What is the minimum age to drive and to rent a car in Norway?
Licence age, practice driving, rental limits and young driver fees.
Short answer
You must be 18 to get a Norwegian licence for cars (class B), and rental companies set their own minimum age, which is 19 at Sixt. Sixt also requires a licence held for at least one year and charges a fee for drivers under 23. Private practice driving with a companion is allowed from 16.
Why
- Store norske leksikon lists 18 years as the minimum age for class B, which covers passenger cars and vans.
- Statens vegvesen says young people in Norway can already practise driving privately from the age of 16.
- Sixt says the minimum age for renting in Norway is 19 with a licence held for at least one year, and that an underage driver fee applies to those under 23.
Details
From 26 November 2028, Statens vegvesen says 17-year-olds will be able to get a class B licence, but until they turn 18 they must have a companion with them when they drive. Sixt adds that some car categories have a higher minimum age, and Visit Norway notes that rental companies may ask for a licence held for at least one year.
Tip
Check the minimum age, how long you must have held your licence and any young driver fee before you book, since the rules differ between companies and car categories.
What may differ
Visitors driving on a foreign licence follow other rules: the US State Department, for example, says US licences are valid in Norway for drivers aged 18, for up to three months after arrival.
People also ask
- How old do you have to be to drive in Norway?
- How old must you be to rent a car in Norway?
Sources
- Store norske leksikon: driving licenceChecked at:
- Norwegian Public Roads Administration: accompanied drivingChecked at:
- Sixt: car rental in NorwayChecked at:
- Visit Norway: travelling by carChecked at:
- U.S. Department of State: Norway travel informationChecked at:
This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check Statens vegvesen and your rental company before you travel.
Costs of renting a car in NorwayRelated questions
-
Are Norway's mountain roads open in May, or is it too early for a road trip?
Some seasonal mountain roads in Norway are open by May, but others, such as Trollstigen and Gamle Strynefjellsvegen, have opened as late as June in previous years.
-
Has Norway banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars?
No, Norway has not banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but it has a political goal that all new passenger cars should be zero-emission by 2025.
-
Can other electric cars use Tesla Superchargers in Norway?
Yes, most Tesla Supercharger stations in Norway are now open to other electric cars with a CCS charging port, and you start and pay for charging in the Tesla app.
-
Can I get E5 or 98 octane petrol in Norway?
Yes, you can still buy 98 octane petrol labelled 98 E5 in several places in Norway, but every pump marked 95 now sells E10 with up to 10 percent ethanol.

