Camping Licence UK: What Landowners and Campsite Operators Need to Know
· Updated
A camping licence is the permission a local council grants a landowner to run a tented campsite where the public stays overnight. In England it sits under Section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936, and you need one once your field is used as a campsite for more than 42 consecutive days, or more than 60 days in total in any 12 months. Below those limits you can pitch up under permitted development rights without a licence at all.
That is the short answer, but the full picture has three moving parts: the licence itself, planning permission, and permitted development rights. Get the order right and running a campsite is straightforward. Get it wrong and the council can shut you down. This guide is part of our wider look at whether wild camping is legal in the UK, and it comes from Camping Sites in Britain, where campers find and compare sites across the country.
What a camping licence actually covers
A camping licence regulates the safety and layout of a tented site, not your right to trade. The council uses it to set conditions on things that protect campers and neighbours: spacing between tents, the number of pitches, and the toilets, drinking water and waste facilities you must provide. Once a licence is issued the council can inspect the site to check you are meeting those conditions.
Tents and caravans are licensed under different laws, which trips up a lot of landowners. Tents fall under the Public Health Act 1936. Touring caravans, motorhomes and static caravans fall under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, which needs a separate caravan site licence. If you plan to take caravans as well as tents, read our guide to whether you need a caravan site licence alongside this one.
The two permitted development routes: 28 days and 60 days
Most small and seasonal campsites run without a licence or planning permission by using permitted development rights. There are two separate rights, and you can only use one of them on the same piece of land in the same year.
| Route | Days per year | Pitch limit | What it allows | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 28-day rule (Class B) | Up to 28 | No fixed cap | Tents, caravans and motorhomes | GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 4, Class B |
| Temporary campsite right (Class BC) | Up to 60 | Up to 50 pitches | Tents and motorhomes only, no touring caravans | GPDO 2015, Class BC (from 26 July 2023) |
The older 28-day rule lets you use land as a temporary campsite for up to 28 days in a calendar year without planning permission. It is flexible on what you pitch, but the day count is tight for a summer season.
The newer Class BC right, introduced on 26 July 2023, doubles that to 60 days a year and allows up to 50 pitches. The catch is that it covers tents and motorhomes or campervans only, not touring caravans. To use it you must provide on-site toilets and waste disposal, and you must notify the local planning authority in writing before you start each year, sending them a site plan. Land in flood zone 2 or 3 needs the council's prior approval first, and the right does not apply on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a scheduled monument or certain other protected land. Both rules and the full conditions are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.
When you need a full site licence and planning permission
You cross into needing a licence the moment your tented site runs beyond the permitted development limits: more than 42 consecutive days, or more than 60 days in any 12 months. A permanent, year-round campsite always needs both planning permission and a licence.
Planning permission comes first. If the land will be used as a campsite beyond what permitted development allows, you apply to your council's planning department for a change of use before you apply for the licence. The council weighs up access, traffic, landscape impact and neighbours. Only once change of use is granted does the site licence follow, setting the operating conditions. The Planning Portal explains how change of use applications work, and you can find your council through gov.uk.
What a licence costs
There is no national fee. Each council sets its own charge, and camping site fees typically range from nothing to a few hundred pounds. A tent site licence often lasts indefinitely and does not need renewing unless the land changes hands or your planning consent changes. Always confirm the fee and the process with your own authority before you budget.
Exempt bodies: certificated sites and locations
Some campsites operate legally without a council licence at all, because they run under an exemption certificate from an approved organisation. The two big ones are the Camping and Caravanning Club, whose small sites are called Certificated Sites (CS), and the Caravan and Motorhome Club, whose equivalents are Certificated Locations (CL).
These clubs hold exemptions under Section 269(6) of the Public Health Act 1936 and Section 2 of the First Schedule to the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. That lets them certify a landowner to run a small site for members without separate planning permission or a council licence. A Certificated Site is capped at five caravans or motorhomes at any one time, with a minimum six-metre spacing between units, plus up to 10 tents unless the club allows more. It is the simplest legal route for a farmer or smallholder wanting to add a modest campsite. Scouts and Guides groups hold similar exemptions for their own camping.
The practical basics: insurance, water and waste
Whichever route you take, three practicalities decide whether the site is safe and workable. Sort these before you take a single booking.
- Insurance. Public liability insurance is essential the moment you host paying guests, and it is usually the first thing a council or club asks to see. Cover of £5 million is a common baseline for a small site. Our guide to whether camping insurance is needed covers what operators and campers should each carry.
- Drinking water. You must provide a supply of clean, potable water. On a mains connection that is simple; off-grid sites need a tested and approved source, which councils and the clubs both check.
- Waste and toilets. Permitted development under Class BC makes toilets and waste disposal a legal condition, and licensed sites will have facility requirements set in the licence. Grey water, chemical toilet disposal and rubbish all need a proper plan, not an afterthought.
Once the paperwork is sorted, the next job is filling the pitches. Listing on the Camping Sites in Britain directory puts your site in front of campers searching by region across England, Wales and Scotland.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a camping licence to run a campsite in England?
You need a tented site licence once the land is used as a campsite for more than 42 consecutive days, or more than 60 days in any 12 months. Below those limits you can operate under permitted development rights without a licence.
How many days can I run a campsite without planning permission?
Up to 28 days a year under the general 28-day rule, or up to 60 days a year with up to 50 pitches under the Class BC right introduced on 26 July 2023. Class BC covers tents and motorhomes only, not touring caravans.
Does the 60-day rule allow touring caravans?
No. The Class BC temporary campsite right covers tents and motorhomes or campervans only. Touring caravans need a caravan site licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, or an exemption from an approved club.
Can I run a campsite without a council licence?
Yes, if you hold an exemption certificate from a body such as the Camping and Caravanning Club or the Caravan and Motorhome Club. Their Certificated Sites and Locations take up to five caravans or motorhomes plus a limited number of tents without a council licence.
Does planning permission or the licence come first?
Planning permission comes first. If your site exceeds permitted development limits you must obtain change of use consent before you apply to the council for the site licence.
How much does a camping licence cost?
There is no national fee. Councils set their own charges, commonly ranging from nothing to a few hundred pounds. Check the exact figure with your local authority before you apply.
The short version
Run a small tented site for 28 days a year and you need nothing but public liability insurance and decent facilities. Stretch to 60 days and 50 pitches under the Class BC right, with council notification and on-site toilets. Go beyond 42 consecutive or 60 total days and you need planning permission followed by a full camping licence, unless a club exemption covers you. When you are ready for bookings, list your site on the Camping Sites in Britain directory, and read up on whether wild camping is legal in the UK for the wider legal picture.
