The 1996–97 Divizia D was the 55th season of the Liga IV, the fourth tier of the Romanian football league system.
The champions of each county association play against one from a neighboring county in a promotion play-off match played on a neutral venue.
A special table was made and teams with the best 16 results were promoted to the third league.
[1] The 15th and 16th-placed teams of the Divizia D faces the 2nd placed teams from the two series of Dolj County Championship.
The matches was played on 7 June 1997 at Armata Ground in Craiova and Amărăștii de Jos.