Restricted Use of Archives

• Private owners of archives may have entrusted their archives to the  National Archival Services of Norway under various stipulations.
• Both private and public archives often contain sensitive personal information.
• Several bodies possess information on business secrets or national security matters.

Most archives older than 60 years are accessible for use. Due to privacy rights, certain series are under restrictions for extended periods. This includes data such as confidential information from criminal cases, prison archives and health archives (80 years), and statistical base data containing personal information (100 years). In addition to rights of privacy, any risks posed to national security or business secrets may also have to be taken into account if the material is less than 60 years old. Such material is typically declassified before it is deposited with the  National Archival Services of Norway.

Users must be prepared for the fact that access to records less than 60 years old may be restricted. Such material may need to be evaluated prior to disclosure, which may entail a waiting period. Under certain specified conditions, users may gain access to restricted material; in some cases by submitting a written petition.

On the menu to the left are links to sections explaining how to gain access to restricted archival material.