Norwegian heraldry has roots in early medieval times, soon after the use of coats of arms first appeared in continental Europe.

Coats of arms in early medieval times were quite simple and of a rather basic design, when they were to be used in tournaments and other battles.

The Norwegian nobility had no real heraldic privileges, as it was allowed for all citizens to assume their own coats of arms.

[3] Coats of arms were in older times relatively frequent, used by nobles as well as citizens and farmers.

Many Norwegian family arms have been created and established by private individuals and needed no grant or confirmation by any official authorities.

For royal sanction of new coats of arms, the municipalities must apply to the Ministry of Local Government.

This will then consult with the National Archives Office, which must recommend it to the government for the municipality to obtain the required Royal Decree.

There is no special Norwegian heraldic authority but the government uses the National Archives of Norway as expert consultant for municipal arms.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the heraldic authority for use of the national coat of arms and the symbolic royal crown.

A few Norwegian cities were granted arms (or seals with similar emblems) by the union kings: Kristiansand 1643, Halden 1665, Kristiansund and Molde 1742, Holmestrand and Lillehammer 1898.

[4] The military also uses heraldry, and for this purpose, Major General Torbjørn Bergersen designed arms for all units in the Norwegian Army.

They are renditions of very simple runic-like letters and other graphic symbols which signify a specific person or family.