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Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Section 13, NI Act: ''Negotiable instrument''

Pundora · Published 3 October 2026

Section 13 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, in the Act's own words.

The section

13. ''Negotiable instrument''.

1[(1) A negotiable instrument means a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque payable either to order or to bearer. Explanation (i) -- A promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque is payable to order which is expressed to be so payable or which is expressed to be payable to a particular person, and does not contain words prohibiting transfer or indicating an intention that it shall not be transferable. Explanation (ii) -- A promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque is payble to bearer which is expressed to be so payable or on which the only or last indorsement is an indorsement in blank. Explanation (iii) -- Where a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque, either originally or by indorsement, is expressed to be payable to the order of a specified person, and not to him or his order, it is nevertheless payable to him or his order at his option.] 2[(2) A negotiable instrument may be made payable to two or more payees jointly, or it may be made payable in the alternative to one of two, or one or some of serveral payees.]

The text is India Code's consolidated text as loaded into Pundora's statute corpus on 1 September 2026; a number before a square bracket is India Code's own footnote marker for an amendment. A section quoted in a draft checked by Pundora is checked against this text.

Sources

  1. India Code: Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, section 13 (read 1 September 2026)

The Act's own words, from India Code. If the text here differs from the Gazette, the Gazette governs; write to contact@pundora.in and it will be corrected and dated.