Am I allowed to use a tanning bed if I am under 18 in Norway?
No — there is an 18-year age limit for using a tanning bed in Norway. Under the radiation regulation it is forbidden to offer a solarium to anyone under 18, and the limit is absolute — parents cannot consent to a minor using a tanning bed. All solariums must have an age-control system. In staffed studios staff check ID, while unstaffed solariums must verify age electronically, for example via BankID. Here is where people mistake who the rule targets: the ban is aimed at whoever offers the solarium, so an unstaffed studio without age control is illegal in itself. Operators and staff must have passed the solarium test. The age limit has applied since 2017 and is enforced by DSA. Medical light therapy on a doctor's referral falls outside the rules.
📋 The rules
- 18-year age limit for using a tanning bed
- The limit is absolute — no parental consent
- All solariums must have age control
- Unstaffed sites must verify age electronically
- Operators must have passed the solarium test
🔓 Exceptions
- Medical light therapy on a doctor's referral falls outside the rules
- DSA proposed stricter rules in 2025, but they are not yet in force
- The age limit has applied since 2017
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The sanction hits the solarium, not the customer. A solarium offering tanning to minors or lacking age control can be ordered closed by DSA or the municipality and fined or charged a coercive fine — and a coercive fine runs until the breach is put right. What surprises owners is that missing age control is a breach in itself: an unstaffed solarium without electronic age verification is illegal even if nobody under 18 has actually used it. Operators and staff must also have passed the solarium test, and the age limit has been enforced since 2017.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I use a tanning bed if I am under 18?
No. There is an 18-year age limit for using a tanning bed in Norway, and the limit is absolute. The ban is aimed at whoever offers the solarium, which is why every solarium must have an age-control system.
Can my parents give consent?
No. The 18-year limit is absolute, and parents cannot consent to a minor using a tanning bed. The only thing that falls outside the rules is medical light therapy on a doctor's referral.
How is age checked at unstaffed solariums?
Electronically, for example via BankID, so that people under 18 do not get access. In staffed studios the staff check ID, and staff must also have passed the solarium test.
When did the 18-year limit come in?
The age limit has applied since 2017 and is enforced by the Directorate for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (DSA). DSA proposed stricter requirements in 2025, but they have not yet entered into force — for now the 18-year limit and age control are what apply.
What is the penalty for offering tanning to minors?
DSA or the municipality can order closure and impose a fine or coercive fine. Missing age control is a breach in itself, so an unstaffed solarium without electronic verification is illegal whoever has used it.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I use tanning bed under 18 norway”
- “18 age limit solarium”
- “solarium age control bankid”
- “solarium test operator”
- “solarium parental consent”
- “dsa solarium rules”