The Hessischer Landkreistag (HLT) is the central municipal association of the 21 Hessian districts, which represent around 4.7 million citizens. It is organized as a registered association and was founded in 1948. The association's primary tasks are to promote the idea of self-government, to stand up for the constitutional rights of its members and to represent their common interests vis-à-vis the state and the federal government. It advises the Hessian state parliament and the ministries in the preparation and implementation of laws, ordinances and decrees.

The Hessischer Landkreistag is housed in the Haus der kommunalen Selbstverwaltung in Wiesbaden, Frankfurter Straße 2. The Hessian Association of Cities and Towns is also located there.

In addition to the General Assembly, in which all Hessian districts are represented, the Hessian Association of Districts has a Presidium with a President, three Vice Presidents and 18 other members. Opinions are formed in three regionally organized district assemblies, six specialist committees and the conference of district council chairmen.

At present, the association's work focuses in particular on overcoming the precarious financial situation of local authorities, the reception and accommodation of foreign refugees and the challenges of demographic change, particularly in rural areas.

The Hessischer Landkreistag is a member of the Deutscher Landkreistag (DLT), which represents the interests of the 296 German rural districts at federal level in Berlin and also vis-à-vis the European institutions via its European office in Brussels.