Municipalities constitute the second and final level of administrative division in the Dominican Republic, with 158 municipalities distributed across the country's 32 provinces and one National District. As the primary unit of local government, municipalities are responsible for essential public services including waste collection, local road maintenance, public lighting, parks and recreation facilities, and municipal policing. Each municipality is governed by a mayor (síndico) and a municipal council elected by local residents for four-year terms. Municipalities have authority over urban planning, building permits, local tax collection, and the administration of civil registry services such as birth and death certificates. They serve as the direct link between citizens and government, addressing immediate community needs and managing local infrastructure. Larger municipalities may be subdivided into municipal districts for administrative purposes, though these do not constitute a separate administrative level.