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The Greek Parliament has passed Law 5170/2025, regulating caravan parking. Caravans up to 7.5 meters may stay in public parking areas, while longer vehicles are limited to 24 hours at one spot. Wild camping is banned, with fines of 300 euros. Camping fees range from 15 to 55 euros per night, and caravan rentals from 70 to 200 euros per day.
The French Senate has passed in first reading a bill aimed at simplifying the forced removal of illegally parked caravans. The text, adopted by 235 votes to 101, would cut the notice period to 24 hours and the appeal window to 24 hours, and would add environmental damage to the grounds for eviction. It also lowers the threshold for mandatory reporting of mobile home groups from 150 to 100 units and doubles the fine for illegal installation on another's land to 1,000 euros. The bill has been sent to the National Assembly.
Nationwide Lodges Ltd has applied for a premises license for Adgestone Caravan and Camping Site in Sandown. If approved, the license would allow plays from 8am to 11pm, films from 5pm to 11pm, live music from noon to midnight, and recorded music from 8am to midnight. Alcohol sales would be permitted from 8am to 11pm. The application was made under the Licensing Act 2003. Residents have until August 24 to submit written objections or comments to the council's licensing section. Making false statements in connection with the application carries a maximum fine of £5,000.
A McLennan County judge ruled in favor of the Woodway Board of Adjustment and resident Keven Vranich in a dispute with the Woodway City Council over the legality of an oversized RV carport on Sante Fe Drive. The court found that the board did not abuse its discretion in determining the structure complies with city requirements. The city had ordered Vranich to bring the property into compliance, but the board voted 5-0 that the carport is not an accessory building. The city has not decided whether to appeal.
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss proposed a package of legislation that would limit RV and travel trailer parking on city streets to two hours without a permit, with overnight parking banned from midnight to 6 a.m. The rules, effective in 2027, are part of the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program, which includes $5 million for outreach and a permit system for vehicle residents. Permits would be limited to those identified in a census, and violations could lead to impoundment without notice.
Following a fire that destroyed a motorhome parked near Cabo do Mundo beach in Perafita, PSD Matosinhos has proposed a municipal regulation for motorhome tourism. The proposals include creating designated areas with a 48-72 hour stay limit, prohibiting parking and overnight stays outside authorized zones, installing signage, regular inspections by the municipal police, and introducing a daily fee for services.
A draft ordinance in Paraná's Deliberative Council aims to regulate tourism in RVs, motorhomes, campers, and travel trailers. The plan includes designating public areas for camping and overnight stays, equipping them with basic infrastructure (drinking water, electricity, toilets, showers, effluent treatment, waste management), and installing signage. Proposed camping sites include Camping Toma Nueva, the Botanical Park, and Nuevo Humberto Cayetano Varisco Park; overnight areas include Monumento a Urquiza, Plaza Mujeres Entrerrianas, Balneario Thompson, and Parque Urquiza. Users must register in advance, prove vehicle safety compliance, and pay a usage fee via the Mi Paraná app. Maximum stay is 7 business days in camping areas (one extension allowed) and 3 business days in overnight areas (one extension allowed). Violations may result in fines and vehicle removal.
In Italy, an unfolded awning or table on a motorhome can be considered camping, leading to fines up to 500 euros. In Spain, from October 1, 2026, motorhomes will be treated as passenger cars under certain conditions. In France, overnight stays are allowed for up to seven days, but only without signs of camping.
Planning officers are recommending approval for a retrospective application to keep two static caravans for a single traveller family at Chestnut Paddocks off Titchfield Road. The application goes before Fareham Borough Council's planning committee on August 12. Despite 118 objections from 100 households, officials say the use would not harm the landscape, and ecologists and highways have raised no objections.
Jude Christensen, a Salt Lake City resident, has reported the same occupied RV repeatedly returning to her Sugar House neighborhood for over two years. Despite parking tickets, the vehicle returns. City officials are considering expanding the definition of camping to include living in vehicles on public property, which would allow police to contact occupants and offer services. The proposal faces opposition, including from Nomad Alliance, which advocates for a legal safe-parking program.
