In May 1981 county council elections were held in England, including those for Surrey County Council. Shown below are the results for the Guildford electoral districts on Surrey County Council.
The 1981 Surrey County Council election saw the number of electoral districts in Surrey increase from 73 to 76. The three extra seats were allocated to other parts of Surrey, and the Guildford Borough Council area kept the same allocation of nine seats, on Surrey County Council, which it had in the previous election, in 1977.
Two electoral divisions changed hands in these elections. Labour recaptured both Guildford North and Guildford West from the Conservatives - electoral divisions which it had lost to the Conservatives in the 1977 County Council elections.
The Conservatives contested all nine electoral divisions. Labour contested eight electoral division, two more than in 1977. The Liberals also contested eight seats, three more than in 1977.