Public bodies must comply with the Archives Act. This means that they have a duty to register and preserve documentation that are created as part of their activity. This duty applies to all types of documentation in the public sector, including those in, for example, information systems, databases and collaborative solutions. The National Archives of Norway (Nasjonalarkivet) is responsible for preserving state enterprises’ historical documentation and for public access to this documentation. 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 documentation 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 documentation 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 documentation is preserved by public and private archive institutions in specialist libraries, research libraries, museums and special documentation and knowledge centers.

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 (Norsk helsearkiv) is to ensure that patient records of deceased patients from the specialist health service are preserved and made digitally accessible in the Health Archives Register. They are also tasked with recieving patient records from businesses that are being closed down.

Tjhe Digital Archives (Digitalarkivet) is a joint solution managed and operated by the National Archives. The joint solution aims to ensure efficient and safe digital long-time 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 Archives. 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. The new Archives Act, Lov om dokumentasjon og arkiv (arkivlova) (lovdata.no), replaces the Archives Act from 1992 and applies from 1 January 2026. The Act has two regulations, Forskrift om dokumentasjon og arkiv (arkivforskrifta)(lovdata.no) and Forskrift om kva dokumentasjon som skal takast vare på for ettertida (bevaringsforskrifta)(lovdata.no).

 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.