[7] The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Beiar Fjord (Old Norse: Beðir or Beðinn).

On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Beiara.

On 19 August 1908 (a few months later), another royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Beiarn.

The blazon is "Vert, a pine tree uprooted Or" (Norwegian: I gull en furu på grønn bunn).

The pine tree has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used.

This is mentioned both by Petter Dass' "Nordlands Trompet" and in Lars Hess Bing's "Description of the Kingdom of Norway, the Isles of Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as Greenland".

The National Archives told the municipality that they can use the unapproved arms in some circumstances, but they cannot be put on a flag, road sign, or public buildings.

A privately owned stave church was built in 2006 at Savjord, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of Moldjord.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Beiarn is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

Here is a list of people who have held this position:[36] The area offers many outdoor activities to visitors, including fishing, caving, and mountain walking.