Knowledge Bank
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
Browse 155 published section guides in chapter order. Search by section number or topic to find the provision you need.
Official source checked as of 10 October 2026. Read the official Act.
Chapter I - Preliminary
Chapter II - Of Notes, Bills and Cheques
- Section 4Promissory note
- Section 5Bill of exchange and certainty requirements
- Section 6Cheque
- Section 7Drawer, drawee, acceptor and payee
- Section 8Holder
- Section 9Holder in due course
- Section 10Payment in due course
- Section 11Inland instrument
- Section 12Foreign instrument
- Section 13Negotiable instrument, order and bearer
- Section 14Negotiation
- Section 15Indorsement
- Section 16Indorsement in blank and in full
- Section 17Ambiguous instruments
- Section 18Where amount is stated differently in figures and words
- Section 19Instruments payable on demand
- Section 20Incomplete stamped instruments
- Section 21At sight, on presentment and after sight
- Section 22Maturity and days of grace
- Section 23Calculating maturity by months
- Section 24Calculating maturity by days
- Section 25Maturity falling on a public holiday
Chapter III - Parties to Notes, Bills and Cheques
- Section 26Capacity to bind parties on instruments
- Section 27Authority of agents
- Section 28Liability of agent signing
- Section 29Legal representative signing an instrument
- Section 30Liability of drawer
- Section 31Liability of drawee of cheque
- Section 32Liability of maker of note and acceptor of bill
- Section 33Who can accept a bill
- Section 34Acceptance by several drawees not partners
- Section 35Liability of an indorser
- Section 36Prior parties and a holder in due course
- Section 37Principal debtors and other parties
- Section 38Prior party as principal against a subsequent party
- Section 39Reservation of rights against sureties
- Section 40Discharge after impairing an indorser’s remedy
- Section 41Acceptance with knowledge of a forged indorsement
- Section 42Bill drawn in a fictitious name
- Section 43Absence or failure of consideration
- Section 44Partial absence or failure of money consideration
- Section 45Partial failure of non-money consideration
- Section 45ADuplicate of a lost bill
Chapter IV - Of Negotiation
- Section 46Delivery
- Section 47Negotiation of bearer instruments by delivery
- Section 48Negotiation by indorsement
- Section 49Conversion of indorsement in blank into indorsement in full
- Section 50Effect and restrictions of indorsement
- Section 51Who may indorse and negotiate
- Section 52Excluding or conditioning an indorser’s liability
- Section 53Title derived from a holder in due course
- Section 54Bearer effect of a blank indorsement
- Section 55Claim against a subsequent indorser in full
- Section 56Part transfer and negotiation of an unpaid balance
- Section 57Undelivered indorsement by a deceased person
- Section 58Lost, fraudulently obtained or unlawful instruments
- Section 59Acquisition after dishonour or maturity
- Section 60Negotiation until payment or satisfaction
Chapter V - Of Presentment
- Section 61Presentment of a bill for acceptance
- Section 62Presentment of a note for sight
- Section 63Drawee’s time to consider acceptance
- Section 64Presentment for payment and truncated cheques
- Section 65Hours for presentment
- Section 66Presentment for payment of instrument payable after date or sight
- Section 67Presentment of a note payable by instalments
- Section 68Payment place specified and not elsewhere
- Section 69Instrument payable at a specified place
- Section 70Presentment without the specified-place setting
- Section 71Presentment where no fixed location is known
- Section 72Presentment of cheque to charge drawer
- Section 73Presentment of cheque to charge any other person
- Section 74Presentment of instrument payable on demand
- Section 75Presentment to an agent or representative
- Section 75AExcuse for delay in presentment for acceptance or payment
- Section 76When payment presentment is unnecessary
- Section 77Liability of banker for negligently dealing with bill presented for payment
Chapter VI - Of Payment and Interest
Chapter VII - Of Discharge from Liability on Notes, Bills and Cheques
- Section 82Discharge by cancellation, release or payment
- Section 83Allowing additional time for acceptance
- Section 84Delayed cheque presentment and actual damage
- Section 85Drawee discharge on payment of cheques
- Section 85AOrder drafts between offices of the same bank
- Section 86Qualified acceptance and non-consenting parties
- Section 87Material alteration of an instrument
- Section 88Acceptance or indorsement after an alteration
- Section 89Payment where alteration is not apparent
- Section 90Bill held by its acceptor at or after maturity
Chapter VIII - Of Notice of Dishonour
- Section 91Dishonour by non-acceptance
- Section 92Dishonour by non-payment
- Section 93By and to whom notice should be given
- Section 94Mode in which notice may be given
- Section 95Party receiving must transmit notice of dishonour
- Section 96Agent for presentment
- Section 97When party to whom notice given is dead
- Section 98When notice of dishonour is unnecessary
Chapter IX - Of Noting and Protest
Chapter X - Of Reasonable Time
Chapter XI - Of Acceptance and Payment for Honour and Reference in Case of Need
- Section 108Acceptance for honour
- Section 109Form of acceptance for honour
- Section 110Acceptance without naming whose honour
- Section 111Liability of acceptor for honour
- Section 112Conditions for charging an acceptor for honour
- Section 113Payment for honour
- Section 114Rights of a payer for honour
- Section 115Drawee in case of need and dishonour
- Section 116Acceptance and payment without previous protest
Chapter XII - Of Compensation
Chapter XIII - Special Rules of Evidence
Chapter XIV - Of Crossed Cheques
- Section 123Cheque crossed generally
- Section 124Cheque crossed specially
- Section 125Crossing after issue
- Section 126Payment of cheque crossed generally or specially
- Section 127Payment of cheque crossed specially more than once
- Section 128Payment in due course of crossed cheque
- Section 129Payment of crossed cheque out of due course
- Section 130Cheque bearing “not negotiable”
- Section 131Collecting banker and defective title
- Section 131ACrossed-cheque provisions applied to drafts
Chapter XV - Of Bills in Sets
Chapter XVI - Of International Law
Chapter XVII - Of Penalties in Case of Dishonour of Certain Cheques for Insufficiency of Funds in the Accounts
- Section 138Dishonour of cheque for insufficiency, etc., of funds in the account
- Section 139Presumption in favour of holder
- Section 140Defence which may not be allowed in any prosecution under section 138
- Section 141Offences by companies
- Section 142Complaint timing and territorial jurisdiction
- Section 142ATransfer and forum for related cheque complaints
- Section 143Summary trial and expeditious disposal
- Section 143APower to direct interim compensation
- Section 144Mode of service of summons
- Section 145Evidence on affidavit
- Section 146Bank’s slip prima facie evidence of certain facts
- Section 147Offences to be compoundable
- Section 148Power of Appellate Court to order payment pending appeal against conviction
Need help applying a provision to your business?
Talk to the Bizeneed team about your specific facts.