Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Passet utløper i juni, så jeg må håndtere det før jeg bestiller billetter. - The passport expires in June, so I have to deal with it before I book tickets.

et pass = a passport (indefinite)
passet = the passport (definite)
The sentence assumes you and the listener both know which passport you mean.

What exactly does utløper mean, and how is it used?

utløper is the present tense of å utløpe = to expire / run out (become invalid). It’s commonly used for documents, deadlines, subscriptions, etc.
Example patterns:

Passet utløper i juni. (The passport expires in June.)
Visumet utløper snart. (The visa expires soon.)

Why is the present tense (utløper) used even though it’s about the future?

Norwegian (like English) often uses the present tense for scheduled/known future events, especially with a time expression:

Passet utløper i juni. = a fixed fact about the future
You could also say kommer til å utløpe i juni, but that’s more like is going to expire and can sound a bit heavier or more predictive.

Does i juni mean “in June” or “by June”?

i juni means in June (at some point during June). If you want by June (no later than June), you’d use something like:

innen juni = by June (before June starts)
innen utgangen av juni = by the end of June

Why is there a comma before så?

Here så functions like so/therefore and introduces a new main clause. Norwegian typically puts a comma between two main clauses when they’re linked like this:

Passet utløper i juni, så jeg må …
It’s similar to English “..., so I have to ...”.

What’s the difference between så and derfor here?

Both can mean therefore/so, but they behave differently:

..., så jeg må ... (very common linking conjunction; straightforward)
..., derfor må jeg ... (adverb; often a bit more formal)

Also note word order:

..., så jeg må ... (normal main-clause order)
..., derfor må jeg ... (because derfor takes the first position, the verb comes next)

Why is the word order så jeg må and not så må jeg?

Because så here is a conjunction linking two main clauses, not an adverb meaning “then.” After this kind of så, you start a normal main clause: subject + verb → jeg må.
Compare:

..., så jeg må bestille... = so I must order...
Så må jeg bestille... = then I must order... (så = “then” and takes first position)

What does må express here—obligation, necessity, or something else?

må is the modal verb must / have to. It commonly expresses necessity (practical or external):

jeg må håndtere det = I have to deal with it / I need to take care of it
You could soften it with bør (should) or burde (ought to), but må is the natural choice if it’s required.

What does håndtere mean here, and is it a common way to say “deal with it”?

å håndtere literally means to handle / manage / deal with. It’s correct, but can sound slightly formal depending on context. Very common alternatives are:

ordne det = fix/sort it out (very common, natural)
ta meg av det = take care of it
fornye passet = renew the passport (more specific)

What does det refer to—does it mean the passport itself?

det means it, and here it usually refers to the situation/task (e.g., renewing or sorting out the passport issue), not literally “handling the passport” as an object. Norwegian often uses det this way to refer back to an entire idea.

Why is it før jeg bestiller billetter (subject before verb) and not før bestiller jeg billetter?

Because før introduces a subordinate clause. In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the word order is typically subject + verb (no V2 inversion):

før jeg bestiller billetter (before I book tickets)
Main clause word order with inversion would be something else (e.g., after an adverb in first position), but not after før.

Why is billetter indefinite plural (“tickets”) and not definite billettene (“the tickets”)?

Indefinite plural billetter is used when you mean tickets in general, not specific already-identified tickets:

bestiller billetter = book (some) tickets
bestiller billettene = book the tickets (specific ones already known in context)