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.