In 1927, a small part of Tolga (population: 18) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Os.

The name of the river may come from the word toll (Old Norse: þǫll which means "young pine tree".

On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tolga.

The official blazon is "Gules, a bell Or" (Norwegian: I rødt ei gull klokke).

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

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

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

The lake Langsjøen is located just south of the village of Øversjødalen in the southeastern part of the municipality.