The molecular and crystal structures of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-1H-tetrazole-5-thione (I) and its complex with cadmium(II) (II) are studied by single crystal XRD. Free ligand I is thione; it has a nonplanar structure (the torsion angle between the tetrazole and benzene rings is 54.99(7)°) and forms H-bonded centrosymmetric dimers via two N–H…S hydrogen bonds in the crystal. The dimers contain a central planar eight-membered {S=C–N–H…S=C–N–H…} ring. Complex II has a chain structure with the composition [(C7H4N4FS)2Cd]n. The environment of the Cd(II) atom consists of two nitrogen atoms and two sulfur atoms from four ligands I and represents a distorted tetrahedron. When complex II forms, ligand I converts into the thiol form. Infinite 1D chains contain eight-membered {←S=C–N–Cd←S=C–N–Cd} rings in a chair conformation. The chains in the crystal are arranged in layers parallel to the (101) plane due to secondary intermolecular F…F and π–π-stacking interactions. © 2018, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.