An automatic headlamp control system includes an image sensor and a control. The image sensor captures an image of a forward exterior scene and the control processes the image to determine if any light sources in the captured image are indicative of headlamps of oncoming vehicles or taillights of leading vehicles. The control adjusts the state of the headlamps between a high beam state and a lower beam state in response to such processing, and may adjust the beam illumination state of one headlamp independent of adjustment of the beam illumination state of the other headlamp. The control adjusts one headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a detection of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle in the forward field of view, and adjusts or maintains the beam illumination state of the other headlamp independent of the adjustment of the first headlamp in response to the detection.