Local governments in the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) consisted of three levels of administrative divisions: provinces (cishibu 刺史部, or zhou), commanderies (jun) and counties (xian). The early Han dynasty inherited a two-tiered system of government composed of commanderies and counties from the Warring States (5th century BC – 221 BC) and the Qin dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC), while 13 provinces were created on top of the existing hierarchy in 106 BC.

In each province, the central government assigned an Inspector (cishi, 刺史) to audit the administration of commanderies and kingdoms, from 106 BC to 1 BC and from 42 AD to 188 AD. In other periods, the position was replaced by a Governor (mu, 牧, literally "shepherd"), a higher-ranked official. A commandery was under a Commandery Administrator (junshou, 郡守, before 148 BC) or a Grand Administrator (taishou, 太守, after 148 BC). A county was governed by a Magistrate (ling, 令, for larger counties) or a Chief (zhang, 長, for smaller counties), who were the lowest local officials directly appointed by the central government. A special type of county, known as march (dao, 道), was used to administer certain areas with "barbarian" populations, especially on the frontiers of the empire.

In early Han dynasty, chief followers and relatives of the emperor were granted kingdoms. However, independence of the kings gradually diminished. After the failed Rebellion of the Seven States, drastic measures were instated to limit the power of the kings. From 145 BC onward, the central government controlled the appointment of all important officials in the kingdoms. Larger kingdoms were divided, and eventually the government of a kingdom became identical to that of a commandery. For example, the Chancellor (xiang, 相) was equivalent to a Grand Administrator. Similarly, marquessates were administered in the same way as counties.

By the end of the Western Han dynasty, the empire had 103 kingdoms and commanderies, as well as 1,587 counties. The Eastern Han census in 140 AD documented 99 kingdoms and commanderies, and 1,179 counties.

Provinces Emperor Wu divided the empire into the capital region and 13 provinces. The capital region, although similar to a province in size, was not assigned an Inspector, but was instead inspected by the Colonel Director of Retainers (Sili xiaowei, 司隸校尉). The region was therefore often known as "Sili".

A final province, Yongzhou, was created in 194 AD. In 213, Cao Cao sought to restore the Nine Provinces as described in the ancient text Yu Gong, and decreed that Sili, Liangzhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou and Jiaozhou be abolished. However, because the empire had descended into civil war, these changes could only be carried out in the territories controlled by Cao Cao. The abolished provinces were all restored in 220.

During the Western Han dynasty, the Inspectors were agents of the central government, and did not permanently reside in the provinces. The Inspector/Governor was established as a post in the local government only in 35 AD.

Apart from the capital region, the provinces are:

Province Extent Yuzhou 豫州 S. and E. Henan, N. Anhui, N. Jiangsu, SW. Shandong Jizhou 冀州 S. Hebei Yanzhou 兗州 W. Shandong, NE. Henan Qingzhou 青州 N. and E. Shandong, SE. Hebei Xuzhou 徐州 N. Jiangsu, NE. Anhui, SE. Shandong Jingzhou 荊州 S. Henan, Hubei, Hunan, parts of Guangdong and Guangxi Yangzhou 揚州 S. Jiangsu, S. Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, parts of Henan and Hubei Yizhou 益州 Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, S. Shaanxi, parts of Hubei and Gansu Liangzhou 涼州 Gansu, Ningxia, NE. Qinghai Bingzhou 并州 Shanxi, parts of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia Shuofang 朔方 N. Shaanxi, Ordos and Hetao regions in Inner Mongolia Youzhou 幽州 N. Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, northern Korea Jiaozhi 交趾 Northern and central Vietnam, Guangxi, Guangdong, SE. Fujian Yongzhou 雍州 Hexi Corridor

Commanderies