The title compound, (C13H16N4)[ZnCl4], consists of a tetrahedral [ZnCl4]2 anion and a 2-{2-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]diazen-1-ium-1-yl}pyridinium dication. The pyridinium-N atom is syn to the azo bond which allows for the formation of an intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond. In the crystal, the cation and anion are held together by N—H...Cl hydrogen-bond interactions involving the pyridinium and diazen-1-ium N atoms. π–π stacking interactions occur between the pyridine and benzene rings of adjacent cations [centroid–centroid distances = 3.6270 (18) and 3.8685 (18) ]; the stacks are parallel to the a axis.
