Am I allowed to record a conversation in Norway?
Yes — you can record a conversation you take part in yourself, even without saying so. It is not a crime to record your own conversation. It is, however, a crime under Penal Code §205 to secretly record or eavesdrop on a conversation you are not part of — for example by placing a microphone in a room you then leave. So you must actually take part yourself. And here is the big misunderstanding: a recording being legal does not mean you may share it. Publishing or forwarding is a separate question — it counts as processing of personal data and can fall under Penal Code §267 on privacy violation. You usually need a legal basis to share, and at work sharing can have consequences even if the recording was lawful.
📋 The rules
- Legal to record a conversation you take part in
- A crime to secretly record a conversation you are not part of
- You must actually take part in the conversation
- Publishing the recording is a separate question
- Sharing usually needs a legal basis
🔓 Exceptions
- A clear, weighty need, like documenting threats against you, can justify recording
- Open speech in a public space is different from a private conversation
- At work, sharing secret recordings can have consequences even if the recording was legal
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Breaching Penal Code §205 can bring a fine or up to 2 years prison, and what it catches is the secret recording of a conversation you are not part of — a microphone left behind in a room is the textbook case. What burns people more often is the sharing. Publish a recording that was itself lawful and you can still face liability for damages and punishment under §267 on privacy violation, because publication is a separate act with its own assessment. At work a third layer sits on top: spreading a recording can have employment-law consequences even if neither §205 nor §267 has been broken.
📎 Official sources
- Data Protection Authority · Audio recording →
- Penal Code §205 · Lovdata →
- Data Protection Authority · Audio recording Q&A →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I record a conversation I am part of?
Yes. It is not a crime to record a conversation you take part in yourself, even without telling the other person. The condition is that you actually take part — leaving your phone behind in the room is not enough.
Can I record a conversation I am not part of?
No. Secretly recording or eavesdropping on a conversation you are not part of is a crime under Penal Code §205 and can bring a fine or up to 2 years prison. Placing a microphone in a room you leave is exactly that.
Can I publish the recording?
Not automatically. Publishing is processing of personal data and can affect privacy, so you usually need a legal basis — the recording being lawful in itself gives you no right to spread it.
What is the penalty for illegal recording?
Breaching Penal Code §205 can bring a fine or up to 2 years prison. Unlawful publication is a separate matter and can additionally trigger liability for damages and punishment under §267 on privacy violation.
Can I record a meeting at work?
You can record a meeting you take part in, but the risk lies in sharing it. If you spread the recording, it can have both employment-law and privacy consequences, even though the recording itself was lawful.
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