§ 29. How to calculate limitation periods (foreldelsesfrister)

§ 29 is about calculating time limits. It is a practical rule. When you know that the limitation period is 3 years, 10 years or 1 year, you still need to know exactly which day the period expires. This is what § 29 helps you with.

The first paragraph says that you count to the same date in the month. If the period starts on 15 March 2026 and the period is 3 years, it expires on 15 March 2029. The day with the same number in the month is included. So you should not automatically add an extra day.

If there is no corresponding date, the period expires on the last day of the month. This is relevant for dates such as the 29th, 30th or 31st. If the period starts on 31 January, there is not always a 31st in the final month. Then the last day of the month is used. If a one-month period starts on 31 January, it can expire on 28 February in a normal year or 29 February in a leap year.

The second paragraph gives an important safety rule. If the period ends on a Saturday, public holiday or a day that is equated with a public holiday by law, the period is extended to the next working day. This means that if the period actually expires on a Sunday, you have until Monday. If Monday is also a public holiday, the period runs to the next working day.

The third paragraph says when an interruption of the limitation period (fristavbrudd) is timely. The necessary document must have reached the correct authority or person, or have been posted in Norway to that recipient before the period has expired. This is important. If you send a complaint to the Conciliation Board (forliksklage), a writ of summons (stevning), an appeal or another document that interrupts the limitation period, you must be able to show that it was sent or arrived in time.

The provision also refers to the Courts of Justice Act (domstolloven) § 146 third and fourth paragraphs. These contain more detailed rules on time limits and submission. For ordinary readers, the main point is: send in good time, use a trackable method of submission, and do not wait until the last day.

How do you calculate the limitation period?

Start with the date from which the period is calculated. You normally find this in § 3 or in a special rule. For an ordinary invoice (faktura), it is often the due date (forfallsdato). For a claim (krav) for compensation (erstatning) under § 9, it may be the day you obtained or should have obtained the necessary knowledge. For an acknowledgement of the claim (erkjennelse) under § 20, it may be the day the debtor (skyldner) acknowledged the claim.

Once you have the start date, you add the length of the period. If the period is 3 years from 10 May 2026, it expires on 10 May 2029. If the period is 10 years from 1 September 2026, it expires on 1 September 2036.

Then check which day of the week the end date is. If it is a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or equivalent day, the deadline moves to the next working day.

This sounds simple, but mistakes happen often. People count from the wrong date. They count from the invoice date instead of the due date. They count from the last payment reminder (purring) instead of the original due date. They forget weekends. They send the document too late on the last day.

That is why you should always make a timeline. Start date. Length of the period. Expiry date. Any holidays. Steps that interrupt the period. Date of submission.

What do "reached" and "posted" mean?

The third paragraph says that timely interruption has taken place when the necessary document has reached the relevant authority or person. This may be the Conciliation Board (forliksrådet), the court, a tribunal, the enforcement authority or the debtor, depending on which step is involved.

Alternatively, it is enough that the document has been posted in Norway to that recipient before the period has expired. This is practical for physical post. But you should be able to document the posting. A registered letter or other receipt is safer than an ordinary letter.

For digital submission, you should save the receipt. Many systems give a submission time, case number or confirmation of receipt. Save this. If there is a dispute about the deadline later, the receipt is important.

Do not wait until the last evening. Technical problems, the wrong recipient, downtime or missing attachments can cause major problems. Even though the law has rules that can save some situations, you should not rely on them.

What if the period expires on a Saturday?

Then the period is extended to the next following working day. If the period expires on Saturday 15 August, the deadline becomes Monday 17 August, if Monday is a working day. If Monday is a public holiday, it becomes Tuesday.

This is a practical rule because many authorities and courts do not have normal opening hours at weekends and on public holidays. You should not lose the deadline because the expiry day falls on a day when it is not normal to submit documents.

But this does not mean that you should wait. If the deadline is actually a Saturday, you should send before the weekend. Then you avoid any discussion. The extension of the limitation period (fristforlengelse) is a safety rule, not a planning strategy.

Days equated with public holidays can also give an extension. This may apply to certain public holidays under legislation. If you are close to the deadline and it is a holiday period, you must be extra careful.

What if the start date is the 31st?

Then the first paragraph can have practical significance. If the period is to be calculated in months or years, and the final month does not have the same date, the period expires on the last day of the month.

For annual periods, this is particularly relevant for 29 February. If a period starts on 29 February in a leap year, there is no 29 February the following year. Then you must use the last day of February under the rule.

For long periods the problem is rarer, but it can arise. That is why it is safest to always check the calendar and not just calculate "roughly".

What happens if you make a mistake?

If you send one day too late, the claim may be time-barred (foreldet). Limitation periods are strict. It does not help much that you almost made it.

If you send to the wrong person or the wrong authority, there may be a dispute about whether the interruption was timely. Sometimes mistakes can be corrected. But when the period has already expired, the risk is high.

If you cannot prove submission, you may have a problem of proof. You may know that you sent the document, but if you cannot show it, your position is weaker. That is why a receipt is important.

Find the start date. Calculate the period. Check the calendar. Set reminders at least 6 months, 2 months and 2 weeks before the deadline.

Send documents that interrupt the limitation period in good time. Use digital submission with a receipt or trackable post. Check the recipient carefully.

Save everything in one folder: the claim, documentation, deadline calculation, submission and confirmations. Then you avoid panic later.