
• Section 109 How acceptance for honour must be made.
• Section 110 Acceptance not specifying for whose honour it is made.
• Section 111 Liability of acceptor for honour.
• Section 112 When acceptor for honour may be charged.
• Section 113 Payment for honour.
• Section 114 Right of payer for honour.
• Section 115 Drawee in case of need.
• Section 116 Acceptance and payment without protest.
• Section 117 Rules as to compensation.1 citing judgment
• Section 118 Presumptions as to negotiable instruments.73 citing judgments
• Section 119 Presumption on proof of protest.
• Section 120 Estoppel against denying original validity of instrument.1 citing judgment
• Section 121 Estoppel against denying capacity of payee to indorse.
• Section 122 Estoppel against denying signature or capacity of prior party.
• Section 123 Cheque crossed generally.
• Section 124 Cheque crossed specially.
• Section 125 Crossing after issue.
• Section 126 Payment of cheque crossed generally.
• Section 127 Payment of cheque crossed specially more than once.
• Section 128 Payment in due course of crossed cheque.1 citing judgment
• Section 129 Payment of crossed cheque out of due course.
• Section 130 Cheque bearing ''not negotiable''.2 citing judgments
• Section 131 Non-liability of banker receiving payment of cheque.9 citing judgments
• Section 131A Application of Chapter to drafts.
• Section 132 Set of bills.
• Section 133 Holder of first acquired part entitled to.
• Section 134 Law governing liability of maker, acceptor or indorser of foreign instrument.
• Section 135 Law of place of payment governs dishonour.3 citing judgments
• Section 136 Instrument made, etc., out of India, but in accordance with the law of India.2 citing judgments
• Section 137 Presumption as to foreign law.
• Section 138 Dishonour of cheque for insufficiency, etc., of funds in the account.22,682 citing judgments
• Section 139 Presumption in favour of holder.1,305 citing judgments
• Section 140 Defence which may not be allowed in any prosecution under section 138.3 citing judgments
• Section 141 Offences by companies.983 citing judgments
• Section 142 Cognizance of offences.93 citing judgments
• Section 142A Validation for transfer of pending cases.10 citing judgments
• Section 143 Power of Court to try cases summarily.157 citing judgments
• Section 143A Power to direct interim compensation.72 citing judgments
• Section 144 Mode of service of summons.3 citing judgments
• Section 145 Evidence on affidavit.64 citing judgments
• Section 146 Bank's slip prima facie evidence of certain facts.15 citing judgments
• Section 147 Offences to be compoundable.354 citing judgments
• Section 148 Power of Appellate Court to order payment pending appeal against conviction.156 citing judgments