You usually need a caravan site licence if you use land as a caravan site in the Falkirk Council area. This includes sites for touring caravans, holiday caravans, residential mobile homes and park homes. 

You may not need a licence if an exemption applies. Check the exemptions below before you apply.

• If you are setting up a new site, check if you need planning permission before you apply. 
• If the site is for people to live on all year, you need a residential mobile home site licence.
• If you are not sure what type of licence you need, contact Environmental Protection before you apply. 

You may not need a licence in some limited cases. These include: 

• a caravan within the grounds of a house, if its use is linked to the house and it is not occupied separately
• one caravan used for no more than 2 nights in a row, up to 28 days in any 12 months
• up to 3 caravans on a site of at least 5 acres, up to 28 days in any 12 months 
• sites occupied by exempt organisations, such as recognised caravan clubs 
• sites with up to 5 caravans certified by an exempt organisation for members only 
• sites occupied by the council, including council-operated traveller sites 
• some temporary sites, such as caravan rallies, agricultural or forestry worker sites, building sites and travelling sales sites 
• tent-only sites used for no more than 28 days in any 12 months 

Contact Environmental Protection if you are not sure whether an exemption applies.

Use this licence for touring, holiday or other non-residential caravan sites. It also applies where the site is not licensed for people to live there all year as their main home. 

• You must have the right to use the land as a caravan site. 
• You may need planning permission before we can grant a licence. 
• You must not have had a caravan site licence revoked in the last 3 years. 
• We may add conditions to the licence, including limits on caravan numbers, site layout, facilities and services. 
• There is no automatic approval. You must wait for us to process your application. 

You need a residential mobile home site licence if people live on the site all year as their only or main home. This includes park home sites and mixed-use sites with both residential and holiday units. 

You do not need this type of licence for a holiday-only site, or where caravans cannot be used for human habitation at certain times of year.

• Residential mobile home site licences last for 5 years. 
• You must renew the licence before it expires. 
• The licence holder, site manager and anyone directly involved in managing the site must pass a fit and proper person test. This checks whether they are suitable to run the site. 
• Operating a residential site without the required licence can lead to a fine of up to £50,000. 
• You must display the licence on the site where residents and visitors can read it. 
• You must give residents a written statement before their agreement starts, unless they agree in writing to a different date. 
• You may need to apply to renew, transfer or change a licence if ownership or site management changes. 

We may add conditions to a caravan site licence. Conditions help make sure the site is safe, properly managed and suitable for the people using it. 

• when caravans can be used for human habitation 
• how many caravans are allowed on the site 
• what types of caravans are allowed, such as residential, static holiday or touring caravans 
• where caravans, vehicles, tents and other structures can be placed 
• works needed to improve or maintain the land, including planting 
• sanitary facilities, services and equipment that must be provided and maintained

We can change licence conditions. Before we do this, we will give the licence holder a chance to comment.

Fire safety is not usually controlled through caravan site licence conditions where it is covered by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service enforces most fire safety duties for relevant premises, including many holiday, camping and caravan sites. 

• Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 (the 2014 Act). Part 5
• Scottish Government model standards for residential mobile home site licences
• Operating a residential mobile home site - mygov.scot

• Association of Caravan and Camping Exempted Organisations (ACCEO)
• British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA)
• Federation of Tour Operators (FTO)
• National Caravan Council (NCC)

Complete the relevant application form if you want to: 

• apply for a new licence 
• renew an existing licence 
• transfer or transmit a licence 
• apply to vary a licence 

To apply, change or renew a licence for caravan site, you can complete the form and return it to us by email. Include a site plan at 1:500 scale showing roads, caravans and facilities.

A touring, holiday or other non-residential caravan site licence issued under Part 1 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 does not have a fixed expiry date and will generally remain in force indefinitely, provided the site continues to benefit from the necessary planning permission and the licence holder complies with the licence conditions.

For touring, holiday and other non-residential site applications, there is no automatic approval. We must process your application before we can grant a licence.

Contact us if you have not heard from us within 28 days. For residential mobile home site applications, we normally have 3 months to decide a valid application.

You may be able to appeal if you disagree with licence conditions or some licensing decisions.

Contact us first for advice. If you still want to appeal, contact the Sheriff Court about the appeal process.