Florida sets the numbers in state law
Florida is one of the few states that writes RV park geometry into a state rule. A person "may not establish or maintain a mobile home park, lodging park, recreational vehicle park, or recreational camp in this state without first obtaining a permit from the department" (F.S. 513.02), and the department is the Department of Health (DOH), acting through county health departments [2]. Parks are "licensed annually... through Florida's 67 county health departments," and the applicant submits "a plan of your park, information on the water system, the sewage disposal system, any swimming pools and the required permit fee" [5].
The name on the entrance sign does not change the permit. Under s. 513.01, "campground," "camping resort," "RV resort," "travel resort" and "travel park" are synonyms for "recreational vehicle park," so a project branded as a resort carries the full DOH permit and is exempt from Chapter 509 hotel regulation (513.012) [2]. A mobile home park with five or more RV sites must meet the RV park rules for those sites (s. 513.014) [6].
Rule 64E-15 then sets the numbers the layout is drawn to:
| Standard | Florida rule | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 25 RV units per acre of gross site | 64E-15.002(3)(b) [1] |
| RV space | 1,200 sq ft minimum | 64E-15.002(3)(a) [1] |
| Tent space | 500 sq ft minimum | 64E-15.002(3)(c) [1] |
| Maneuvering | Parking, loading and maneuvering may not use sidewalks, rights-of-way or private ground outside the park | 64E-15.002(1)(b) [1] |
| Environmental screen | The county health department evaluates each new park to confirm it is not subject to environmental hazards | 64E-15.002(1)(a) [1] |
| Water stations | 1 per 100 spaces without water hookups; 1 per 250 when more than 50 percent have water and sewer | 64E-15.003(3)(b) [3] |
| Dump stations | 1 per 100 spaces; 1 per 250 when more than 50 percent have sewer hookups | 64E-15.004(5) [3] |
| Sanitary fixtures | Men: 1 toilet, 1 urinal, 1 lavatory, 1 shower. Women: 2 toilets, 1 lavatory, 1 shower. One set per 25 non self-contained spaces | 64E-15.005(2), (3) [3] |
| Full-hookup exemption | A letter to DOH exempts a park that rents only to self-contained units with water and sewer at every site | 64E-15.005(6) [3] |
| Park models | An RV space may hold one park model | 64E-15.001(9) [3] |
| Annual permit | $4 per space, $100 minimum, $600 maximum | 64E-15.010(3)(d) [3] |
The rule's 5 ft boundary setback, 64E-15.002(2)(c), applies to mobile home and lodging parks, not to RV parks [1]. The boundary setbacks on a Florida RV park plan therefore come from the local zoning code, and the next section explains why the ones drawn for the first approval matter so much.
The first approval fixes the layout
Chapter 513 gives the first approved plan unusual weight. Separation distances between sites "must be the distances established at the time of the initial approval of the recreational vehicle park by the department and the local government" (513.1115(1)) [2], and the setbacks from the park's exterior property boundary are likewise the distances established at that initial approval (513.1115(2)) [7]. The section "supersedes any county, municipality, or special district ordinance or regulation regarding the lot size, lot density, or separation or setback distance of a recreational vehicle park which goes into effect after the initial permitting and construction of the park" (513.1115(4)) [2]. After a disaster, the park rebuilds at the density approved before the damage (513.1115(3)) [2].
Two consequences follow for the plan. The separations and setbacks drawn for the first approval become the park's permanent geometry, so the full build-out is drawn before that approval, not only the first loop of sites. And phasing still runs through DOH: added spaces are a modification that needs review (64E-15.001(6)), and the permittee notifies DOH in writing at least 30 days before each modification (64E-15.010(1)(c)) [3]. Chapter 513 also presumes transient occupancy for stays of 6 months or less [2]; a guest who stays more than six months creates "a rebuttable presumption that the occupancy is nontransient," and Chapter 83 eviction then applies (513.01(12)) [7]. Sanitary rules stay with the state: DOH "is the exclusive regulatory and permitting authority for sanitary and permitting standards" (513.051) [7].
