Having a sticker or some marker which identifies where a car was registered is a law in Norway.
Many other countries also have this requirement. This obligation stems from the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic passed in 1968. The treaty ensures that other countries integrate a distinctive sign of nationality onto the car.
Nowadays, pretty much all number plates in Norway have the nationality mark integrated into them to comply with this rule.
For integrated Norwegian numberplates, the law requires a nationality mark to be placed on the far left of the number plate. This will need to be supplied by a manufacturer used by the Norwegian Road Administration.
The mark will need to consist of the letter “N” painted white and supplemented by the Norwegian flag. This must be on a blue reflective background, and the letter must be 20 millimetres tall for a large number plate and 15 millimetres tall for a small number plate.
When buying a new or relatively modern car, you will not need to worry about sorting this yourself – you’ll need to check that the number plate complies with the law.
A few years ago, it was trendy for people to use different colours on the identifier than what is currently permitted, and in some cases, motorists taped over the nationality mark for aesthetic purposes. However, you can no longer buy a sticker to cover the national identifier.
Furthermore, having incorrect national identifiers can result in a fine from the police. You can be fined 3,000 kroner for having incorrect national identifiers in Norway. Despite these fines, incorrect ones are still available on the shelves of some auto shops.
READ MORE: The punishments for Norway’s most common traffic offences
If you need to purchase a new set of plates with the proper national identifiers, then you order them from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and a set of signs costs 120 kroner. Ordering a new set of number plates is down online, and you will need to pick them up from a traffic centre. The plates will take two to five working days to arrive at the traffic centre.
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