The parish of Gausdal was established as a civil municipality on 1 January 1738 (see formannskapsdistrikt law).

On 1 January 1867, a small area of neighboring Øyer Municipality (population: 40) was transferred into Gausdal.

The river name comes from the verb gjósa which means to "gush", "burst out", or "stream forcefully".

The official blazon is "Per fess azure and argent, a single stair step section slanting outwards" (Norwegian: Delt av blått og sølv ved enkelt trappesnitt skrått utover).

Below the line, the field has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used.

The arms were designed to mimic the shape of one of the main mountains in the municipality, Skeikampen.

The famous Peer Gynt mountain road begins here and leads to the town of Vinstra.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gausdal is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.