Laws in Norway
How Norway is classified on 40 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Euthanasia
- Illegal Active voluntary euthanasia is illegal, though caregivers may receive reduced punishment for consented killings.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- Specifically banned FGM is banned by a dedicated law or an explicit criminal provision.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
Daily Life
- Drinking in Public
- Illegal Public drinking is prohibited nationwide and subject to fines.
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Smoking is prohibited in all indoor public areas and workplaces nationwide.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
- Homeschooling
- Legal with conditions Homeschooling is legal only under conditions such as approval, registration or inspection.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Banned Fur farming is banned.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Partial measures Plastic-bag measures are voluntary rather than mandatory.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14 Minimum working age: 13.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 16–17 The age of consent is 16.
- Sex Work
- Buying illegal (Nordic model) Buying sex is criminalized while selling sex is not, fitting the Nordic model definition.
- Divorce
- Heavily restricted Divorce is legal but requires a long period of separation.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal Same-sex couples can jointly petition to adopt.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- No blasphemy law Norway's blasphemy law was removed from the penal code effective October 2015.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Legal / protected speech The ban on desecrating foreign flags was lifted in 2008, making such acts legal.
- Conversion Therapy
- Banned Norway enacted a nationwide criminal ban on conversion therapy in December 2023.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned Corporal punishment is explicitly prohibited in the Education Act 1998, amended in 2008.
- Military Conscription
- Active conscription
- Jury Trials
- Not used Jury trials were fully replaced by bench trials with lay judges in March 2021.
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical) Cannabis is legal for medical use only; recreational use remains prohibited.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal Psilocybin is a controlled substance; possession is a criminal offence.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Restricted Salvia divinorum is controlled as a prescription medicine.
- Khat
- Illegal Khat is classified as a narcotic drug in Norway, making use, sale, and possession illegal.
- E-Cigarettes
- Legal / lightly regulated E-cigarettes are legal, subject to an age limit.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.