Administration of Kanyakumari district consists of two revenue divisions; Nagercoil and Padmanabhapuram. Each of these divisions is headed by a revenue divisional officer. The Nagercoil revenue division comprises of two Taluks. One of the taluks is Agasteeswaram with its headquarters at Nagercoil and another one is Thovalai with its headquarters at Boothapandi. The Padmanabhapuram revenue division contains two taluks; Kalkulam with its headquarters at Thuckalay and Vilavancode with its headquarters at Kuzhithurai. These taluks are administered by the Tahsildars.

After the carving of the Kanyakumari district out of the territories transferred to the then Madras State from the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin State in the year 1956, the administrative set up of the local bodies then in existence, were permitted to continue until the 31st of March 1962. The Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act 1958 was extended to the district of Kanyakumari with effect from the first of April 1962. There are nine Panchayat Unions which consist of fifty six Town Panchayats and ninety nine Village Panchayats. There are four municipalities in this district called Nagercoil, Padmanabhapuram, Colachel and Kuzhithurai.

The collector is the head of the district and is assisted by several revenue department officers in the general administration of the district. The officers who assist the Collector are District Revenue Officer at Nagercoil, Personal Assistant (Accounts) to the Collector, Nagercoil, Personal Assistant (General) to the Collector, Nagercoil, Revenue Divisional Officer, Padmanabhapuram, District Supply Officer, Nagercoil, Revenue Divisional Officer, Nagercoil, District Adi-Dravidar Welfare Officer, Nagercoil, District Backward Classes Welfare Officer, Nagercoil, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Nagercoil, Assistant Commissioner (Agricultural Income-Tax) Grade-I, Nagercoil, Tahsildar (Vilavancode), Tahsildar (Kalkulam), Tahsildar (Agasteeswaram), Tahsildar (Thovalai), Taluk Supply Officers in each of the four taluks, Special Tahsildars (DRS) in each of the four Taluks, Divisional Excise Officer, Agasteeswaram and Divisional Excise Officer, Kalkulam.

The Collector of the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu state receives petitions from the public on every Monday and all the District Officers and Second Level Officers attend the Monday Grievance day, as per the orders of the Government. The petitions received from the public are sent to the concerned department officers and most of the grievances are redressed on the day itself. The other petitions which are received for the grant of benefits under several welfare schemes are sent to the concerned officers for the necessary actions.