In the title salt, C15H13N4O+·NO3 −, an extensive network of N—H⋯N, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter­actions are observed throughout the structure. Further stabilization is obtained by π–π stacking inter­actions between inversion-related quinoline systems and inversion-related pyridine rings, with respective centroid–centroid distances of 3.5866 (6) and 3.3980 (6) Å.

In the title compound, C20H18N4O2, the dihedral angles between the central benzene ring and the pyridine rings are 57.55 (6) and 22.05 (8)°. The mol­ecular conformation is stabilized by intra­molecular N—H⋯N inter­actions and in the crystal structure an inter­molecular asymmetric cyclic hydrogen-bonding association involving both amide N—H donors and a common amide O-atom acceptor gives a chain extending along the c axis.