Reindeer in Sweden: Wild or Not?

Reindeer look wild and live on open pasture, but each one belongs to someone, and herding them is a Sámi right. That changes how you drive past them, hike near them, handle your dog and choose where to meet them up close.

When you need this

You’re driving north and a yellow triangle with a reindeer appears, or a group of reindeer is standing on the road and won’t move. You’re hiking or skiing in the mountains in spring, travelling with a dog anywhere in the northern half of Sweden, or wondering whether it’s fine to feed or follow a herd for a photo.

Owned, not wild

The reindeer by a road in Norrbotten or on a mountain heath in Jämtland are domestic animals that graze freely on natural pasture. Each carries its owner’s ear mark, a pattern of cuts in both ears registered with Sametinget, the Sámi Parliament. You can look marks up in Sametinget’s register and app.

The right to herd them belongs to the Sámi people. Under Rennäringslagen (the Reindeer Husbandry Act) it rests on immemorial use (urminnes hävd) and is exercised by members of a sameby, a Sámi reindeer-herding community. A sameby is not a village: it is an area and an association with its own board. Sweden’s constitution says the Sámi people’s chances to keep and develop their own cultural and community life shall be promoted, and that their right to herd reindeer is regulated in law.

The scale surprises most visitors:

Herding is also a living part of Sámi culture, not a heritage show. Sametinget describes it as both a livelihood and an irreplaceable cultural inheritance.

Who owns them, and who herds them

A common claim is that only Sámi may own reindeer. Sametinget itself calls that a widespread misconception. Anyone may own a reindeer, and the ear-mark register includes owners who are not Sámi. What’s reserved for the Sámi is herding: nobody may let reindeer graze freely without membership of a sameby.

In the concession areas of the Torne and Kalix river valleys, Sámi concession holders may also herd reindeer that belong to local farm owners. Either way, every animal you see belongs to someone, and its grazing is someone’s work.

That’s why disturbing reindeer is a legal matter, not just bad manners. Frightening or harassing reindeer where herding is allowed, driving them away or stopping them grazing is punishable by fines, and negligence is enough. Blocking a migration route is fineable too.

Reindeer on the road

Reindeer don’t behave like moose on a road. They’re herd animals, so one on the road rarely means only one. They often stand in a group, and herders and their dogs may be working right beside the road.

What herders ask drivers to do:

1. Slow down early at reindeer warning signs, fresh tracks in the verge and black bin bags hung along the roadside, which herders use as a reindeer warning.
2. Dip your lights at night as soon as you see animals.
3. Reindeer in the ditch: pass at low speed.
4. Reindeer on the road: stop and wait, and give them a chance to step off.
5. Don’t honk or squeeze past. Stressed reindeer tend to run along the road ahead of you, sometimes for a long way.

Winter is the riskiest season. Road salt draws reindeer onto the carriageway, deep snow pushes them onto ploughed roads, and ice lengthens your braking distance. See our winter driving guide for the rest.

You can report reindeer on the road to Trafikverket’s 24-hour line, 0771-921 921, which passes warnings to other drivers. Trafikverket builds reindeer fences and crossings on northern trunk roads such as the E10 and E4, and stretches with a collision problem can get temporary speed limits aimed at reindeer.

If you hit one: reindeer aren’t on the hunting-law list of game species, but a reindeer is property, and the traffic rules require you to tell the owner or the police. The police tell drivers to call 112, even if the animal ran off. Mark the spot, on the side where it disappeared. The full routine is in what to do after a wildlife collision.

On foot, on skis and with a dog

Naturvårdsverket’s advice for visitors is short and practical:

• Keep your distance. If the herd starts moving away, you’ve come too close.
• Give reindeer plenty of room. They’re migrating animals that need to move and graze undisturbed.
• Detour around a herd rather than walking or skiing through it.
• Ask locally. The sameby concerned, local people or mountain-station staff know where herds are.

Dogs are the clearest rule. Rennäringslagen requires dogs not used in herding to be kept on a lead or shut in whenever reindeer are in the grazing area, in any month, unless the county board allows otherwise. A dog caught chasing reindeer may be killed by the reindeer’s owner if it can’t be caught, and letting it loose is itself fineable. Mountain national parks may add stricter dog rules; the leash law guide covers them.

For photographs, a long lens from where you stand is the respectful way. Herders at work are people at work, so ask before photographing them.

