Under several different names, the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia functioned continually from 1945 to 1990. According to formal constitutional provisions, it was the central legislative and highest governing institution in Croatia. Yet, in practice, it was a channel of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and the Communist Party of Croatia, which wielded actual political power and held a monopoly over political decision-making.

Until 1953, the Parliament was unicameral, while from 1953 to1963, it was bicameral (Republic Council, Council of Producers), from 1963 to 1974 it consisted of five councils (Republic Council, Economic Council, Education and Culture Council, Social and Health Council, Organisational and Political Council), and from 1974 to 1990 it consisted of three councils (Council of Associated Labour, Council of Municipalities, Socio-political Council).

During the entire period of its activity, Parliament received various petitions and appeals from citizens and organisations pertaining to the exercise of their rights. Such an example is a petition from several thousand citizens of Omiš against construction of a sintered magnesia factory in that area. Parliament received the petition on 12 April 1979, and placed it ad acta ten days later, on 24 April. It was preserved among the files of the Office of the President of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia in the period 1978-1982, which were handed over to the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb on an ex officio basis by the Croatian Parliament in 2010. These documents are important to the history of the environmental movement in Croatia, containing information on environmentally motivated protests by citizens against official decisions.

The Croatian Parliament has its own record office.