Insufficient Priveleges for Nominatim

[solumos]

When using Nominatim, we get an geopy.exc.GeocoderInsufficientPrivileges exception, even though Nominatim should not require account credentials:

>>> geolocator = Nominatim()
>>> geolocator.geocode("Washington, DC", timeout=10) 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/geopy/geocoders/osm.py", line 191, in geocode
    self._call_geocoder(url, timeout=timeout), exactly_one
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/geopy/geocoders/base.py", line 147, in _call_geocoder
    raise ERROR_CODE_MAP[code](message)
geopy.exc.GeocoderInsufficientPrivileges: HTTP Error 403: Forbidden

Can anyone else confirm?

[carolinux]

yes, also got that

[solumos]

Perhaps the Error 403 is due to requests being blocked. I found this post suggesting that the usage policy is being violated. Maybe an HTTP Referer or User-Agent is necessary, long-term?

[kevinvanleer]

This issue seems to be caused by OSM changing the view box parameter from 'view_box' to 'viewbox'. I verified this by printing the log message from geopy with the geocode URL, copying it into a browser and changing it. Then I changed osm.py on my system, replacing 'view_box' with 'viewbox' in all instances. I have a branch with the change that I can push.

[solumos]

It looks like OSM added backwards compatibility for the 'view_box' parameter.
viewbox
view_box

[tobiz]

I've started getting this error today from my program 13th Apr 2016, I didn't get it a few days ago and I've changed nothing. Also tested this from the command line running simple examples and get same result. I've now updated to geopy 1.11.0 from 1.10.0 and same result.
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/geopy/geocoders/osm.py", line 193, in geocode
self._call_geocoder(url, timeout=timeout), exactly_one
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/geopy/geocoders/base.py", line 158, in _call_geocoder
raise ERROR_CODE_MAPcode
geopy.exc.GeocoderInsufficientPrivileges: HTTP Error 403: Forbidden

geopy 1.11.0 looks like it has the view_box/viewbox fix so it's not that.

[Jeffkrop]

This started happening to me today also. I posted it here http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36599584/geopy-error-and-timeout
with no luck yet. I am only calling one location in a script for a python class.

[tobiz]

I changed from Nominatim() to geopy.geocoders.GoogleV3() and it now works; this may help someone find the problem.

[Jeffkrop]

tobiz can you post some code?

[Vixen25]

same here! It happened yesterday to me, and it still doesn't work ... any idea? I can't switch to google geocoded since I'm reverse-geocoding and they provide different addresses format (I should change my whole database)

[tobiz]

The code is self explanatory (I hope!)

The exception code was added to find out what was going wrong - it just
confirmed what I knew but it helped me to change the code calling
get_coords to get the values I wanted anyway (the geocode option is
useful but not essential).

After some research I found there are other geocoders so tried GoogleV3
and the problem has gone away. BTW, tried both 'http' & 'https', same result.

GeocodeFarm also works.

def get_coords(address):
try:

geolocator = Nominatim(timeout=3, scheme='http') # Nominatim

seems to have stopped working, see github geopy
geolocator = geopy.geocoders.GoogleV3(timeout=3)
try:
location = geolocator.geocode(address, timeout=3,
exactly_one=True) # Only 1 location for this address
if location == None:
print "Geocoder Service timed out or Airfield: ",
address, " not known by geocode locator service. Check settings"
return False
ele = geocoder.elevation(address)
print "Geolocator worked"
return location.latitude, location.longitude, ele.meters
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[400]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[400]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[401]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[401]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[402]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[402]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[403]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[403]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[407]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[407]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[412]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[412]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[413]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[413]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[414]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[414]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[502]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[502]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[503]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[503]
except ERROR_CODE_MAP[504]:
print " ERROR_CODE_MAP is: ", ERROR_CODE_MAP[503]
return False
except GeocoderTimedOut as e:
print "Geocoder Service timed out for Airfield: ", address

return False

Hope that helps you solve your problem; if not, interesting!

[Jeffkrop]

Thank you. It returns less information for the Address but it will have to do for now.

[daviddunne]

I have started getting the same issue yesterday myself, Im handling the exception by using a Google geolocator as a backup for now.

[edwin34]

Issue still persists?

[psawamura]

I'm also getting the same error.

[edwin34]

Ya issue still persists!!

[emmanuelobo]

Getting the same error

GeocoderInsufficientPrivileges at /entry/create/
HTTP Error 403: Forbidden

[KostyaEsmukov]

Nominatim returns HTTP Error 403: Forbidden when their ToS are violated. The reasons might be:

1. non-unique user-agent. geopy since 1.12.0 supports passing custom user_agent like this:

>>> from geopy.geocoders import Nominatim
>>> geolocator = Nominatim(user_agent="my-application")

Actually this is stated in the docs.

2. High volume of requests (Nominatim rate limits are quite low – no more than 1 request per second). In this case you're better off switching to another geocoding service (try MapQuest or Photon as close alternatives based on OSM).

If anyone is willing to help with adding ToS to documentation – see #268.

[renatoosousa]

same error here

[geronimogarcia3]

changed to this and no longer got error:

geolocator = Nominatim(user_agent="my-application")

as noted to do in: https://geopy.readthedocs.io/en/stable/#nominatim

[ireneraissa]

Nominatim returns HTTP Error 403: Forbidden
I just used GoogleV3 and it works

[tobiz]

I had a similar problem; I just left it for a while and it now works again. I think the problem was at the sever end.

[Developer-felix]

0

"GeocoderInsufficientPrivileges" error - try to use 'Photon' instead of 'Nominatim'

from geopy.geocoders import Photon
geolocator = Photon(user_agent="app_name here")