Rules · England and Wales
Overnight parking and wild camping in England and Wales with a campervan: what the law says
England and Wales give no general right to camp: the Countryside Code lists camping as something that needs the landowner's permission. Parking a campervan overnight on a road or lay-by is governed by the Highway Code's parking rules; council car parks follow each council's parking order; councils can ban specific activities with Public Spaces Protection Orders; and residing on land in a vehicle without consent can be a criminal offence where it causes significant damage, disruption or distress.[1][2][3][4][7]
Last reviewed 14 October 2026 against the primary sources listed below. Covers England and Wales. Scotland has its own access law (see the Scotland page); Northern Ireland is not covered here yet. This is a summary of the law, not legal advice: local signs and bylaws can be stricter.
At a glance
| Where | Verdict | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Camping on private land without permission | Not allowed | The Countryside Code lists camping among activities that need the landowner's permission.[1] |
| Road or lay-by at night | Allowed with limits | Park facing the direction of traffic unless in a recognised space; parking lights on where the limit is over 30 mph. Signs and local orders can prohibit it.[2] |
| Council car parks | Depends on local rules | Each council's off-street parking order sets which vehicles may use a car park and on what conditions, including overnight.[3] |
| Places covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order | Depends on local rules | Breaching an order is an offence (fine up to level 3, or a fixed penalty).[4][5][6] |
| Residing on land in a vehicle without consent, causing significant damage, disruption or distress | Not allowed | An offence if you don't leave when asked (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, s.60C).[7] |
Where you can stay and service your van in England and Wales
- Aires & motorhome parking
- 57
- Of those, recorded free
- 2
- Campsites
- 7,338
- Service points (dump stations)
- 219
Counts of places mapped in OpenStreetMap; 4% of aires and parking places are tagged free. Being on the map doesn't make overnighting legal at a spot: check its page and the signs.
Wild camping
The Countryside Code, the government's guidance for visitors to the countryside in England and Wales, says that for some activities you may need the landowner's permission, and camping is one of them.[1]
Sleeping in a lay-by or on the road
We found no general law against sleeping in a vehicle that is legally parked on a public road. The Highway Code's parking rules still apply: you must not park on a road at night facing against the direction of traffic unless in a recognised parking space (rule 248), and every vehicle must show parking lights when parked on a road, or a lay-by on a road, with a speed limit over 30 mph (rule 249).[2]
Signed restrictions and the council orders described below can make an overnight stay unlawful in a specific place.[3][4]
Council car parks
For car parks it provides, a council may make an order setting the vehicles or classes of vehicle that may use it, the conditions of use, charges and the removal of vehicles left in breach (Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, section 35). Overnight and "no sleeping" rules in council car parks come from these orders, so read the tariff board.[3]
Public Spaces Protection Orders
A council may make a Public Spaces Protection Order where activities in a public place have had, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of people in the area (Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, section 59).[4]
Doing something an order prohibits, without reasonable excuse, is an offence with a fine of up to level 3 on the standard scale (section 67). It can be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice of up to £100 (section 68(6)); legislation.gov.uk lists a 2026 Act that will change that sum, not yet in force when we checked.[5][6]
Residing on land in a vehicle
Since 28 June 2022, section 60C of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 makes it an offence for a person aged 18 or over who is residing, or intends to reside, on land without the occupier's consent, with at least one vehicle, to fail to leave as soon as reasonably practicable when asked by the occupier, their representative or a constable, where significant damage, disruption or distress has been or is likely to be caused.[7]
The maximum penalty is three months' imprisonment, a fine up to level 4 on the standard scale, or both.[7]
Fines and penalties
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (s.67) | Fine up to level 3 on the standard scale[5] |
| Fixed penalty instead of prosecution for a PSPO breach (s.68) | Up to £100 (change pending under a 2026 Act)[6] |
| Residing on land in a vehicle without consent and failing to leave (s.60C) | Up to 3 months' imprisonment and/or a fine up to level 4[7] |
Know before you go
Changes to this page
- 14 October 2026: First published. Statutes checked on legislation.gov.uk, including changes not yet in force.
Sources
- The Countryside Code: advice for countryside visitors, GOV.UK. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- The Highway Code: waiting and parking (rules 238 to 252), GOV.UK. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, section 35, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, section 59, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, section 67, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, section 68, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, section 60C, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 14 October 2026.
Written and checked by Campervan Atlas against these sources. Spotted a change in the law? Tell us.