U.S. Citizen Caught Shoplifting in Norway

Im from the US, currently spending a year in Norway as a student. Got caught shoplifting a $12 toothbrush. They took the address of the school I go to, as well as my driver's license number. This was my first time being caught, and the police were not involved. The store was pretty far away from where I live, and it took about 3 months for me to get a letter saying I will have to pay 300 dollars. The letter was sent to a nearby police station, and my school got a call saying I had to pick up a document there. (Kind of embarrassing) At the station, a secretary translated the letter and said that it will take 2-3 months for the next letter, which will be the actual bill, to arrive, at which point I have the option to pay the fine in increments over time. I'm leaving Norway for the US in 3 months. What's the worst that could happen if I ignore the fine and just go home? The only information they have of mine is my driver's license number.

You need to ask a lawyer in Norway. You didn't commit your crime in the U.S., and thus its disposition is not covered by U.S. law.

I assume that you are enrolled in college here in the US and this is a one year exchange program? So if you don't pay or make arrangement to pay after you leave Norway, you may find that your credits for your study in Norway will be affected. And since you must be of fairly good financial means to even be an exchange student, the cost of your extracurricular education in Norway law is a small price to pay for the lesson and a clear conscience.

Stealing is a crime of moral turpitude. How would you like that to show up on your college transcript? Don't start your professional life with that on your records.

I'm not currently enrolled in college, and I'm not receiving any credits for the program I'm doing in Norway.

My main concern is if the store might seek legal action against me in the US, or if this could lead to me not being able to re-entry Norway.

Your main concern should be solving the issues so that you don't have to worry about this hanging over your head every time you travel. They still have your information attached to that college and could possibly affect your time and transcript there especially if you signed any kind of honor/moral clause when you are enrolled (don't know how you aren't enrolled as you gave them the address "of the school I go to"

....and honestly why not just go ahead and own up to the fact that you committed the crime and pay the consequences and actually learn from it (I think it is interesting you state this is the first time you got CAUGHT vs the first time you attempted to shoplift)

There's not guarantee that they will not be able to attach this to you and honestly I would expect that you may not be able to re-enter the country where you committed a crime and chose to not accept the consequences.

Thanks for your input. Just so you know, I'm attending a program that's like a boarding school. I'm not getting any academic credit and there is no transcript. There is no link to my academic career in the US.

If you ever want to reference this experience in Norway as a plus to your academic experience, don't be so sure it will not be found out what you did. Just saying. Think about it.

Does this have anything to do with your parents finding out?