Effect of benzotriazole (BTA) on polarization and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of type 304 stainless steel in 1 M HCl was investigated. The anodic polarization curves showed that with BTA additions the anodic polarization kinetics in the active region was not affected, though a reduction in critical current density, i(crit), and passive current density, i(p), was observed. However, BTA was found to influence significantly the cathodic reaction kinetics. SCC results using smooth tensile test specimens showed an increase in time-to-failure, t(f), with BTA additions. Crack growth rate studies using single-edge notched (SEN) specimens showed an increase in threshold stress intensity for SCC, K-ISCC, and a decrease in crack growth rate, da/dt, with BTA additions. While the adsorption isotherms derived from weight toss data followed a Langmuir adsorption isotherm signifying a monolayer adsorption, the adsorption isotherms derived from SCC test data deviated from th is at higher BTA concentrations. The paper discusses the possible reason for this deviation.