Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 · Chapter IV: Of Negotiation · O f p r e s e n t m e n t
Section 61: Presentment for acceptance
In plain words
A bill payable after sight, with no time or place set for presentment, must be presented to the drawee for acceptance within a reasonable time after it is drawn, in business hours on a business day, if the drawee can be found after reasonable search. Otherwise no party is liable to the person who failed to present it.
- If the drawee cannot be found after reasonable search, or is not at the specified place, the bill is dishonoured.
- Presentment by registered post is enough where agreement or usage allows it.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
A bill of exchange payable after sight must, if no time or place is specified therein for presentment, be presented to the drawee thereof for acceptance, if he can, after reasonable search, be found, by a person entitled to demand acceptance, within a reasonable time after it is drawn, and in business hours on a business day. In default of such presentment, no party thereto is liable thereon to the person making such default.
If the drawee cannot, after reasonable search, be found, the bill is dishonoured.
If the bill is directed to the drawee at a particular place, it must be presented at that place; and if at the due date for presentment he cannot, after reasonable search, be found there, the till is dishonoured.
[Where authorized by agreement or usage, a presentment through the post office by means of a registered letter is sufficient.]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 61
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.