How long do I have to send a notice after a cheque bounces?
You have 30 days from the day the bank first told you the cheque was returned (the return memo, an SMS or a statement entry, whichever came first) to send the drawer a written demand (section 138 proviso (b) of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881). Send it by registered post or courier and keep the proof of posting and of delivery.
The drawer then has 15 days from receiving the notice to pay. If they do not, you have one month from the day after those 15 days end to file the complaint (section 142(1)(b)). A court may admit a later complaint for sufficient cause.
A cheque dated 1 March 2026 with a bank memo dated 18 March 2026 makes 17 April 2026 the last day to send the notice. If the drawer receives it on 14 April, their 15 days end on 29 April and the complaint is due by 30 May 2026.
The cheque must also have been presented in time. Section 138 requires presentation within six months of the date on the cheque or within its validity, whichever is earlier, and banks do not pay a cheque presented more than three months after its date (RBI circular of 4 November 2011). A cheque past its three months cannot ground the complaint.
If this is where you are
A customer's cheque to you came back unpaid and the 30 days to send a demand are running.
Cheque bounce notice under section 138
A section 138 demand notice for the exact cheque amount, with your dates for the notice, the drawer's 15 days and the complaint.
₹499₹799
Launch price until 30 November
Common questions
Do the 30 days run from the date on the cheque?
They run from the day the bank first told you the cheque was returned. The cheque date matters for a different rule: the cheque has to be presented within three months of its date.
Which date starts the drawer's 15 days?
The day the drawer receives your notice. The postal receipt or the courier record shows it. Leave it blank in the timer until you have it.
What if the drawer does not pay within 15 days?
You then have one month, counted from the day after the 15 days end, to file the complaint.
Can a court take a complaint filed after that month?
Section 142(1)(b) lets the court admit a later complaint for sufficient cause. The timer works to the one month.
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