The Poisons Act

The Poisons Act, 1919.ACT NO. 12 OF 1919 1* 
 
[3rd September, 1919.] 
 
 
An Act to consolidate and amend the law regulating the importation, possession and sale of 
poisons 2***. 
 
WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate and amend the law regulating the importation, 
possession and sale of poisons 3*** ; It is hereby enacted as follows:- 
 
 
1.Short title and extent. 
 
 
1. Short title and extent. (1) This Act may be called the Poisons 
Act, 1919.3*[(2) It extends to the whole of India: 
 
Provided that it shall not apply to the State of Jammu and 
Kashmir except to the extent to which the provisions of this Act relate to the importation into 
India of any specified poison.] 
 
 
2.Power of the State Government to regulate possession for sale and saleof any poison. 
 
 
2. Power of the State Government to regulate possession for sale and sale of any poison. (1) 
4***The State Government may by rule regulate within the whole or any part of the territories 
under its administration the possession for sale and the sale, whether wholesale or retail, of 
any specified poison. 
 
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules 
may provide for- 
 
(a) the grant of licences to possess any specified poison for sale, wholesale or retail, and 
fixing of the fee 
(if any) to be charged for such licences; 
 
(b) the classes of persons to whom alone such licences may be granted; 
 
(c) the classes of persons to whom alone any such poison may be sold; 
 
(d) the maximum quantity of any such poison which may be sold to any one person; 
 
(e) the maintenance by vendors of any such poison of registers of sales, the particulars to be 
entered in such registers, and the inspection of the same; 
 
(f) the safe custody of such poisons and the labelling of the vessels, packages or coverings 
in which any such poison is sold or possessed for sale; and 
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1. Extended to Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (w.e.f. 
1.10.1967): vide Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 & Sch. Extended to and brought into force in Dadra and 
Nagar Haveli (w.e.f. 1-7-65) by Reg. 
6 of 1963, s. 2 and Sch. I. Extended to the Union territory of 



Pondicherry by Act 26 of 1968, S. 3 and Schedule. Repealed in its application to Bellary 
District by Mysore Act 14 of 1955.2. The words "throughout British India" rep. by the A. O. 
1948.3. Subs. by Act 47 of 1958, s. 2, for the former sub-section (2). 
4. The words "subject to the control of the G.G. in C." rep. by the 
A.O. 1937.24.(g) the inspection and examination of any such poison when possessed for 
sale by any such vendor. 
 
 
3.Power to prohibit importation into India of any poison except underlicence. 
 
 
3. Power to prohibit importation into India of any poison except under licence. The Central 
Government may, by notification in the 
Official Gazette, prohibit, except under and in accordance with the conditions of a licence, 
the importation into 1*[India] 2*[across any customs frontier 3* defined by the Central 
Government] of any specified poison, and may by rule regulate the grant of licences. 
 
 
4.Power to regulate possession of any poison in certain areas. 
 
 
4. Power to regulate possession of any poison in certain areas. 
(1) The State Government 4* may by rule regulate the possession of any specified poison in 
any local area in which the use of such poison for the purpose of committing murder or 
mischief by poisoning cattle appears to it to be of such frequent occurrence as to render 
restrictions on the possession thereof desirable. 
 
(2) In making any rule under sub-section (1), the State 
Government may direct that any breach thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment for a 
term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, 
or with both, together with confiscation of the poison in respect of which the breach has been 
committed, and of the vessels, packages or coverings in which the same is found. 
 
 
5.Presumption as to specified poisons. 
 
 
5. Presumption as to specified poisons. Any substance specified as a poison in a rule made 
or notification issued under this Act shall be deemed to be a poison for the purposes of this 
Act. 
 
 
6.Penalty for unlawful importation, etc. 
 
