Approval of vehicles subject to the Regulations relating to universal design of motor vehicles used for licensed transport
Information about the additional approval: What vehicles the requirements apply to, more about the requirements and how to apply for approval.
The requirements are set out in the Regulations relating to universal design of motor vehicles used for licensed transport etc. (Lovdata - Norwegian only).
Vehicles covered by the requirements
The vehicles covered are described in Section 1 of the Regulations (Lovdata - Norwegian only). In short, these are the vehicles that are covered:
- Motor vehicles used for licensed passenger transport on regular services
- Motor vehicles used for licensed transport of persons with disabilities
Requirement for frontal protection
Category I buses are not covered by the requirements in the Regulations relating to universal design of motor vehicles used for licensed transport etc. (Lovdata - Norwegian only), with the exception of the requirement for frontal protection.
Buses in Categories I, II and III that are registered for the first time in Norway on or after 1 October 2023 are required to have frontal protection. The requirement for front protection applies to all licensed passenger transport, whether regular or non-regular (occasional).
Responsibility for ensuring that the vehicle is approved
It is the owner of the vehicle, or those who have been authorised by the owner, who can apply for additional approval.
At the same time, the requirements are related to the actual use of the vehicle. This means that it is the licence holder, the owner and/or the person who uses the vehicle who is responsible for ensuring that the vehicle is approved as required.
How to apply for approval
In order to obtain this approval, it is required that the vehicle has already been approved in accordance with the Regulations relating to the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (bilforskriften - Lovdata - Norwegian only).
When you book a session for a vehicle test, you should select "Licensed passenger transport - additional approval". It is possible to book additional approval for a vehicle that is already registered, or you can book the additional approval at the same time as you book an ordinary first-time approval test.
If you have between 2 and 50 identical vehicles, you can apply for fleet approval.
Criteria for a fleet applying for additional approval only
In order to apply for fleet approval, the fleet must consist of at least two vehicles. In addition, all vehicles must be identical according to the manufacturer's documentation, but the colour of the vehicles may differ.
In your application, you should specify one vehicle as the primary vehicle, while the other vehicles will be secondary vehicles. The information you provide about the primary vehicle (technical data and technical requirements) will be reused for the secondary vehicles.
First, book a session for a test of your primary vehicle. Once the session has been booked, contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office by e-mail or telephone to book a test session (inspection) for the secondary vehicles. When the secondary vehicles are inspected, the primary vehicle must also be available. The inspection of secondary vehicles must be done within 30 days of the primary vehicle being approved.
Breach of criteria
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration may reject an application for fleet approval in the event of a breach of the specified criteria. If, for example, the secondary vehicle is not identical to the primary vehicle, the inspection may be cancelled without generating the right to a refund.
The other rules and criteria for vehicle tests also apply to applications for fleet approval.
Bring documentation to the test session
You need to bring all required documentation when you come to the test session.
The requirement for documentation is described in more detail in Section 3 of the Regulations relating to universal design of motor vehicles used for licensed transport etc. (Lovdata - Norwegian only). The documentation must be issued by the manufacturer of the bodywork, chassis, safety equipment or the complete motor vehicle, or by a competent independent laboratory.
You may use the checklist in this appendix (PDF - Norwegian only) as a way to structure the documentation.
See more information about:
We will accept a statement that refers to relevant test reports and, if applicable, type approvals. It must be clear from the statement which requirements are met for the specific vehicle in question.
Special aspects of the requirement for frontal protection
With regard to the requirement for frontal protection in buses, it is possible to carry out virtual testing as an alternative to destructive testing. Read more about this in the consultation document of 3 May 2023 (PDF, regjeringen.no - Norwegian only)