The approvals a Florida park needs
| Approval | Who decides | Rule | What the plan shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning: by right in an RV district, conditional use, Planned Development or rezoning | County or city | Local land development code | Layout, density against the local cap, buffers, access |
| Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) | Water management district | F.A.C. 62-330.020(2) [8] | Impervious and project areas, land set aside for ponds |
| Park plan review and permit | DOH, through the county health department | F.S. 513.02; 64E-15.010 [2, 3] | Tract area and dimensions, numbered spaces with locations and sizes, roads, service buildings |
| Water supply and wastewater | DOH (64E-6), DEP (62-555, 62-600) or a utility | 64E-15.003; 64E-15.004 [3] | Hookup and station locations; the systems are designed by the engineer of record |
| Building permits | County or city building division | Florida Building Code | Footprints of the office, bathhouse and clubhouse |
The ERP comes early. A permit is required for any of: work in wetlands, more than 4,000 sq ft of vehicular impervious area, more than 9,000 sq ft of total impervious area, a project area over 5 acres, impounding over 40 acre-feet, or being part of a larger common plan (62-330.020(2)) [8]. The self-certified general permit under F.S. 403.814(12) applies only to projects with "less than 10 acres of total project area and less than two acres of impervious surface" [9, 10], so a park of 10 acres or more needs an ERP other than that self-certified general permit. The Southwest Florida Water Management District adds "no additional District-specific thresholds" to the statewide list [9], while the St. Johns River district, which reaches parts of Lake and Marion counties, sets district-specific thresholds in its own Applicant's Handbook Volume II [11]. Chapter 62-330 and both Applicant's Handbook volumes were amended effective June 28, 2024, with new water quality performance standards [10]. The Southwest district's standard general permit form covers projects under 100 acres with less than 1 acre of wetland impacts [12], and a conceptual approval can run 20 years if construction of the first phase starts [13]. The land the ponds will take is set aside on the preliminary plan from the first draft, and the engineer of record designs them.
The DOH drawing is a layout drawing. For a new park, 64E-15.010(2)(c) asks for plans "drawn to scale" showing the tract's area and dimensions, the space numbers, the location and size of every space, the roadways and any added service buildings, and the rule text carries no seal language [3]. For an existing park without plans on file, the drawing "does not have to be drawn to scale or completed by an engineer if the space dimensions are shown" (64E-15.010(2)(b)) [3]. The water supply plans and the sewage collection and treatment plans are separate submittals under 64E-15.010(2)(e) and (f) [3], prepared and sealed by the engineer of record. DOH expects the application at least 30 days before the park operates [3].
The state clock on local review
SB 1080 (chapter 2025-177) rewrote the development permit deadlines for cities in F.S. 166.033 and for counties in F.S. 125.022 [4, 14]; the Florida Senate's bill summary gives October 1, 2025 as its effective date [15]. Development permits and development orders carry their F.S. 163.3164 meanings and "do not include building permits" (166.033(6)) [4]. The deadlines run from the application:
| Step | Deadline under F.S. 166.033 |
|---|---|
| Confirm receipt of the application | 5 business days [4] |
| Determine completeness | 30 days [4] |
| Applicant cures deficiencies | 30 days [4] |
| Decide without a hearing | 120 days after the application is deemed complete [4] |
| Decide after a quasi-judicial or public hearing | 180 days after it is deemed complete [4] |
| Restart the clock | An applicant change of 15 percent or more in density, intensity or square footage [4] |
| Refund when the government is late | 10 percent (late completeness), 10 percent (late re-review), 20 percent (late second re-review), 50 percent (decision within 30 days after the deadline), 100 percent (31 days or more late) [4] |
Three more provisions shape how a park file is prepared. A city "may not require as a condition of processing or issuing a development permit" that the applicant first obtain a state or federal permit unless the agency has issued a final denial (166.033(7)), so the local file can run in parallel with the ERP and the DOH review [4]. Requests for additional information are capped at three for applications "certified by a professional listed in s. 403.0877" (166.033(3)) [4]. And 166.033(1) requires the local government to set its minimum information list in writing [4]. The clocks do not apply in areas of critical state concern under F.S. 380.0552 [16].
For an RV park the restart rule is the one that bears on the drawing. The space count, the density and the building square footage are settled on the preliminary plan before the file is deemed complete, because a later change of 15 percent or more starts the 120 or 180 days again [4].