 
6. Penalty for unlawful importation, etc. (1) Whoever-- 
 
(a) commits a breach of any rule made under section 2, or 
 
(b) imports 5* without a licence 2*[into 1*[India] across a customs frontier 3* defined by the 
Central Government] 
any poison the importation of which is for the time being restricted under section 3, or 
 
(c) breaks any condition of a licence for the importation of any poison granted to him under 
section 3, 



 
shall be punishable,-- 
 
(i) on a first conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or 
with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both, and 
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1. Subs. by Act 47 of 1958, s. 3, for "the States". 
2. Ins. by the A. O. 1937.3. For definition of the customs frontiers of India, see Gazette of 
India, 1955, Pt. II, Sec. 3, p. 1521.4. The words "subject to the control of the G.G. in C." rep. 
by the 
A.O. 1937.5. The words "into British India" rep. by the A.O. 1937.25.(ii) on a second or 
subsequent conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with 
fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. 
 
(2) Any poison in respect of which an offence has been committed under this section, 
together with the vessels, packages or coverings in which the same is found, shall be liable 
to confiscation. 
 
 
7.Power to issue search warrants. 
 
 
7. Power to issue search warrants. (1) the District Magistrate, the Sub-divisional- magistrate 
and, in a presidency-town, the 
Commissioner of Police, may issue a warrant for the search of any place in which he has 
reason to believe or the suspect that any poison is possessed or sold in contravention of this 
suspect that any poison is possessed or sold in contravention of this Act or any rule 
thereunder, or that any poison liable to confiscation under this Act is kept or concealed. 
 
(2) The person to whom the warrant is directed may enter and search the place in 
accordance therewith, and the provisions of the 
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898), relating to search- 
warrants shall, as far as may be, be deemed to apply to the execution of the warrant. 
 
 
8.Rules. 
 
 
8. Rules. (1) In addition to any other power to make rules hereinbefore conferred 1*** the 
State Government may make rules generally to carry out the purposes and objects of this 
Act 2*[except section 3]. 
 
(2) Every power to make rules conferred by this Act shall be subject to the condition of the 
rules being made after previous publication. 
 
(3) All rules made by the Central Government or by the State 
Government under this Act shall be published in the 3*[Official 
Gazette] and on such publication shall have effect as if enacted in this Act. 
 
4*[(4) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as 
may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total 
period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive 
sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the 
successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or 
both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect 



only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any 
such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything 
previously done under that rule. 
 
(5) Every rule made by the State Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may 
be after it is made, before the State 
Legislature.] 
 
 
9.Savings. 
 
 
9. Savings. (1) Nothing in this Act or in any licence granted or rule made thereunder shall 
extend to, or interfere with, anything done in good faith in the exercise of his profession as 
such by a medical or veterinary practitioner. 
 
(2) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, the State 
Government may 5*** by general or special order declare that all or any of the provisions of 
this Act 2*[except section 3] shall be 
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1. The words "and subject to the control of the G. G. in C." rep. by the A. O. 1937.2. Ins., 
ibid. 
3. Subs. by para. 4, ibid., for "Gazette of India or the local official Gazette, as the case may 
be ". Strictly the substitution would read "Official Gazette or the Official Gazette, as the case 
may be" but the last nine words have been omitted as being obviously redundant. 
4. Ins. by Act 4 of 1986, S. 2 and Sch. (w.e.f. 15.5.1986). 
5. The words "in its discretion" rep., ibid. 
 
26.deemed not to apply to any article or class of articles of commerce specified in such 
order, or to any poison or class of poisons used for any purpose so specified. 
 
(3) The authority on which any power to make rules under this Act is conferred may, by 
general or special order, either wholly or partially-- 
 
(a) exempt from the operation of any such rules, or 
 
(b) exclude from the scope of the exemption provided by sub-section (1), 
 
any person or class of persons either generally or in respect of any poisons specified in the 
order. 
 
 
10.Repeal of Act 1 of 1904.10. [Repeal of Act 1 of 1904.] Rep. by the Repealing Act, 
1927.(12 of 1927).