Last updated: March 19, 2026
This page is an annotated translation of the official list of Chinese “laws” [法律] maintained by the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), which currently includes the Constitution and 309 laws. Unlike the list, this page does not separately list a law’s annex(es) (if any) or the year(s) an annex was updated (if at all). Nor does it specify each year a law was updated; it instead provides only the dates of a law’s adoption and its most recent update (whether amendment or revision). For the avoidance of doubt, the dates are in the format of “year/month/day.”
The laws are grouped into eight broad areas, the descriptions of which are based on this 2018 lecture by the Chairperson of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee on the NPCSC’s legislative work. New laws categorized by us (before the official list is updated) are each marked with an asterisk (*). The numbering of the full NPC’s enactments is shaded in gold; all other laws were adopted by the NPCSC.
You can access the current Chinese version of each law by clicking on its Chinese title. If a law’s English title is hyperlinked, the link will direct you to an English translation that complies with our editorial policy, or to the page we have created for a related bill (“bill page”)—as explained in the accompanying brackets. For brevity, we have omitted “People’s Republic of China” from the laws’ translated titles.
- PRC Constitution [宪法]
- Constitution-Related Laws [宪法相关法]
- Civil & Commercial Laws [民法商法]
- Administrative Laws [行政法]
- Economic Laws [经济法]
- Social Laws [社会法]
- Ecological and Environmental Law [生态环境法]
- Criminal Laws [刑法]
- Litigation & Non-Litigation Procedure Laws [诉讼与非诉讼程序法]
PRC Constitution [宪法]
China’s current Constitution was adopted on December 4, 1982 and has been amended five times, in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004, and 2018.
| Title | Adopted |
|---|---|
| 中华人民共和国宪法（1982年） Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (1982) [bill page] | 1982/12/4 |
| 中华人民共和国宪法修正案（1988年） Constitutional Amendment (1988) [NPC trans. via HKSAR Gov’t] | 1988/4/12 |
| 中华人民共和国宪法修正案（1993年） Constitutional Amendment (1993) [NPC trans. via HKSAR Gov’t] | 1993/3/29 |
| 中华人民共和国宪法修正案（1999年） Constitutional Amendment (1999) [NPC trans. via HKSAR Gov’t] | 1999/3/15 |
| 中华人民共和国宪法修正案（2004年） Constitutional Amendment (2004) [NPC trans. via HKSAR Gov’t] | 2004/3/14 |
| 中华人民共和国宪法修正案（2018年） Constitutional Amendment (2018) [bill page] | 2018/3/11 |
Constitution-Related Laws [宪法相关法] (56)
Constitution-related laws implement constitutional provisions on state institutions and citizens’ fundamental rights. Specifically, they govern (1) the creation, organization, functions, and operations of state institutions; (2) the systems of ethnic regional autonomy and grassroots-level self-governance; (3) special administrative regions; (4) state sovereignty and territory, national security, and national symbols; and (4) citizens’ fundamental political rights.
Civil & Commercial Laws [民法商法] (24)
Civil and commercial laws govern the legal relationships between natural persons, legal persons, and unincorporated organizations as entities equal in status. Specifically, they include basic civil laws (codified as the Civil Code), intellectual property laws, and commercial laws (such as companies, securities, and bankcrupty laws).
Administrative Laws [行政法] (81)
Administrative laws govern the legal relationships between administrative agencies and private entities that arise from regulatory activities. Specifically, they include substantive administrative laws, procedural administrative laws, and laws providing for relief from administrative actions.
Economic Laws [经济法] (68)
Economic laws govern the State’s macro-management or regulation of the economy. Specifically, they govern (1) macroeconomic regulation and control (including tax laws); (2) competition; (3) foreign trade and commerce; (4) regulation of key industries (such as the railway or the agriculture industry); and (5) standardization of economic activities.
Social Laws [社会法] (30)
China’s social laws are not as developed as other areas. They cover mainly three issue areas: (1) labor relations, social welfare, and workplace safety; (2) protection of special groups (such as minors and disabled persons); and (3) social organizations (including non-governmental organizations) and their activities.
