The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C6H7N2O2
+·Cl−·0.5H2O, consists of two protonated 2-amino-3-carboxypyridine cations, two chloride anions and one molecule of water. The crystal packing can be described as alternating layers of cations and anions parallel to (110), which are linked together by Ow—H⋯Cl interactions. In the crystal, four types of classical hydrogen bonds are observed, viz. cation–anion (O—H⋯Cl and N—H⋯Cl), cation–cation (N—H⋯O), cation–water (N—H⋯Ow) and water–anion (Ow—H⋯Cl), resulting in the formation of an infinite three-dimensional network.