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Criminal penalties in Norway

Checked in October 2026 against the Lov om straff (straffeloven), 20 May 2005 no. 28, read on Lovdata in Norwegian in October 2026.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.

How Norway sets penalties

  • Norway's Penal Code has no sentence of life imprisonment. The longest fixed term is 21 years. Preventive detention (forvaring) is a separate measure for dangerous offenders and was not read for this table.
  • Most sections state a maximum ('fengsel inntil 6 år'), and the court may impose any shorter term. Some state a range ('fengsel fra 8 inntil 21 år' for killing). Many offences carry a fine (bot) as an alternative.
  • Norway has no degrees of murder. The general killing offence is s. 275, with 8 to 21 years. There is a separate offence of causing death by negligence (s. 281).
  • Norway has a basic offence and an aggravated ('grov') offence for most crimes. The Code lists the factors a court should weigh, and the aggravated offence has a higher maximum.
  • This table shows first-offence ranges. The rules on reducing a sentence below a stated minimum, and on combining sentences, were not read.

Death penalty: No. The highest term of imprisonment in the Penal Code is 21 years, for killing (s. 275, 8 to 21 years), aggravated rape (s. 293) and aggravated endangering of the public (s. 355 a). The Code also has preventive detention (forvaring), which this table does not cover.

Read the Norway legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

First-degree murder

8 to 21 years

Norway has a single general offence of killing (s. 275). There is no life sentence. A person convicted of killing may also be sentenced to preventive detention (not read).

Voluntary manslaughter

Up to 6 years (negligent killing); up to 10 years (aggravated bodily harm, which includes harm resulting in death)

Norway has no offence called manslaughter. A person who kills with intent is convicted of s. 275 (8 to 21 years). The nearest lesser offences are causing death by negligence (s. 281) and aggravated bodily harm (s. 274), for which the court considers, among other things, whether death resulted.

Robbery

Up to 6 years (robbery); up to 15 years (aggravated robbery)

Burglary

A fine or up to 2 years (theft); a fine or up to 6 years (aggravated theft, including breaking into a home or holiday home)

Norway has no separate burglary offence. Break-ins are theft (s. 321) or aggravated theft (s. 322). The Code names breaking into a home or holiday home as one of the factors that make theft aggravated.

Arson

A fine or up to 1 year (damage to property); 2 to 15 years (fire endangering life); up to 21 years (aggravated)

Norway has no separate offence of arson. A fire set to damage property is criminal damage (skadeverk). A fire that could easily cost lives falls under endangering the public (s. 355), and the aggravated form applies where lives are lost (s. 355 a).

Aggravated assault

A fine or up to 1 year (battery); up to 6 years (bodily harm); up to 10 years (aggravated bodily harm)

The nearest offences are battery (kroppskrenkelse, ss. 271 and 272) and bodily harm (kroppsskade, ss. 273 and 274). Aggravated bodily harm (s. 274) applies where, among other things, the harm is incurable, causes lasting disease or incapacity, severe pain, considerable injury or death, or where it was an unprovoked attack, committed by several, or with a knife or similar dangerous tool.

Rape and sexual assault

Up to 6 years (sexual intercourse without consent); up to 10 years (by force or threatening conduct); up to 21 years (aggravated)

Norway's rape offence (voldtekt, s. 291) has a lower tier for sexual intercourse with a person who has not consented in words or actions (up to 6 years) and a higher tier for obtaining it by violence or threatening conduct, or with a person who has expressed unwillingness, among others (up to 10 years). The aggravated offence (s. 293) applies to a violation of the higher tier committed by several together, in a particularly painful or degrading way, or where the victim dies as a result.

Kidnapping

A fine or up to 3 years (deprivation of liberty); up to 10 years (aggravated)

  • Deprivation of liberty (frihetsberøvelse), by confinement, abduction or other unlawful means (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    3 years
    Fine
    Or a fine (bot)

    Penal Code of Norway (straffeloven), s. 254

  • Aggravated deprivation of liberty (grov frihetsberøvelse), considering the duration and whether it caused extraordinary suffering, death or considerable harm (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    10 years

    Penal Code of Norway (straffeloven), s. 255

Embezzlement

A fine or up to 2 years (embezzlement); up to 6 years (aggravated)

Forgery

A fine or up to 2 years

A 'minor forgery' offence (mindre dokumentfalsk, s. 362) applies where the culpability is small. Its penalty was not read for this table.

Drunk driving, first offence

A fine and, depending on the blood alcohol level, conditional or unconditional prison; the general maximum is 1 year

The Road Traffic Act (s. 22) bans driving under the influence. The penalty rule in s. 31 says that the offender is, as a rule, punished by a fine alone at a blood alcohol concentration up to and including 0.5 per mille (0.25 mg per litre of breath), by a fine and conditional or unconditional prison between 0.5 and 1.2 per mille, and by a fine and unconditional prison above 1.2 per mille. The general maximum under s. 31 is a fine or up to one year of imprisonment. A repeat offence is punished more heavily.

Compare with: France, Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan, Turkey, England and Wales, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, India, China, South Korea, Canada, Argentina, Finland, Hungary, Czechia, Portugal, Ireland, New Zealand, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland, Latvia.

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