The reindeer year

Calving matters most. A female disturbed in spring can lose her unborn calf or abandon a newborn one, and a scattered herd can undo days of herders’ work. In spring 2023 the county board in Dalarna asked skiers to choose other mountains than those east and north of Idre, where pregnant reindeer were grazing.

The herding area covers Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Jämtland and reaches into northern Dalarna; Sámiid Riikkasearvi, the national Sámi organisation, also includes Västernorrland in the traditional grazing area. Most reindeer owners, 85% by Sametinget’s count, live in Norrbotten.

Meeting reindeer up close

Leave the reindeer you meet by the road or on a trail alone. Feeding teaches animals to approach people and traffic, and following them for a photo is exactly the disturbance the law is about.

To get close, choose a Sámi-run reindeer visit, where the herders decide how close you get and whether you may feed or touch the animals. Look for hosts who explain herding and Sámi life in their own words rather than a petting-zoo format. Winter visits often include sledding or a meal in a lavvu (tent); summer visits are more often about the herd on its pasture. Offers and prices vary by host, so check each one’s own page.

A business where the public is in direct contact with animals must notify the county board, and one that displays animals to the public for seven or more days a year needs its approval. What respectful Sámi tourism looks like beyond reindeer is covered in our Sámi culture guide.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating reindeer as wildlife you may follow for a photo.
• Assuming only Sámi can own reindeer.
• Honking to clear reindeer off the road.
• Letting the dog off because it’s autumn. The reindeer lead rule has no season.
• Skiing or hiking straight through a herd in April–June.
• Skipping the report after hitting a reindeer because it isn’t game.
• Feeding reindeer you meet by the road or trail.

Practical information

FAQ

Are reindeer in Sweden wild?

No. All reindeer in Sweden are domestic animals with an owner, identified by ear marks registered with Sametinget, even though they graze freely across roughly half the country. Herding them is a Sámi right exercised through 51 samebyar, reindeer-herding communities. Treat them as someone’s livestock: slow down, keep your distance and never chase them for a photograph.

Who owns the reindeer in Sweden?

Individual reindeer owners, more than 4,500 in Sametinget’s register. Most are Sámi, but not all, since anyone may own a reindeer. Herding on free pasture, however, is reserved for members of a sameby. In the Torne and Kalix valleys, Sámi concession holders may also herd reindeer owned by local farm owners. Either way, every animal belongs to someone.

What should I do if reindeer are on the road?

Slow down early, dip your lights at night, stop and wait for them to step off. Do not honk or try to squeeze past: stressed reindeer tend to run along the road for a long way. Expect more animals than you first see, and herders nearby. You can report reindeer on the road to Trafikverket on 0771-921 921.

Do I have to report hitting a reindeer?

Yes. Reindeer are not on the hunting-law list of game species, but a reindeer is property, and the traffic rules require you to notify the owner or the police. The police tell drivers to call 112, even if the animal ran off. Mark the spot, on the side where the animal disappeared, so it can be found.

Can I bring my dog where there are reindeer?

Yes, but on a lead. Rennäringslagen requires dogs not used in herding to be kept on a lead or shut in whenever reindeer are in the grazing area, in any month. A dog caught chasing reindeer may be killed by the owner if it cannot be caught, and letting it loose is fineable. National parks may add stricter dog rules.

When is the most sensitive time for reindeer?

Calving, from April to June, with calves born in May. Naturvårdsverket asks visitors to keep their distance and avoid reindeer pastures in this period, because a disturbed female can lose her calf or abandon a newborn. Calf marking in early to mid summer is the next busy time. On roads, winter is the riskiest season.

Can I feed or pet reindeer in Sweden?

Not the reindeer you meet by the road or on a trail: leave them alone and let the herd keep its distance. Feeding teaches animals to approach people and traffic. To get close, book a visit with a Sámi-run reindeer host, where the herders decide whether you may feed or touch the animals and explain what you are seeing.

Related guides

• Wildlife in Sweden — what is actually wild, and where to see it
• After a wildlife collision — the exact steps, reindeer included
• Sweden’s leash law — the dog rules beyond reindeer areas, including national parks
• Sámi culture guide — how to visit Sápmi respectfully
• Swedish road signs — sign A19 and the other warnings on northern roads

---

Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Sametinget, Naturvårdsverket, Riksdagen (Rennäringslagen, Regeringsformen), Länsstyrelsen, Trafikverket, Polisen and Sámiid Riikkasearvi — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.