38 - Removal and Custody of Vehicles

The police may demand the removal of, or, if necessary, remove or take into custody, vehicles:

a. that are placed in violation of provisions stipulated in or pursuant to this Act, or b. that are placed in a manner that otherwise hinders traffic, snow clearing, or other work on the road, or c. that are placed on private or public property to the detriment or inconvenience of the owner or user or against their prohibition. If the vehicle is located in an area not open to general traffic, this only applies if the owner or user of the property requests the vehicle's removal.

Authority under subsection (1), letter b, may also be exercised by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen).

The King may, after obtaining a statement from the relevant Chief of Police, issue regulations allowing municipalities to exercise authority under subsection (1).

Vehicles taken into custody under this section may be sold if they are not retrieved within three months after the owner has been notified by registered mail about the custody and the fact that the vehicle will be sold if it is not retrieved. If the owner's identity or address is unknown, the notification may be published in the press or by other means. If the police or the Norwegian Public Roads Administration deem the vehicle to be a wreck, they may dispose of the vehicle in an appropriate manner without regard to the aforementioned time limit and, if necessary, without notifying the owner.

The rules in the Act of May 29, 1953, on the right of craftsmen, etc., to sell items that are not retrieved, apply correspondingly to sales under subsection (4) and to the disbursement of the sale proceeds.

Vehicles taken into custody are at the owner's expense and risk. Custody may, if necessary, be secured using mechanical or electronic devices. Such devices may be used to retain the vehicle until costs associated with their use are paid.

If the owner requests the return of a vehicle that the police or the Norwegian Public Roads Administration are in the process of removing or have taken into custody, they must first pay the expenses incurred by the police or the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in connection with the removal and custody.