Statewide layers: the SB 180 freeze and the hurricane zone
The SB 180 freeze. Chapter 2025-190, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/SB 180), created s. 252.422, F.S. For one year after a hurricane's landfall it bars "impacted local governments" (counties in a federal disaster declaration wholly or partly within 100 miles of the storm track, plus their municipalities) from adopting moratoria, more restrictive comprehensive plan or land development regulation amendments, or "more restrictive or burdensome procedures concerning review, approval, or issuance of a site plan, development permit, or development order" [17]. It also bars raising building permit or inspection fees for 180 days after a hurricane emergency declaration [17]. The Florida Senate's bill summary describes the bar on moratoria and more restrictive land development rules as retroactive to August 1, 2024 [17], and the 2026 Legislature did not pass the measures meant to narrow it [18]. The law is in court: on September 29, 2025, 25 local governments, among them Orange and Manatee counties, sued in Leon County Circuit Court, and 1000 Friends of Florida filed a second suit in October 2025 [19].
For an RV park, two checks follow. A local restriction on the use is read against its adoption date and the county's declaration status before it is drawn into the layout. And once a park is permitted and built, Chapter 513 separately shields its lot size, density, separations and setbacks from later local rules (513.1115(4)) [2].
The hurricane zone. Miami-Dade and Broward are in Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under Florida Building Code Sec. 1620 [20]. For Risk Category II the design wind speed on the 7th edition (2020) table is 175 mph in Miami-Dade and 170 mph in Broward [20, 21], and Sec. 1620.3 states: "All buildings and structures shall be considered to be in Exposure Category C, unless Exposure Category D applies" [20]. In an RV park that governs the permanent buildings, which the architect or engineer of record designs. Miami-Dade's Chapter 11C sets freeboard at the stricter of 1 ft above base flood elevation or the Florida Building Code minimum, and the City of Miami requires base flood elevation plus 1 foot (Chapter 20) [22, 23].
The RV sites follow the federal floodplain rule. Under 44 CFR 60.3(c)(14), an RV in a special flood hazard area must meet manufactured home elevation and anchoring unless it is on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, or is fully licensed and ready for highway use [24]. DOH county offices publish emergency preparedness toolkits for parks, St. Johns among them [25].
The county layer: local caps, Lake County and Polk County
Local zoning sits on top of the state floor and is usually tighter. Malabar's RVP district (Ordinance 2021-09) requires 5 acres minimum and allows at most 15 RV sites per gross acre, well below the state's 25 [26].
Lake County writes its own cap. Its land development regulations hold RV parks to 8.71 spaces per gross acre (Lake LDR Section 3.02.05(D), as quoted in staff report FLU-22-14-4), and the Haines Creek RV Village file (Lake County, 2023) planned 159 lots on 27.71 gross acres at 5.73 gross and 7.1 net units per acre [27]. Its concept plan carried 25 percent open space and a 50 ft wetland buffer, and it was labelled "Plans are Conceptual Only and are subject to engineering" [27].
Polk County shows the conditional use version. Unincorporated Polk allows an RV park as a conditional use under Land Development Code Section 303, whose criteria for recreational camping and RV parks were rewritten by Ordinance 2024-032 (LDCT-2024-3), and a Planned Development is the alternate path for higher density [28]. Polk's code sorts reviews into four levels, from staff review at Level 1 to hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners at Level 4 [29]. Published fees run from $250 for a pre-application conference to $4,023 plus $450 advertising for a Level 3 conditional use, or $4,086 plus $850 at Level 4 [30].
Two Polk records bear on a layout before the state cap does. Ordinance 2024-037 bars RV parks outright on a parcel near CR 630 through its Appendix E conditions [31], so a parcel's own conditions are read before the first line is drawn. And Polk City, a municipality inside the county, amended Section 3.09.01.02 of its land development code by Ordinance 2025-02, changing the RV park buffering requirement from a masonry wall to a solid fence [32]. The Polk County model project carries the full approval path, the county fee build-up and the comparable records.
The metros: Tampa, Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville
Every Florida park is permitted through its county health department, so the differences between the metros sit in local process and site conditions.
- Tampa. Hillsborough County runs a Preliminary Site Development Plan, which is optional and can be waived, before Site Development Construction Plans [33]. Agencies review in 20 working days, the Development Review Committee meets within 9 working days, and resubmittals are reviewed in 10 (DRPM Sec. 4.1.5.1.2) [34]. The preliminary stage has its own fees: $111.73 for site engineering, $108.26 for transportation site access, $460 for EPC and $15 for fire [35]. Polk County, the setting of the model project above, lies between the Tampa and Orlando markets.
