The first municipal regulations for the Municipality of Heidelberg were issued on 19 March 1862 under Proclamation No 16 of 1862 in terms of the provisions of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies within the Heidelberg Forum Area, namely the Municipality of Heidelberg and Witsand/Port Beaufort Local Council, was dissolved with effect from 1 December 1994 and the Heidelberg Transitional Council established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4896, 30 November 1994, Proclamation No 72, 29 November 1994). In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Heidelberg Transitional Council together with other municipalities was disestablished and the Langeberg (later Hessequa) Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 499, 22 September 2000). The Hessequa Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route (previously Eden) District Municipality.

A Special Justice of the Peace was appointed at Heidelberg on 15 October 1876 (Government Gazette No 5620 dated 10 October 1876, Proclamation No 71 dated 9 October 1876).

On 10 December 1938 the periodical court held at Heidelberg by the Magistrates of Swellendam and Riversdale respectively, was abolished and a magistrate’s court established (Government Gazette No 2594 dated 30 December 1938, Proclamation No 288 dated 21 December 1938).