Single crystals of l-methioninium picrate were obtained by evaporation of aqueous solution containing equimolar quantities of each component. l-Methioninium picrate crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P2 1 , Z=2). The asymmetric unit contains one l-methioninium cation and one picrate anion. The carboxyl group of the cation forms an O-H⋯O hydrogen bond with the phenoxy oxygen atom and has an O⋯O distance of 2.669(3)Å. The protonated amino group of the l-methioninium cation forms N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the phenoxy oxygen atom of the picrate anion and the carbonyl oxygen atom of the symmetry related cation. The infrared and Raman spectra are recorded and discussed.