Nongpoh is governed locally by a Town Committee, which oversees municipal functions such as sanitation, local road maintenance, and market regulation. As the district headquarters of the Ri-Bhoi district, Nongpoh hosts the offices of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), who is the head of the district administration, law and order, and revenue collection.
At the state level, Nongpoh is an Assembly Constituency within the 60-seat Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. It falls under the Shillong Lok Sabha constituency for representation in the national parliament. Traditional governance also operates in parallel, with local headmen (Rangbah Shnong) managing community affairs, disputes, and grassroots administration in individual localities.