Public bodies must comply with the Archives Act. This means that they have a duty to register and preserve documents that are created as part of their activity. This duty applies to all types of documents in the public sector, including those in, for example, computer systems, databases and interactive solutions. The National Archives of Norway (Arkivverket) is responsible for preserving state enterprises’ historical documents and for public access to these documents. Local and county authorities have their own preservation institutions for historical archives.

Private companies, organisations and individuals are not subject to the duty to register and preserve documents under the Archives Act, or to the duty to store their archives long term. When these entities create archives, it is because they themselves need the documents or because they are subject to other laws. Many archives in the private sector may have significant societal value and represent a source of cultural history. Such documents are preserved by public and private archive institutions in specialist libraries, research libraries, museums and special documentation and knowledge centres.

The Ministry of Culture and Equality has the national responsibility for overseeing the archives policy. This primarily involves grants for the National Archives. The Ministry also allocates grants for managing the Norwegian Labour Movement Archives and Library (Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv og bibliotek) and for the maintenance and development of the archive information tool Asta and the search service Arkivportalen.

The National Archives of Norway

The National Archives of Norway is the government authority and specialist body for archives. Its work is anchored in the Archives Act.

The National Archives aims to ensure effective documentation management in public enterprises. It guides and supervises the archive activities of national and local authorities, and is responsible for the development of archive standards and guidelines. In addition, it is the government’s archive repository, and protects, preserves and provides access to the government archives. It is also guardian of certain prioritised private archives.

Furthermore, The National Archives implements the national archive policy, and contributes to the strengthening of institutions and specialist communities in the archive sector. It also administers developing funds aimed for documentation management and archive related initiatives.

The Sámi Archives (Sámi arkiiva) in Kautokeino and the Norwegian Health Archives (Norsk helsearkiv) at Tynset in Norway are also part of The National Archives. The Sámi Archives has the national responsibility for preserving Sámi documentation, including the archives of politicians, researchers, Sámi institutions and associations, reindeer herding districts and other businesses. Public institutions such as the Beaivváš Sámi Theatre (Beaivváš Sámi Našunálateáhter), the Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Gáldu) and the Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi) store their archives in the Sámi Archives. The purpose of the Norwegian Health Archives is to ensure that important older patient records from the specialist health service are preserved and accessible.

Digital Archives (Digitalarkivet) is a common component managed and operated by the National Archives. The common component aims to ensure efficient and safe digital preservation and access to historical archives and data. Local authorities, municipal and inter-municipal archive institutions, public enterprises and private cultural heritage institutions can use the Digital Archies. This makes it possible to find and use digital archives and data – both for the enterprises themselves and for the public.

The Archives Act and Associated Regulations

The Ministry of Culture and Equality is responsible for administering the Archives Act. On 28 February 2025, the Government presented its legislative proposal for a new Archives Act in Proposition 52 L (2024–2025) Act on Documentation and Archives (Archives Act). The Act was adopted by the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) on 6 June 2025, cf. legislative decision 79 (2024–2025).

The new Act, Act of 20 June 2025 No. 96 on Documentation and Archives (Archives Act), will replace the current Archives Act from 1992 and will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

A proposal for a new Archives Regulation was submitted for public consultation on 5 September 2025. The deadline for submitting consultation responses is set for 1 November 2025.