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From September 1, 2026, motorhomes cannot stay at the municipal tourist parking lot in Arraial do Cabo. Entry requires a campsite booking; overnight stays in public spaces are prohibited.
France maintains its low-emission zones (ZFE) and Crit'Air stickers after the Constitutional Council's decision on May 21, 2026. Since January 1, 2025, 30 new permanent low-emission zones have been established in cities with over 150,000 inhabitants. Motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes are treated as passenger cars, while heavier ones follow truck regulations. Fines for missing stickers are €68 for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and €135 for heavier ones, rising to €180 and €375 if unpaid within 45 days. Paris has suspended fines until December 31, 2026, while Lyon will start fining Crit'Air 3 vehicles from July 1, 2026.
About 100 residents of two campgrounds on Pelmewash Parkway in Lake Country, British Columbia, face potential eviction after the district ordered them to leave by summer 2026. The sites are zoned as campgrounds, limiting stays to 30 days, but residents, some living there for a decade, argue their rights are protected under the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act. The district cites safety concerns, including unpermitted structures and fire risks, while a legal advocate calls the demands excessive and urges lot-by-lot assessments.
The reform of the General Traffic Regulations, effective October 2026, will explicitly allow sleeping, eating, and resting inside a motorhome if it is parked legally, with no elements protruding and no liquid discharge. However, deploying an awning, placing tables or chairs, lowering stabilizer legs, or emptying gray or black water will classify the stop as camping, requiring a campsite or designated area. Fines for violations may range from 100 to 200 euros, depending on the nature of the offense.
Last year, 7,146 caravaning vehicles were registered in Spain, making the question of overnight stays in motorhomes by the sea particularly relevant. According to the General Traffic Regulations, sleeping in a properly parked motorhome is not considered camping if the vehicle remains within its own perimeter and does not occupy additional space. However, deploying an awning, setting up chairs or a table can be considered camping, leading to fines. Parking on beaches is prohibited, and in some municipalities such as Malaga, Tarifa and A Coruña, fines reach €1,500–€3,000. Campgrounds and designated motorhome areas are recommended for overnight stays.
Camping owners in Sweden have filed a complaint against municipal parking areas for motorhomes, claiming they create unfair competition. They argue that under the new law, these municipal sites offer services at prices that private campsites cannot match. The complaint seeks to remove or alter the operation of these parking areas.
Winchester City Council has declined to consider a planning application for a residential caravan site in Soberton while an appeal against an enforcement notice is pending. The part-retrospective application for Emlyns on Dradfield Lane sought to retain a single Gypsy or Traveller pitch with a static caravan, day room, kennels, and space for a touring caravan and two cars. The enforcement notice, issued on July 25, 2025, alleged the land was used as a mixed residential and agricultural site without permission. The council cited Section 70C of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which allows refusal to consider applications for sites under unresolved enforcement notices.
The Swedish government has sent out for consultation a proposal to increase the maximum speed for passenger cars towing caravans or trailers from 80 to 100 km/h. The change, which could take effect on March 1, would require vehicles to meet the Tempo-100 standard, including technical inspection and specific requirements for tires and braking systems.
The court granted partial permission to appeal in the case of Delaney v Secretary of State, concerning enforcement action related to a caravan site. The decision addresses issues regarding the use of land for caravans and the powers of local authorities.
Law & Regulations
© Woodall's Campground Magazine - Daily News & Information for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry
The RV Industry Association marked Great American Outdoors Day by urging Congress to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), created in 2020 to address deferred maintenance on public lands, now exceeding $40 billion. The fund expired on September 30, 2025, and requires reauthorization. In March, the association met with administration officials, and during Advocacy Day, 103 partners supported the America the Beautiful Act, which would extend LRF. The Senate bill has 68 cosponsors, the House bill 222. Examples of funded projects include campground rehabilitations in Rocky Mountain, Zion, Yosemite, and Mark Twain National Forest.
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