The right of free access and passage applies to uncultivated land, and also to cultivated land when it is frozen and snow-covered. It does not apply to off-road use of motor vehicles.

On uncultivated land, you may go anywhere you like on foot or on skis and picnic wherever you want. You may also put up a tent for the night - or sleep under the stars - but you must keep at least 150 m away from the nearest house or cabin. If you want to stay for more than two nights in the same place, you must ask the landowner's permission, except in the mountains or very remote areas.

The right of access also involves responsibilities. You must show consideration and care, so that you do not cause any damage or inconvenience to the landowner or other users. You must also respect the countryside: make sure you take everything with you, including your litter, and never leave an unsightly camp site behind you.

Open fires are not permitted in or near forested areas in the period 15 April to 15 September, and we ask you to respect this. Take care not to cause any damage if you light a fire at other times of year. In general, you may pick berries, mushrooms and flowers, but special rules apply to cloudberries in the three northernmost counties.

Wherever you go, act considerately and do not damage or disturb livestock, the environment or wildlife unnecessarily.

In 1995, a survey of how much Norwegians know about the right of access to the countryside found large differences between age groups. Among older adults (40-64 years) 75 per cent answered that they knew something about their rights and responsibilities. In the age group 15-24 years, the figure was only 40 per cent.

Public access to the countryside is being threatened by commercial developments and privatisation. In some places, fences and other barriers are put up even where they are not permitted under the Outdoor Recreation Act. Piecemeal developments along the coast, particularly around the Oslofjord and in popular areas of Southern Norway have gradually reduced public access to the shoreline.

For many years, building has been generally prohibited in the 100-metre belt along the shoreline, but local authorities have made liberal use of opportunities to grant exemptions from this rule in many areas. Permanent housing and holiday cabins have been built along more and more stretches of the coast that were once attractive recreation areas. The rules for construction in this zone were tightened up in the 2008 Planning and Building Act, and now also apply along river systems.

With so much building and development along the shoreline, long stretches of shore and beach have become private. This may be legal in some cases, but in many others it is not. Privatisation is generally illegal if the main aim is to keep the public away from areas where they have a legal right to access or passage.

The Government is investing considerable resources in efforts to safeguard the right of access to the coast and beaches. This includes setting aside areas for outdoor recreation areas and coastal parks. A circular has also been published explaining the new rules for the 100-metre belt along the shoreline and river systems. In spring 1999, the Government put forward a proposal to ban the use of jet skis. This was approved by the Storting and has been in force since 1 January 2001. 

Local authorities can stop construction activities that are illegal under the Outdoor Recreation Act. If necessary, structures, barriers and so on that have been put up illegally can be removed at the expense of the person responsible for them.