| # | Title | Adopted | Last Updated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于批准《国务院关于工人退休、退职的暂行办法》的决议 NPCSC Resolution on Approving the State Council’s Interim Measures on Workers’ Retirement and Resignations | 1978/5/24 | — | retirement-age provisions ceased to apply on 2025/1/1 |
| 2 | 全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于批准《国务院关于职工探亲待遇的规定》的决议 NPCSC Resolution on Approving the State Council’s Provisions on the Family Visit Benefits for Employees | 1981/3/6 | — | |
| 3 | 中华人民共和国归侨侨眷权益保护法 Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Family Members [NPC trans. (v. 2000)] | 1990/9/7 | 2009/8/27 | |
| 4 | 中华人民共和国残疾人保障法 Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons [NPC trans. (v. 2008)] | 1990/12/28 | 2018/10/26 | |
| 5 | 中华人民共和国未成年人保护法 Minors Protection Law [bill page] | 1991/9/4 | 2024/4/26 | |
| 6 | 中华人民共和国工会法 Trade Unions Law [bill page] | 1992/4/3 | 2021/12/24 | |
| 7 | 中华人民共和国妇女权益保障法 Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests [bill page] | 1992/4/3 | 2022/10/30 | |
| 8 | 中华人民共和国矿山安全法 Mines Safety Law [NPC trans. (v. 1992)] | 1992/11/7 | 2009/8/27 | |
| 9 | 中华人民共和国红十字会法 Red Cross Society Law [ICRC trans.] | 1993/10/31 | 2017/2/24 | |
| 10 | 中华人民共和国劳动法 Labor Law [NPC trans. (v. 1994)] | 1994/7/5 | 2018/12/29 | |
| 11 | 中华人民共和国母婴保健法 Maternal and Infant Healthcare Law [NPC trans. (v. 1994)] | 1994/10/27 | 2017/11/4 | |
| 12 | 中华人民共和国老年人权益保障法 Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly | 1996/8/29 | 2018/12/29 | |
| 13 | 中华人民共和国预防未成年人犯罪法 Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Law [bill page] | 1999/6/28 | 2020/12/26 | |
| 14 | 中华人民共和国公益事业捐赠法 Public Welfare Donations Law [NPC trans.] | 1999/6/28 | — | |
| 15 | 中华人民共和国职业病防治法 Law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases | 2001/10/27 | 2018/12/29 | |
| 16 | 中华人民共和国安全生产法 Workplace Safety Law [bill page] | 2002/6/29 | 2021/6/10 | |
| 17 | 中华人民共和国科学技术普及法 Law on the Popularization of Science and Technology [bill page] | 2002/6/29 | 2024/12/25 | |
| 18 | 中华人民共和国劳动合同法 Labor Contract Law | 2007/6/29 | 2012/12/28 | |
| 19 | 中华人民共和国就业促进法 Employment Promotion Law [NPC trans. (v. 2007)] | 2007/8/30 | 2015/4/24 | |
| 20 | 中华人民共和国社会保险法 Social Insurance Law [MHRSS trans. (v. 2010)] | 2010/10/28 | 2018/12/29 | |
| 21 | 中华人民共和国军人保险法 Military Personnel Insurance Law | 2012/4/27 | — | |
| 22 | 中华人民共和国特种设备安全法 Special Equipment Safety Law [China Special Equipment Inspection & Research Institute trans.] | 2013/6/29 | — | |
| 23 | 中华人民共和国反家庭暴力法 Anti–Domestic Violence Law [bill page] | 2015/12/27 | — | |
| 24 | 中华人民共和国慈善法 Charity Law [bill page] | 2016/3/16 | 2023/12/29 | |
| 25 | 中华人民共和国境外非政府组织境内活动管理法 Law on the Management of the Activities of Overseas Non-Governmental Organizations in Mainland China [bill page] | 2016/4/28 | 2017/11/4 | |
| 26 | 中华人民共和国退役军人保障法 Veterans Protection Law [bill page] | 2020/11/11 | — | |
| 27 | 中华人民共和国法律援助法 Legal Aid Law [bill page] | 2021/8/20 | — | |
| 28 | 中华人民共和国家庭教育促进法 Family Education Promotion Law [bill page] | 2021/10/23 | — | |
| 29 | 中华人民共和国无障碍环境建设法 Barrier-Free Environments Development Law [bill page] | 2023/6/28 | — | |
| 30 | 中华人民共和国危险化学品安全法 Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law [bill page] | 2025/12/27 | — |
Ecological & Environmental Law [生态环境法] (36)
Criminal Laws [刑法] (4)
Criminal law here refers to substantive criminal law and consists primarily of the 1997 Criminal Law, China’s unified criminal code, as well as the subsequent standalone amendments to the Criminal Law. For a list of relevant legislative interpretations, see this page.
Litigation & Non-Litigation Procedure Laws [诉讼与非诉讼程序法] (10)
Litigation and non-litigation procedure laws govern the procedures used in litigation and other methods for resolving disputes, such as arbitration and mediation.
| # | Title | Adopted | Last Updated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 中华人民共和国刑事诉讼法 Criminal Procedure Law [bill page] | 1979/7/1 | 2018/10/26 | relevant legislative interpretations |
| 2 | 中华人民共和国行政诉讼法 Administrative Litigation Law [bill page] | 1989/4/4 | 2017/6/27 | |
| 3 | 中华人民共和国民事诉讼法 Civil Procedure Law [bill page] | 1991/4/9 | 2023/9/1 | |
| 4 | 中华人民共和国仲裁法 Arbitration Law [bill page] | 1994/8/31 | 2025/9/12 | |
| 5 | 中华人民共和国海事诉讼特别程序法 Special Maritime Procedure Law [NPC trans.] | 1999/12/25 | — | |
| 6 | 中华人民共和国引渡法 Extradition Law [NPC trans.] | 2000/12/28 | — | |
| 7 | 中华人民共和国劳动争议调解仲裁法 Law on the Mediation and Arbitration of Labor Disputes [NPC trans.] | 2007/12/29 | — | |
| 8 | 中华人民共和国农村土地承包经营纠纷调解仲裁法 Law on the Mediation and Arbitration of Disputes over Contracted Management of Rural Land [NPC trans.] | 2009/6/27 | — | |
| 9 | 中华人民共和国人民调解法 People’s Mediation Law [Westlaw China trans. via China Soc’y of Priv. Int’l L.] | 2010/8/28 | — | |
| 10 | 中华人民共和国国际刑事司法协助法 International Criminal Justice Assistance Law [bill page] | 2018/10/26 | — |