On 1 April 1885 the six
Landdrosteien were turned into regional administrative districts called
Regierungsbezirke: The
Regierungsbezirke were subdivided into new urban and rural counties (
Stadtkreise and
Landkreise), the old
Amt structure being disbanded. Where the name of the county town differs from that of the county, it is shown in brackets:
Regierungsbezirk Aurich Stadtkreise •
Emden •
Wilhelmshaven (1919–1937, then ceded to
Oldenburg)
Landkreise •
Aurich •
Emden (to 1932, then divided between the town of Emden, Landkreis Norden and Landkreis Leer) •
Leer •
Norden •
Weener (to 1932, then to Landkreis Leer) •
Wittmund Regierungsbezirk Hannover Stadtkreise •
Hamelin (from 1923) •
Hanover •
Linden (1886–1920, then to the city of Hanover)
Landkreise •
Grafschaft Diepholz (county offices in
Diepholz, to 1932
Kreis Diepholz) •
Grafschaft Hoya (county offices in
Syke, before 1932
Kreis Hoya) •
Grafschaft Schaumburg (county offices in
Rinteln, before 1932
Province of Hesse-Nassau) •
Hameln-Pyrmont (county offices in
Hamelin, before 1922
Kreis Hameln) •
Hanover •
Linden (to 1932, then to Landkreis Hannover) •
Neustadt am Rübenberge •
Nienburg/Weser •
Springe •
Stolzenau (to 1932, then to Landkreis Nienburg/Weser) •
Sulingen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Grafschaft Diepholz) •
Syke (to 1932, then to Landkreis Grafschaft Hoya)
Regierungsbezirk Hildesheim Stadtkreise •
Göttingen •
Goslar (to 1941, then to
Brunswick) •
Hildesheim Landkreise •
Alfeld •
Duderstadt •
Einbeck •
Göttingen •
Goslar (to 1941, then to
Brunswick) •
Gronau •
Hildesheim •
Holzminden (from 1941, previously
Brunswick) •
Ilfeld (to 1932, then to
Province of Saxony) •
Marienburg i. Hann. (county offices in
Hildesheim) •
Münden •
Northeim •
Osterode am Harz •
Peine •
Uslar (to 1932, then to Landkreis Northeim) •
Zellerfeld (county offices in
Clausthal-Zellerfeld)
Regierungsbezirk Lüneburg Stadtkreise •
Celle •
Harburg (1927 to
Harburg-Wilhelmsburg) •
Harburg-Wilhelmsburg (1927–1937, then to
Hamburg) •
Lüneburg •
Wilhelmsburg (1925–1927, then to
Harburg-Wilhelmsburg)
Landkreise •
Bleckede (to 1932, then to Landkreis Lüneburg) •
Burgdorf •
Celle •
Fallingbostel •
Gifhorn •
Harburg (county offices in
Hamburg-Harburg) •
Isenhagen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Gifhorn) •
Lüchow-Dannenberg (county offices in
Lüchow, formed in 1932 from the counties of
Lüchow and
Danneberg) •
Lüneburg •
Soltau •
Uelzen (county offices to 1974 in
Oldenstadt) •
Winsen Regierungsbezirk Osnabrück Stadtkreise •
Osnabrück Landkreise •
Aschendorf-Hümmling (county offices in
Aschendorf/Ems, formed in 1932 from the counties of
Aschendorf and
Hümmling) •
Landkreis Bersenbrück •
Grafschaft Bentheim (county offices in
Bentheim) •
Iburg (to 1932, then to Landkreis Osnabrück) •
Lingen •
Melle •
Meppen •
Osnabrück •
Wittlage Regierungsbezirk Stade Stadtkreise •
Cuxhaven (from 1937, previously part of
Hamburg) •
Geestemünde (1912–1924, then to Stadtkreis Wesermünde) •
Lehe (1920–1924, then to Stadtkreis Wesermünde) •
Wesermünde (formed in 1924 from the counties of
Geestemünde and
Lehe)
Landkreise •
Achim (to 1932, then to Landkreis Verden) •
Blumenthal (to 1932, then to Landkreis Osterholz) •
Bremervörde •
Hadeln (county offices in
Otterndorf, 1932 to Landkreis Land Hadeln) •
Jork (to 1932, then to counties of Stade and Harburg) •
Kehdingen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Stade) •
Land Hadeln (county offices in
Otterndorf, formed in 1932 from the counties of Hadeln and Neuhaus an der Oste) •
Neuhaus an der Oste (to 1932, then to Landkreis Land Hadeln) •
Osterholz (county offices in
Osterholz-Scharmbeck) •
Rotenburg i. Hann. •
Stade •
Verden •
Wesermünde (formed in 1932 from the counties of
Geestemünde and
Lehe) •
Zeven (to 1932, then to Landkreis Bremervörde) ==Presidents of the Province of Hanover==