The UK Sanctions List records designated individuals and entities, and specified ships, subject to UK sanctions. The government provides a free official search tool for it, with a published user guide. This guide explains how that tool actually matches what you type, so you can search it well, and what a no-match result does and does not tell you. The official tool is the free route; nothing here requires any paid product.
The official free search tool
The official search tool is publicly linked from GOV.UK at https://search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk/ and its official user guide is on GOV.UK ("UK Sanctions List search tool: user guide", updated 30 October 2026). It is free to use. Everything in the next two sections comes from that user guide.
How the search tool matches what you type
The tool takes each sequence of letters, numbers or non-Latin characters separated by a space or punctuation and searches for matches across multiple fields of the list's data. Three match types decide what you see:
- Exact matches: your complete term appears in the data, separated by spaces or punctuation. Exact matches are always shown first.
- Partial matches: your term appears as the start of a longer word (searching "Alp" can return "Alpha"). Partial matching cannot be switched off. With a single term it applies to that term; with several terms it applies only to the LAST term, and earlier terms must match for that multi-term partial result. The user guide's example: "Alpha Gam" can find "Alpha Gamma" but not "Beta Gamma".
- Fuzzy matches: close spellings and small variations, useful for alternate spellings and transliterations. Fuzzy search is OFF by default; you turn it on with a tick box next to the search bar. It does not run on 1-2 character terms, allows 1 different character for 3-4 character terms, and up to 2 for terms of 5 or more characters.
Results are ranked exact first, then partial, then fuzzy; within each group a relevance score (term frequency times inverse document frequency) orders entries. This relevance score is about search behavior only; it is not a legal-risk score. Matches are highlighted in the results grid so you can see why an entry matched and in which field; "More info" shows matches in other fields.
Two behaviors are worth knowing before you search:
- Unquoted terms are independent. Searching Alpha Bravo returns entries containing alpha OR bravo. To force one exact phrase in order, use double quotation marks. Be careful with quotes: the list stores some data types in more than one format, so an exact-phrase search can produce a false negative. The user guide's own example: the "name" field puts the last name ahead of first names, while "Other information" typically puts first names first.
- Always search unfiltered first. Filters exist for regime, date designated, designation source, designation type and sanctions imposed, but filtering early can hide the entry you need. A person may be designated under a thematic regime rather than their native country's regime, and filters can hide individuals mentioned inside entity records. The tool cannot run a blank search; searching for UK UN returns every listed entry, because every designated person or specified ship is designated by the UK, the UN, or both.
Each search generates a unique URL you can bookmark or share. Results behind a shared URL are not static: they can change when the list is updated.
A fictional worked example
This is a made-up example used only to illustrate search behavior; no actual search result or real company is being described. Take the invented name "Aldermere Trading":
- Search the illustrative name Aldermere Trading without filters. The unquoted terms are searched independently for exact matches. Partial matching applies to the final term, with the earlier term(s) also required for that partial-match behavior, as described in the official user guide.
- If nothing comes back and the name might be spelled differently (a transliterated name, or one you only heard spoken), tick the fuzzy box and search again to look for the spelling variations the tool supports; this does not guarantee every alias or transliteration is found.
- Avoid searching "Aldermere Trading" in quotes as your first attempt: if the list holds the name in a different word order or format, the exact-phrase search can miss it.
- Only then, if you have too many results, narrow with filters - for example designation type or regime - knowing that filtering can also hide a relevant entry.
What a no-match does not show
A no-match result does not clear a company or person:
- The list changes over time. A shared or bookmarked search URL shows the current list, and a party can be designated after you looked.
- Fuzzy search is off by default, so a differently spelled or transliterated name can be missed.
- Quoted searches can return false negatives when the same data is stored in a different format.
- UK financial sanctions reach beyond listed names. Under the OFSI general guidance, asset-freeze prohibitions also cover funds and economic resources of a person who is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a designated person. A counterparty can be within scope without its own name appearing in the list.
A search of the list is one input to your own checks, not a clearance, and this guide is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
The official user guide states that using the search tool or its results does not reduce due-diligence obligations or civil or criminal liability.
Where Dutiful fits
Dutiful's Company Report brings together supported registry facts, a company-level, name-only OFAC SDN and UK Sanctions List screen, and a news and web scan, with sources and stated limits. Registry fields vary by country; officers, owners and filings are included only where supported. US coverage is limited to SEC-reporting entities; Canada coverage is limited to federal corporations under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA). EU and UN sanctions lists are not screened. You can check coverage for a company name and country for free before paying.
A report like this does not establish ownership or control clearance, broader sanctions compliance or legal advice, and it does not replace searching the official list yourself. If you need sanctions compliance advice, speak to a qualified adviser.
Sources
Related Dutiful guides: OFAC SDN check, United Kingdom company check