Cardiff Open Data Portal - City Law & API Access

Technology and Data Wales 3 Minutes Read ยท published February 12, 2026 Flag of Wales

Cardiff, Wales maintains an open data programme to publish municipal datasets, encourage reuse and provide API access where available. This guide explains the council requirements for using the open data portal, how to request API access, common compliance points under city information governance, and practical steps to report issues or seek review in Cardiff, Wales.

Check the council portal for dataset licences and terms before reuse.

Overview of Portal Requirements

The council makes datasets available for public reuse under published terms and licences. Requirements typically include attribution, permitted uses and restrictions on sensitive personal data; for specific dataset licence terms consult the council portal and dataset metadata.

Penalties & Enforcement

Specific monetary fines for misuse of open data or API abuse are not specified on the cited page; enforcement relies on council policy, contractual terms and information-governance procedures and may involve access suspension or legal action.[1]

  • Enforcer: Cardiff Council digital or information-governance teams and legal services may act on breaches.
  • Fines: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation: access warnings, suspension of API keys, contractual remedies or court proceedings; ranges not specified on the cited page.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: removal of access, takedown orders, preservation requests, or referral to legal services.
  • Inspection and complaints: report issues to the council contact points for open data or information governance (see Help and Support / Resources).
  • Appeal/review: formal review routes not specified on the cited page; timescales for appeals are not specified on the cited page.
If you handle personal data within datasets, follow data-protection guidance before reuse.

Applications & Forms

No separate public licence-application form for general open data use is published on the council portal; API access where provided may require registration for an API key or agreement to terms in dataset metadata, or contacting the council digital team if an API is not publicly listed.

Compliance Checklist

  • Read dataset licence and metadata for permitted uses.
  • Observe update frequency and attribution requirements.
  • Validate that datasets do not disclose personal or sensitive information before reuse.
  • Monitor API usage limits and abide by acceptable-use terms.

Action Steps

  • Identify the dataset and read its metadata and licence on the council portal.
  • If an API key is required, request it via the portal or by contacting the council digital team as instructed in dataset pages.
  • Report suspected misuse or data-quality problems to the council contact for open data or information-governance channels.
  • If access is suspended or you receive a notice, follow the council review or appeal instructions provided in the notice or contact legal services.

FAQ

Who manages Cardiff's open data?
Cardiff Council's digital services and information-governance teams manage the open data programme and dataset publication.
Do I need a licence to reuse datasets?
Yes, reuse is governed by the licence shown in each dataset's metadata on the portal; check attribution and permitted uses.
How do I request an API key?
Where an API exists, dataset pages provide registration or contact details; otherwise contact the council digital team to request programmatic access.

How-To

  1. Locate the dataset on the Cardiff open data portal and read its metadata and licence terms.
  2. Confirm the dataset does not contain personal or sensitive data or seek a redacted version if needed.
  3. If an API or download option is available, follow the portal steps to register or obtain an API key where provided.
  4. Build and test requests within published rate limits and attribution rules.
  5. Report issues or request expanded access via the council digital contact or information-governance channels.

Key Takeaways

  • Always verify dataset licence and metadata before reuse.
  • API access may require registration and compliance with acceptable-use terms.
  • Enforcement focuses on suspension of access and legal remedies; monetary fines are not specified on the portal.

Help and Support / Resources

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