The Municipality of George was granted Municipal Regulations on 24 March 1837 under the provisions of Ordinance 9 of 1836 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 1631 of 24 March 1937).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of George, Wilderness Municipality, Outeniqua Transitional Representative Council and the Bo-Langkloof Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the George Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 501, 22 September 2000). The George Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route (formerly Eden) District Municipality.

A "Kollege" of Landdros and Heemraden was established at George on 23 April 1811.

The magistrate acted as clerk of the peace, deputy administrator, visiting magistrate to the George Convict Station, district commandant during the Anglo-Boer War, deputy registrar of births and deaths, conservator of crown forests, distributor of stamps, etc.

Most of the documents dated before 25 June 1844 were destroyed by fire.

The Village Management Board of Pacaltsdorp was established on 23 December 1886 in terms of Proclamation No 212 of 1886 under provision of the Villages Management Act of 1881 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 6815, 23 December 1886). The Board ceased to function with effect from 1 January 1975 when the Municipality of Pacaltsdorp was established.

The Municipality of Pacaltsdorp was established with effect from 1 January 1975 under the provisions of Section 5(1) and 8(1) of the Municipal Ordinance No 20, 1974 in terms of Proclamation No 414, 1974 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Extraordinary Official Gazette, No 3809, 3 December 1974).

In terms of Proclamation No 152 of 15 December 1995 (Establishment of Rural Local Government Structures) the South Cape Regional Services Council was disestablished and replaced by the South Cape District Council (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5004 of 15 December 1995).

On 22 September 2000 the South Cape District Council, Klein Karoo District Council and various other councils were disestablished and the Garden Route/Klein Karoo (later Eden, then Garden Route) District Municipality was established in terms of sections 12 and 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 5592 of 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 497 of 22 September 2000).

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Councils of George, Knysna and Mossel Bay were re-constituted together to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Outeniqua.

The following local areas committees were instituted: Boggomsbaai, Brenton, Buffels Bay, Herolds Bay, Hoekwil, Keurboomstrand, Little Brak River, Nature’s Valley, Reebok, Tergniet, Wilderness, Wilderness Heights and Wittedrift.

On 31 March 1989 portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Outeniqua and Langeberg were established as the South Cape Regional Services Council. The other portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Outeniqua and Langeberg together with the Divisional Council Area of Klein Karoo-Langkloof were established as the Klein Karoo Regional Services Council.