- Orlando. Orange County's zoning code puts its use conditions in Sec. 38-79 of Chapter 38 [36]. Sec. 34-250 sets the lowest floor at least 1 ft above base flood elevation for development in special flood hazard areas, and the county engineer must approve the base flood elevation with supporting calculations [37]. The county health department applies the state rate, "$4.00 per space with a minimum fee of $100.00 and a maximum fee of $600.00," and adds "A county permit surcharge of $85.00" [38]. Orange County is one of the 25 local governments suing over SB 180 [19], and it says the law "has effectively invalidated Vision 2050 in its entirety" [39].
- Miami. Miami-Dade sits inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the 175 mph wind speed (7th edition table), the Chapter 11C freeboard and, in the city, base flood elevation plus 1 foot all reach the park's buildings and finished floors [20, 22, 23].
- Jacksonville. The Consolidated City of Jacksonville's CCG-2 district summary lists travel trailer parks among the district's uses, under the zoning code's Part 4 standards [40]. In St. Johns County, in the same metro, the DOH office requires the park plan to show the "location and size of all proposed mobile home, recreational vehicle, or tent spaces" [25].
How Florida's numbers compare
| State | Density in the state rule | Minimum site | Separation in the state rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 25 per gross acre [1] | 1,200 sq ft RV; 500 sq ft tent [1] | Fixed at initial approval [2] |
| Colorado | 25 campsites per acre, excluding roads, buildings and common areas [41] | 900 sq ft [41] | 3 ft from campsite lot lines [41] |
| Georgia | Not in the state rule [42] | Not in the state rule [42] | 15 ft trailer to buildings; 10 ft trailer to internal driveways [42] |
| Tennessee | Not in the state rule [43] | Not in the state rule [43] | 15 ft or more between units (July 2002 rule text) [43] |
Florida's 25 is measured on the gross site, while Colorado's excludes roads, buildings and common areas [1, 41]. Neither cap is usually the binding limit. One acre is 43,560 sq ft, so the 1,200 sq ft minimum [1] fits 36 sites before any roads, and the 25 per gross acre cap works out to at least about 1,742 sq ft of gross land per site, roads and amenities included. The Lake County file above planned 5.73 units per gross acre against the state's 25 [27]. The RV sites per acre guide works through the comparison state by state, and the RV park regulations by state guide sets Florida beside the other states.
What the preliminary plan carries for a Florida park
A preliminary site plan for a Florida park is drawn to serve the zoning hearing and the DOH plan review at once. It shows the 64E-15.010(2)(c) items: tract area and dimensions, numbered spaces with their locations and sizes, roads and service buildings [3]. Its site data table carries the rows a Florida reviewer checks: gross acreage and density against 25 per gross acre, the smallest space against 1,200 sq ft, water and dump station counts against the 1 per 100 and 1 per 250 ratios, sanitary sets per 25 non self-contained spaces or the exemption letter, the separations and setbacks that 513.1115 will fix, and the impervious and project areas that set the ERP path [1, 2, 3, 8]. Because a change of 15 percent or more in density or square footage restarts the local clock, those totals are settled before the file goes in [4].
The engineering layer is not on the plan. Water supply, sewage collection and treatment, the ERP stormwater design, grading and drainage and the electrical service are designed and sealed by the client's engineer of record, who builds the sealed set on the approved layout. The same plan goes to a lender, to a general contractor for pricing, and into the RV park and resort rendering views, so the hearing, the budget and the engineering start from one layout.
For the state picture across asset classes, see site plans in Florida. For the design method across states, see the RV park site plan hub; for amenity-led programs, RV resort site plans; for tent and cabin parks, campground site plans. Other state pages: RV park site plans in Georgia, Tennessee RV parks, Texas RV parks and Arizona RV parks. Every model project is listed under case studies, and the cost side is in what it costs to build an RV park or campground.
Frequently asked questions
How many RV sites per acre does Florida allow?
What permits does an RV park need in Florida?
Can a county change my density or setbacks after approval?
No. F.S. 513.1115(4) supersedes any county, municipal or special district rule on lot size, lot density, separation or setback that takes effect after the park's initial permitting and construction [2].
Does the DOH plan carry a seal requirement?
How many dump stations does a Florida RV park need?
One per 100 spaces, or one per 250 when more than 50 percent of the spaces have sewer hookups (64E-15.004(5)) [3].
How fast must a Florida city or county decide on the site plan?
What does the DOH permit cost?
Is an Environmental Resource Permit required?
Yes for any park with a project area over 5 acres or more than 9,000 sq ft of total impervious area, among the other triggers in 62-330.020(2) [8]. The self-certified general permit under F.S. 403.814(12) is limited to projects under 10 acres of total project area and under 2 acres of impervious surface [9].
