Falkirk District Council was set up under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. District councils in Scotland were established under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c.65). They were quite distinct from the district councils which had existed from 1930 to 1975. The Act established a two-tier system of local government with nine regional councils and 53 district councils. Three islands councils (Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles) performed the functions of district and regional councils. District councils were elected in 1974 and acted as shadow authorities until May 1975, when they assumed their full powers. Their main responsibilities were district courts (under the District Courts (Scotland) Act 1975, c.20), building control, burial and cremation, cleansing, community centres (shared with the region) conservation areas, countryside (some regional responsibility), development control, environmental health, housing, leisure and recreation, libraries, licensing, local planning, museums and art galleries (with the regional council), parks and tourism

Falkirk District comprised the former burghs of Falkirk, Grangemouth, Bo'ness and Denny & Dunipace, the former Eastern districts and part of the Central districts of Stirlingshire and a small part of the former West Lothian County. The regional authority for the area of Falkirk District Council was Central Regional Council. Falkirk District Council and Central Regional Council were abolished in 1996 and replaced by Falkirk Council (Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, c.39) which assumed most of their powers and functions.

The Committees agreed in July 1974 were Policy & Resources Committee, Finance & Manpower Committee, Planning & Development Committee (including responsibility for planning, architectural service and building control), Housing Committee, Environmental Health Committee, Leisure & Recreation Committee and General Purposes Committee. Additionally there was provision for the Joint Staff Consultative Committee to meet separately with the two categories of Administrative, Professional Technical & Clerical or APT&C staff and with Craft & Manual staff; and for the Joint Liaison Committee to meet with other local authorities.
The Finance & Manpower Committee was re-organised as the Finance Committee and the Manpower & Common Services Committee by 1976. These committees remained in place until April 1992.

New committees were set up in April or May 1992: Performance, Policy & Resources Committee, Environmental Services Committee (with responsibility for environment and leisure & recreation), Personnel Services Committee, Women's & Equal Opportunities Committee, Housing Services Committee and Development Services Committee (with responsibility for planning, building control, property, roads and architectural services).

In 1974, the District Council staff structure was organised into nine departments: Administrative & Legal Services Department (headed by the Chief Executive, along with a Senior Depute Director), Finance Department, Architectural Services Department, Planning Department, Housing Department, Environmental Health Department, Amenity & Recreation Department (all six of these headed by a Director); the Libraries, Museums & Art Galleries Department (headed by the District Chief Librarian) and the Direct Works department headed by the District Direct Works Manager. This departmental structure remained substantially in place until 1989 when the Amenity & Recreation Department and the Libraries & Museums Department were amalgamated into the Leisure & Recreation Department.