Am I allowed to drive with a child without a car seat in Norway?
No — children under 135 cm tall must use an approved child seat in the car. Under the regulations, children under 135 cm must use approved restraint equipment adapted to height and weight, not just the ordinary seat belt. Here is where people go wrong: the limit is height, not age — if the child is under 135 cm the requirement applies however old it is. A rear-facing seat is recommended for as long as possible, at least until the age of 4, and it is forbidden to place a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag. The driver is responsible for every passenger under 15 being secured, including children who are not your own. Break the rules and you can get a simplified fine of around 2,000–2,500 kr per unsecured child. (Fine amounts can vary.)
📋 The rules
- Children under 135 cm must use an approved child seat
- The seat must be suited to height and weight
- Rear-facing seat recommended at least to age 4
- Rear-facing seat forbidden in front of an active airbag
- The driver is responsible for passengers under 15
🔓 Exceptions
- In a taxi a child can sit in the back with the ordinary belt if a child seat is missing
- Children over 135 cm can use the ordinary three-point belt
- Buses have their own, limited exemptions
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Driving with an unsecured child under 135 cm can bring a simplified fine of around 2,000–2,500 kr per child — and "per child" is the phrase that makes it expensive: three unsecured children in the car means three fines. What people do not count on is who the bill lands on. The driver is responsible for every passenger under 15 being secured, including children who are not his own, so a car full of other people's kids on the way to training is the driver's responsibility alone. A rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag is a breach in itself, however firmly it is fastened.
📎 Official sources
- Road Administration · Securing children in cars →
- Trygg Trafikk · Children in cars →
- Road Administration · The rules →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I drive with a child without a child seat?
No. Children under 135 cm must use an approved child seat adapted to height and weight, not just the seat belt. The limit is height and not age, so a tall child can move to the belt before a small child of the same age.
Up to what height is a child seat required?
Until the child is 135 cm tall, after which it can use the ordinary three-point belt. It is the height that decides: if the child is under 135 cm the requirement applies however old it is.
How long should a child sit rear-facing?
A rear-facing seat is recommended for as long as possible, at least until the age of 4. That is a recommendation and not a legal duty, but the seat must in any case be approved and matched to the child's height and weight.
Can I put a child seat in front of the airbag?
No. It is forbidden to place a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag, and the ban applies however firmly the seat is fastened. It is the airbag that must be disabled, not the seat that must be tightened.
Who is responsible for securing the child?
The driver is responsible for passengers under 15 being secured in the car. The responsibility follows the wheel and not parenthood, so you also answer for other people's children riding with you.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I drive without child seat”
- “child seat 135 cm rule”
- “rear-facing seat child”
- “airbag child seat ban”
- “securing children in car”
- “fine unsecured child”