Before 1862–67, most of the territory of modern Bạc Liêu province was only the Eastern part of Long Xuyên rural district, An Biên prefecture, Hà Tiên garrison.

[citation needed] On June 15, 1867, as soon as Cochinchina became a complete colony of the French Republic, the regime of rural district (huyện) and prefecture (phủ) was replaced by the inspection, which was equivalent to the shire of the United Kingdom.

[citation needed] On December 20, 1899, Governor-General Paul Doumer issued a decree that, from January 1, 1900, all province-level administrative units in French Indochina agreed to be called "tỉnh" (province), including Bạc Liêu.

On September 8, 1964, Prime Minister Nguyễn Khánh has signed Decree 254-NV that, Bạc Liêu province was re-established since October 1.

[note 4] On July 11, 1977, the Council of Ministers issued Decision 181-CP on the merger of three communes and one township of dissolved Châu Thành rural district into Giá Rai.

By August 30, 1983, the Council of Ministers issued Decision 94-HĐBT on the merger of three communes of dissolved Cà Mau rural district into Giá Rai.

On November 6, 1996, Chairman of the National Assembly Nông Đức Mạnh signed the promulgation of the Resolution on the division of Minh Hải into two new provinces Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau.