The Municipality of Beaufort West was constituted on 3 February 1837 under the provisions of Ordinance 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Beaufort West Municipality together with the Beaufort West Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Beaufort West Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5593, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 508, 22 September 2000). The Beaufort West Local Municipality forms part of the larger Central Karoo District Municipality.