Sources
- 1)Fla. Admin. Code R. 64E-15.002, Sites: Mobile Home, Lodging, and Recreational Vehicle Parks, Florida Department of Health (via Cornell LII). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 2)Florida Statutes, Chapter 513, Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (2025), Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 3)Chapter 64E-15, Florida Administrative Code (2018 version), Florida Department of Health. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 4)Chapter 166 Section 033, 2025 Florida Statutes (development permits and orders), The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)Mobile Home & RV Parks, Florida Department of Health. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 6)Chapter 513, 2024 Florida Statutes, The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 7)Chapter 513, 2025 Florida Statutes, The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)F.A.C. 62-330.020, Regulated Activities (Environmental Resource Permitting), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (via elaws). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 9)Environmental Resource Permit Applicant's Handbook, Volume II (Southwest Florida Water Management District), Southwest Florida Water Management District (via flrules.org). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Environmental Resource Permits, South Florida Water Management District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)Environmental Resource Permit Applicant's Handbook, Volume II (St. Johns River Water Management District), St. Johns River Water Management District (via flrules.org). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)Environmental Resource Permit application, Part C, Southwest Florida Water Management District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)SWERP Training Overview, Applicant Handbook II and SWFWMD Specific Changes, Southwest Florida Water Management District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement, CS/SB 1080 (2025), The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 15)SB 1080, 2025 Bill Summaries, The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)The 2025 Florida Statutes, Section 166.033, Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)SB 180, 2025 Bill Summaries, The Florida Senate. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 18)Florida 2026 Legislative Session: New Laws Facilitating Development, Holland & Knight (secondary). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 19)Reports on the SB 180 lawsuits (September 30 and October 8, 2025), Central Florida Public Media (secondary). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 20)High-Velocity Hurricane Zones, Florida Building Code, Building, Chapter 16, Florida Building Commission. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 21)Building Design Wind Limits vs. Hurricane Wind Categories (wind velocity tables), Florida International University, Facilities. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 22)Memorandum, Agenda Item No. 5(N), Ordinance file 221333 (Chapter 11C freeboard), Miami-Dade County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 23)City of Miami Code, Chapter 20, Flood Damage Prevention, City of Miami (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 24)Recreational Vehicle (glossary, 44 CFR 59.1 and 60.3), FEMA. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 25)Mobile Home/RV Parks, and Recreational Camps, Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 26)Ordinance 2021-09 (Recreational Vehicle Park RVP Zoning), Town of Malabar. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 27)Staff report FLU-22-14-4, Haines Creek RV Village (Tab 1, April 5, 2023 agenda), Lake County, Florida. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 28)Polk County Land Development Code, 2024 ordinances (Ord. 2024-032), Polk County, Florida (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 29)Polk County Land Development Code, Chapter 2, Land Use Districts and Regulations, Polk County, Florida (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 30)Polk County Land Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2023), Polk County, Florida. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 31)Ordinance No. 2024-037, Polk County Board of County Commissioners, Polk County, Florida. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 32)Land Development Code ordinances, 2025 (Polk City Ordinance 2025-02, Section 3.09.01.02), Polk County and municipalities ordinance library (Municode host). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 33)Hillsborough County Land Development Code, Article X, Administration, Hillsborough County (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 34)Development Review Procedures Manual, Sec. 4.1.5.1.2, Site Development Construction Plan Review, Hillsborough County (via elaws). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 35)Site Development Process Fees, Hillsborough County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 36)Orange County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 38, Zoning (Sec. 38-77 use table), Orange County, Florida (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 37)Orange County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 34, Article VII, Stormwater Management (Sec. 34-250), Orange County, Florida (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 38)Mobile Home Parks, Environmental Health, Florida Department of Health in Orange County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 39)Press release on the county's SB 180 lawsuit (October 2025, newsroom.ocfl.net), Orange County Government, Florida. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 40)Commercial Community/General-2 (CCG-2) District summary (01.31.2022), City of Jacksonville. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 41)6 CCR 1010-9, campsite rules (rule PDF), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (via Colorado Secretary of State). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 42)Rules and Regulations for Tourist Accommodations, Chapter 511-6-2, Georgia Department of Public Health. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 43)Rules of the Tennessee Department of Health, Chapter 1200-01-05 (July 2002 revision), Tennessee Department of Health. Accessed 2026-10-09.