This article deals with the historical aspects of the emergence and development of the concepts of personal interest and conflict of interest in the system of public administration of the Russian Federation. The article considers constitutional and legal norms of public administration as a mechanism that realises public interests, as well as possible situations where the emergence of personal interest threatens the objectivity of decisions and requires the introduction of effective regulatory mechanisms to maintain transparency and public trust in government. Particular attention is paid to law enforcement difficulties associated with the uncertainty of categories of intangible benefits, the circle of significant persons, as well as difficulties in identifying potential conflicts of interest. The article suggests ways to solve these problems through the development of clear criteria for the classification of intangible benefits, clarification of the circle of persons whose interests may be significant, and the introduction of models of situations that can prevent conflicts of interest, which contributes to increased transparency and objectivity in law enforcement activities.