Dhanbad district was constituted in 1956 by carving out the old Dhanbad subdivision, Chas and Chandankiyari police stations of the Sadar subdivision of the erstwhile Manbhum district. Dhanbad is Police district since 1928. The re-organisation of the districts in the State of Bihar which took place after 1971 did not affect the district of Dhanbad. In 1991 a part of Dhanbad district was sliced away to form Bokaro district.