The understanding of normative documents can be divided into broad sense and narrow sense.

Normative documents in a broad sense generally refer to the sum of legislative documents (namely, constitution, laws, administrative regulations, local regulations, autonomous regulations, separate regulations, the State Council departmental regulations and local government regulations) and other binding non-legislative documents formulated by state organs and other organizations.

Normative documents in a narrow sense generally refer to other binding non-legislative documents outside the scope of law. At present, such non-legislative documents are formulated by party organizations at all levels, people's governments at all levels and their subordinate departments, people's organizations, mass organizations, enterprises and institutions, courts, procuratorates and other subjects.