This study investigated the distribution of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin receptor (NGALR) in human embryonic, fetal and normal adult tissues. Tissue microarray technology was used to perform immunohistochemical examination on human embryos, fetuses at 4-22 weeks of gestation and adult tissue specimens. Results demonstrated that during the development of the nervous system, NGALR was prevalent in the neural tube and cerebrum, and NGAL was only detected in the stellate cells of the cerebrum and the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. NGAL and NGALR were expressed in the lung alveolar epithelium and in the gastrointestinal tract in embryos, but were almost undetectable in later developmental stages. In the embryonic adrenal glands, the two proteins demonstrated moderate positivity in the cortex and the medulla. In adults, NGAL was particularly present in the cells of the inner and outer layers of the cortex and was absent in the medulla, while NGALR exhibited strong positivity in the cortex and the medulla. Evident expression of NGAL and NGALR was observed throughout development in the neutrophil-rich sites, the renal tubule epithelium and certain gland epithelia of the gastrointestinal tract, but was undetectable in the heart, liver and thyroid gland. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the expression of NGAL and NGALR was time-specific and highly tissue‑specific. Correlations between their expression in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis should be examined.