In the crystal structure of the title compound, C(10)H(9)N(2)O(2) (+)·Cl(-)·2H(2)O, the components are linked by O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O, O-H⋯Cl and N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. In the cation, the imidazole ring is oriented at a dihedral angle of 13.67 (17)° with respect to the benzene ring. In the crystal, π-π stacking occurs between nearly parallel benzene rings, which are oriented at a dihedral angle of 3.4 (1)°, the centroid-centroid distance being 3.798 (3) Å.