This article provides a full and comprehensive analysis of the norms of legislation regulating the issues of countering extremist manifestations motivated by political, ideological, racial, religious hatred, enmity and intolerance. Several variants of the classification of extremist crimes are proposed. Using the comparative legal method of scientific cognition, the main national and international normative legal acts regulating the issues of combating extremism are analyzed. The scientific article also analyzes the provisions of federal laws and by-laws of state authorities regulating the issues we have raised. In addition, an analysis of the activities of authorized structural units of executive authorities responsible for organizing work to counter religious extremism was carried out, including an analysis of the regulatory framework governing the functioning of these units. Based on the results of the analysis, proposals aimed at further improvement are derived.