A criminal record certificate shows what has been recorded about you in police registers.

An ordinary criminal record certificate lists any criminal convictions and related sentences you have received within a given period of time.

The criminal record certificate shows:

If you have been sentenced to prison for a period of six months or less and the sentence was handed down three years or less before the certificate was issued.
If you have been sentenced to prison for a period of more than six months and you were released less than ten years before the certificate was issued.
If you have been given a suspended prison sentence and the sentence was handed down three years or less before the certificate was issued.
If you have been sentenced to indefinite or preventive detention and you were released from prison less than ten years before the certificate was issued.
If you have been given a community sentence or sentenced to community service, where the underlying prison sentence was six months or less in duration and the sentence was handed down three years or less before the certificate was issued.
If you have been given a community sentence or sentenced to community service, where the underlying prison sentence was more than six months and the community sentence was completed less than ten years before the certificate was issued.
If you have been given a youth sentence and the sentence was handed down three years or less before the certificate was issued.
If you have been given a fine for a criminal offence carrying a maximum prison sentence of more than six months. This information will remain on your record for three years from the date on which you accepted the fine.
If you have been committed to compulsory psychiatric care, compulsory care or preventive detention and the committal period came to an end less than ten years before the certificate was issued.
If you have been sentenced to a loss of rights for a fixed period of time and the sentence came to an end less than ten years before the certificate was issued.
If you have been sentenced to a permanent loss of rights. This information will always be shown.

The criminal record certificate does not show:

If you have been given a suspended prison sentence and the sentence is not yet legally enforceable (in other words, it may still be appealed).
If you have been given a fine for a criminal offence carrying a maximum prison sentence of six months or less.
If you have been given a fixed penalty notice.
If the prosecution authorities have decided not to prosecute you (waived prosecution in your case).
If a case in which you are involved is transferred to the Norwegian Mediation Service for resolution.
If you have been transferred into the care of the child welfare authorities.
If you have had your driving licence confiscated, for example.
The results of any court-ordered psychiatric assessment or social inquiry report.

If you have repeatedly been found guilty of serious criminal offences for which you have been sentenced to:

imprisonment for terms of six months or more
preventive detentionin
definite detention
committal to compulsory psychiatric care or compulsory care

all your convictions will be included in the criminal record certificate, even if only one of them must be included under the ten-year disclosure rule. This rule normally excludes convictions handed down more than ten years before.
Loss of rights includes, for example, a ban on being employed in a certain kind of job or engaging in a certain kind of business or activity. It may also include a ban on contacting one or more specific people.

Two exceptions for young offenders

Did you commit a criminal offence before your 18th birthday? The following will not be included in the criminal record certificate:

If you have been given a suspended prison sentence or fine and the criminal offence took place more than two years before the certificate was issued.
If you have given a community sentence, where the underlying sentence is more than six months in prison or a youth sentence and the offence took place more than five years before the certificate was issued.

Why you need a criminal record certificate

How long the certificate lasts

What a criminal record certificate shows

What an exhaustive criminal record certificate shows

What an expanded criminal record certificate shows

What a restricted criminal record certificate shows