How to Access Free LiDAR Data on AWS

Amazon Web Services hosts terabytes of free, open LiDAR data through their Registry of Open Data program. Access point clouds and elevation models from the US, UK, New Zealand and more — all without registration or cost.

The AWS Registry of Open Data hosts publicly available datasets in the cloud, making large geospatial files accessible without costly downloads. For LiDAR users, this means direct access to terabytes of point cloud and elevation data from government agencies worldwide.

Major Open LiDAR Collections on AWS

Several government agencies host their LiDAR data on AWS for public access. Here are the key datasets for elevation and terrain analysis.

• Coverage: Entire United States + territories
• Format: EPT (Entwine Point Tiles) + LAZ
• Resolution: QL0-QL3 (0.35m–1.4m NPS)
• License: Public Domain

• Coverage: ~45,000 km² of Scotland
• Format: LAZ + COG (DTM/DSM)
• Resolution: 4–10 points/m²
• License: OGL v3

• Coverage: New Zealand (multiple regions)
• Format: Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG)
• Resolution: 1m DEM/DSM
• License: CC-BY-4.0

• Coverage: Entire Indiana (2011–2020)
• Format: LAS (uncompressed)
• Update: 2025–2028 collection planned
• License: CC0 (Public Domain)

Multiple Access Methods

AWS Open Data can be accessed through web browsers, command-line tools, or programmatically. Choose the method that best fits your workflow.

# List USGS LiDAR projects
aws s3 ls s3://usgs-lidar-public/ --no-sign-request

# Download specific project
aws s3 cp s3://usgs-lidar-public/USGS_LPC_CA_LosAngeles_2016_LAS_2018/ . --recursive --no-sign-request

# Browse Scottish LiDAR
aws s3 ls s3://scotland-gov-gi/lidar-1/ --no-sign-request

AWS CLI commands for accessing public LiDAR buckets

Installation:

• Install AWS CLI (free, no account required for public data)
• Use --no-sign-request flag for public buckets
• Browse bucket contents with aws s3 ls
• Download with aws s3 cp or aws s3 sync

Key S3 Buckets:

• s3://usgs-lidar-public/ — USGS 3DEP EPT tiles
• s3://usgs-lidar/ — USGS raw LAZ (Requester Pays)
• s3://scotland-gov-gi/ — Scottish LiDAR
• s3://nz-elevation/ — New Zealand COGs

USGS 3DEP Options:

• usgs.entwine.io — WebGL visualization of point clouds
• Equator LiDAR Viewer — View, process, and download
• OpenTopography — Access 3DEP with clipping tools

Scottish LiDAR:

• Scottish Remote Sensing Portal — Interactive map interface

• LINZ Data Service — Browse and download NZ elevation

• USGS Entwine Viewer
• Equator LiDAR Viewer
• USGS LidarExplorer
• Scottish Remote Sensing Portal

No installation required — works in any modern browser

# Python with boto3
import boto3
from botocore import UNSIGNED
from botocore.config import Config

s3 = boto3.client('s3', config=Config(signature_version=UNSIGNED))
response = s3.list_objects_v2(
Bucket='usgs-lidar-public',
Prefix='USGS_LPC_CA_',
MaxKeys=10
)

# Or use PDAL for direct point cloud access
pdal pipeline my_pipeline.json

Python and PDAL access to AWS LiDAR data

• boto3: AWS SDK for Python — browse and download files
• PDAL: Point Data Abstraction Library — direct LAZ/EPT access
• rasterio: Read COGs directly from S3
• laspy: Read/write LAS/LAZ files

PDAL with EPT:
The PDAL library can read Entwine Point Tiles directly from AWS without downloading entire files — perfect for extracting small areas from large datasets.

STAC Catalogs:
Many datasets publish STAC metadata for easy discovery. Query by location, date, or attributes.

Usually, no. Most public AWS Open Data buckets can be browsed and downloaded without an AWS account when you use the --no-sign-request flag in AWS CLI or a public web viewer.

The main exception here is s3://usgs-lidar, which is a Requester Pays bucket and does require an AWS account.

Public buckets such as s3://usgs-lidar-public can be accessed without Requester Pays billing. Requester Pays buckets such as s3://usgs-lidar require your AWS account to be billed for the requests and data transfer tied to that bucket. Here, the public bucket contains EPT-formatted data, while the Requester Pays bucket contains the original LAZ files.

EPT is a cloud-optimized point cloud format that stores LiDAR data in an octree structure. That lets you stream only the area you need instead of downloading an entire dataset. Tools such as PDAL, Potree, and Cesium support EPT directly.

For USGS 3DEP, start with LidarExplorer. For Scottish data, use the Remote Sensing Portal.

Some AWS-hosted datasets also publish STAC catalogs, which let you search by area, coordinates, or metadata.

Often yes, but always confirm the license for the specific dataset you use. USGS 3DEP is public domain. Scottish LiDAR is generally under OGL v3, with a noted exception for some phase 2 LAZ files. New Zealand Elevation is licensed for reuse under CC BY 4.0. Indiana Statewide Elevation is published under CC0.

It varies by project, region, and tile. Use the source metadata to confirm collection dates for your exact area.

For example, USGS 3DEP is updated on an ongoing basis, Indiana has a 2025-2028 collection cycle underway, and Scottish and New Zealand coverage is refreshed as new surveys are released.

• AWS Registry of Open Data
• All LiDAR Datasets on AWS
• USGS LiDAR GitHub Documentation
• AWS Command Line Interface

• PDAL (Point Data Abstraction Library)
• Entwine (EPT generation)
• OpenTopography
• CloudCompare