§ 33. When the Debt Collection Act comes into force
Section 33 is the commencement provision. It says that the Act starts to apply from the time the King in Council (Kongen) decides. The Debt Collection Act (inkassoloven) came into force on 1 October 1989.
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The text of the law (unofficial translation)
The Act comes into force from the time the King in Council decides.
What does this mean?
Section 33 says when the Debt Collection Act starts to apply. Rules like this are called commencement provisions. This means rules about the start date.
When the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) passes a law, it does not always start to apply the same day. Sometimes authorities, industries, courts and people need time to prepare. The law can then say that it comes into force from the time the King in Council decides.
"The King" here means the King in Council. In everyday language, this means the Government. It is not the King personally who sits and picks a date alone. It is a formal way for the law to give the Government the power to set the start date.
For the Debt Collection Act, the date was set to 1 October 1989. This means that the rules of the Act started to apply from that date, with the transitional rules that follow from section 34.
Section 33 is therefore not a rule you would normally use in an ordinary debt collection (inkasso) case today. It does not say whether your debt collection fee is correct. It does not say whether the debt collector (inkassator) has followed good debt collection practice (god inkassoskikk). It does not say whether you have to pay. It only says when the Act started to apply.
Even so, the rule is important. Without a commencement provision, it could be unclear when the Act takes effect. This is especially important for claims that arose around the time the Act started to apply.
Why is this in the Act?
Because every law must have a starting point. People need to know which rule applies at which time.
Imagine that a bill fell due in September 1989, and the debt collection case started in October 1989. Should the new Debt Collection Act apply? Or should the old rules apply? You then need both section 33 and section 34.
Section 33 says when the Act starts. Section 34 says which claims the Act applies to during the transition. Together they give the answer.
Today this seems historical. But for the legal system it is important. Commencement provisions mean that a law does not just "drift in" without a date. There is a clear point in time.
What does "comes into force" mean?
To come into force means that the law starts to apply. Before it comes into force, the law has been passed but is not necessarily in effect. After it comes into force, the rules can be used.
This can be compared to a contract that has been signed but only applies from a certain date. You can sign a tenancy agreement on 15 June, but the tenancy starts on 1 August. In the same way, a law can be passed on one date but apply from another date.
For the Debt Collection Act, the date is 1 October 1989. From that point on, the rules could be used in cases that fell within the scope of the Act and the transitional rules.
Why does the Storting not always set the date directly?
Sometimes the Storting does. Other times, the Storting lets the Government decide the date. This can be practical.
Before a law comes into force, regulations (forskrifter) often need to be made. Supervisory authorities must prepare procedures. The industry must adapt its systems. Forms and letters must be changed. People must be informed.
The Debt Collection Act regulates an entire industry. It deals with licences (bevillinger), supervision (tilsyn), notices, debt collection costs (inkassokostnader), duty of confidentiality (taushetsplikt) and sanctions. It is natural that the authorities needed to be able to set a suitable date.
When the Act says "from the time the King in Council decides", the Government gets flexibility. It can set the commencement date when the system is ready.
Does section 33 matter for new debt collection cases?
Usually not directly. For debt collection cases today, the Act has already come into force. Other sections matter more.
If you receive a debt collection claim, it is more relevant to look at section 9 on the debt collection notice (inkassovarsel), section 10 on the demand for payment (betalingsoppfordring), section 17 on debt collection costs and section 8 on good debt collection practice.
Section 33 is most relevant if you are reading the Act historically, or if you need to understand the transition from old to new law. For ordinary debtors (skyldnere) it is rarely decisive.
But in legal structure it is still part of the Act. It explains when the Act took effect.
What happens if a law has not come into force?
Then, as a general rule, it cannot be used as applicable law. A law can be passed but be waiting to come into force. During that period, you must look at the rules that still apply.
For the Debt Collection Act this is historical, because the Act came into force on 1 October 1989. But the point is important when new laws are passed. You must always check whether the law has actually come into force.
This applies especially when the Storting passes new rules but lets the Government decide the start date later. There can then be a period when people talk about "the new law", but the old law still applies.
Examples
Imagine that in 1989 a person owed money to a supplier. The claim fell due before 1 October 1989. The debt collector was given the assignment after 1 October 1989. Then it is not enough to read section 33 alone. You must also read section 34. Section 33 says that the Act came into force on 1 October 1989. Section 34 says that the Act also applies to the collection of claims that the debt collector is assigned to collect after the Act comes into force. Together, the rules answer whether the new Act applies to the case. This shows why commencement provisions and transitional rules often appear together. One gives the date. The other says how cases around that date are handled.
Sara receives a debt collection claim in 2026. She wonders whether section 33 helps her. The claim concerns an electricity bill that fell due two months ago. For Sara, section 33 has little practical significance. The Act has been in force for many years. She should instead check whether she received a debt collection notice under section 9, a demand for payment under section 10, and whether the costs can be claimed under section 17. Section 33 only tells us that the Debt Collection Act is applicable law from the time it came into force. It does not solve Sara's specific question about fees.
Common mistakes
- Thinking that section 33 says something about the payment deadline (betalingsfrist) in a debt collection case
- Confusing commencement with the due date (forfall) on an invoice
- Thinking that "the King in Council decides" means the date is unclear today
- Reading section 33 alone without section 34 in transitional questions
- Using section 33 as an argument against an ordinary debt collection claim
What should you do?
If you are reading section 33 because you have an ordinary debt collection case, you should move on to the substantive rules. Substantive rules means the rules that actually decide rights and obligations.
Look at section 9 if the question is whether you received a correct debt collection notice. Look at section 10 if the question is about the demand for payment. Look at section 17 if the question is about debt collection costs. Look at section 8 if the debt collector has behaved unreasonably.
If the question concerns a transition between old and new rules, read section 34 together with section 33. The date alone is not always enough.