red tape

noun

: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction

bureaucratic red tape

… enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.

—John Weisman

… pompous officials (often lowly clerks) in love with red tape who delight in obstructing the expedition of what should be simple procedures.

—Norman W. Schur

Initial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions.

—Bella Pollen

Their plan is simple enough and none too glamorous: create a Web site to help people cut through red tape; i.e., pay for parking tickets and so on.

—Sarah Kerr

Examples of red tape in a Sentence

You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, the few residences of this caliber available to buy often need years of refurbishment, which is both inconvenient and likely to trigger its own wall of red tape. —The Editors, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2025

At the state level, Gov. Cuomo’s expedited release program didn’t reach enough people because of red tape. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2025

By cutting red tape, the administration could accelerate the deployment of next-generation nuclear reactors, which provide reliable, zero-emission energy. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Bureaucratic red tape is not an excuse for the government to abandon the people it’s supposed to serve. —Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from the red tape formerly used to bind legal documents in England

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time