Archives and Libraries

Where to Find Norwegian Genealogy Records

Norway is a great place to do research because of the wealth of historical material that can be found at the country's many archives, libraries, and other repositories. A variety of records can also be found locally at civil registry offices, churches, public libraries, historical societies, and elsewhere. Many records are also now available online at a number of great websites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and Digitalarkivet, all of which have large searchable databases relating to Norwegian history and genealogy.

In addition to these great resources, we have compiled a large number of links that should prove helpful to your search, many of which are are listed below and on our other pages relating to Norwegian genealogy. If you would like a professional genealogist to help you with your search, please click below.

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Norwegian Archives and Libraries

City Archive in Drammen (Byarkivet I Drammen)
Engene 1
3015 Drammen
Norway
Telephone: +47 32 04 62 85
Email: kommunepost@drmk.no
Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Wednesday-Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm; Friday 9:00am-3:00pm; Saturday-Sunday closed

National Archives of Norway (Riksarkivet)
Sognsveien 221
0862 Oslo
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Wednesday-Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm; Friday 9:00am-3:00pm; Saturday-Sunday closed

National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket)
Henrik Ibsens gate 110
0255 Oslo
Norway
Telephone: +47 23 27 60 00
Email: nb@nb.no
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-9:00pm; Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm; Sunday closed

Norwegian Genealogical Library (Slektshistorisk Forening Bibliotek)
Industriveien 6
NO-1473 Lørenskog
Norway
Telephone: +47 47 77 06 77
Email: kontor@genealogi.no
Opening Hours: Saturdays 11:00am-3:00pm, or by appointment

Regional State Archives of Bergen
Årstadveien 22
5009 Bergen
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday 9:00am-3:00pm; Tuesday 9:00am-6:00pm; Wednesday-Thursday 9:00am-3:00pm; Friday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Trondheim
Maskinistgata 1
7042 Trondheim
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday closed; Wednesday-Thursday 9:00am-3:00pm; Friday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Stavanger
Arkivenes hus, Richard Johnsensgate 12
4021 Stavanger
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm; Saturday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Kristiansand
Märthas vei 1
4633 Kristiansand
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: (15 Sep - 14 May) Monday 9:00am-3:00pm; Tuesday 9:00am-6:00pm; Wednesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Thursday-Sunday closed; (15 May - 14 Sep) Monday 9:00am-3:00pm; Tuesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Wednesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Thursday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Kongsberg
Frogs vei 44
3611 Kongsberg
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday-Wednesday 9:00am-3:00pm; Thursday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Hamar
Lille Strandgate 3
2317 Hamar
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday 9:00am-3:00pm, Tuesday 9:00am-6:00pm; Wednesday-Sunday closed

Regional State Archives of Tromsø
Huginbakken 18
9019 Tromsø
Norway
Telephone: +47 480 55 666
Contact Page: https://www.arkivverket.no/en/about-us/contact
Opening Hours: Monday 9:00am-3:00pm; Tuesday 9:00am-12:00pm; Wednesday-Sunday closed

Sami Archives
Hánnoluohkká 45
9520 Kautokeino
Norway
Telephone: +47 78 44 84 00
Email: postmottak@arkivverket.no
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm, Saturday-Sunday closed

Vestfold Archives (Vestfoldarkivet)
Hinderveien 10
3223 Sandefjord
Norway
Telephone: +47 970 67 296
Email: vestfoldarkivet@vestfoldmuseene.no

International Libraries

Family History Library
35 N W Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
USA
Telephone: +1 (801) 240 6966
Email: nasupport@familysearch.org
Opening Hours: Monday 9:00am-6:00pm; Tuesday-Thursday 9:00am-8:00pm; Friday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm; Sunday closed

Library and Archives Canada
550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec J8T 0A7
Canada
Telephone: +1 (613) 996 5115
Email: reference@bac-lac.gc.ca
Opening Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday-Thursday 9:00am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-4:00pm; Friday-Sunday closed

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington, DC 20540
USA
Telephone: +1 (202) 707-3399
Contact Form: https://ask.loc.gov/history-humanities-social-sciences/
Opening Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm; Sunday closed
Norwegian Collections at the Library of Congress

National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20408
USA
Telephone:+1 (866) 272 6272
Contact Form: https://www.archives.gov/contact
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm (by appointment only); Saturday-Sunday closed

Norwegian Counties and Church Parishes

Many Norwegian family records can be found online and at various archives and libraries located throughout the country. Many millions of records aren't yet available online, though, and many of these are awaiting your discovery at the local level at courthouses, historical societies, churches,, cemeteries, and elsewhere in Norway. To find these and other records, click on the links below to discover more information about the specific places where your ancestors lived. You'll find information on these pages that will lead you to the specific documentation you're searching for.

It is important to keep in mind when doing research that the names and boundaries of certain areas in Norway have changed over the past few hundred years. For example, your ancestors may have lived on a certain farm in one county and when borders were redrawn records relating to your family might have been located in another area entirely. When looking for records it is therefore a good idea to search in adjacent areas. Following is a complete list of Norway's present and historic counties, along with links leading to church parish records in all of these places.