# UK Insolvency Register Search (`spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search`) Actor

Search the UK Official Individual Insolvency Register for bankruptcies, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), Debt Relief Orders (DROs) and Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search.md
- **Developed by:** [Dan](https://apify.com/spookyweb) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Automation, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 4 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$35.00/month + usage

To use this Actor, you pay a monthly rental fee to the developer. The rent is subtracted from your prepaid usage every month after the free trial period.You also pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher Apify subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#rental-actors

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## UK Insolvency Register Search

Search the **UK Official Individual Insolvency Register** for bankruptcies, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), Debt Relief Orders (DROs) and Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders.

Returns structured data including name, address, case number, insolvency type, date and court. All data is public from the Insolvency Service and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

***

### What this actor does

- Searches the official Individual Insolvency Register at insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk
- Supports searching by individual name or sole trader trading name
- Returns complete insolvency history records
- Filters by insolvency type (bankruptcy, IVA, DRO, BRO)
- Automatic pagination through result pages
- Clean structured JSON/CSV output

***

### Example use cases

**Credit teams** — Screen potential customers or suppliers for insolvency history before extending credit or entering contracts.

**Debt recovery agencies** — Identify bankruptcy filings and insolvency appointments for enforcement decisions.

**Claims management firms** — Find individuals with recent IVA or DRO filings for potential client outreach.

**Due diligence & background checks** — Verify financial history of directors, partners or key individuals in M\&A, investment or hiring decisions.

**Suppliers & trade credit** — Monitor key customer accounts for early warning signs of financial distress.

**Legal & compliance** — Bulk check directors or beneficial owners against insolvency register for AML/KYC compliance.

***

### Output fields

Each result contains:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Identity** | |
| `01_title` | Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms |
| `02_forename` | First name(s) |
| `03_surname` | Last name |
| `04_fullName` | Complete name as listed |
| `05_gender` | Male/Female |
| `06_dateOfBirth` | Date of birth |
| `07_alsoKnownAs` | Alternative names/aliases |
| **Address & Occupation** | |
| `08_lastKnownAddress` | Full address with city |
| `09_postcode` | UK postcode |
| `10_tradingName` | Business name for sole traders |
| `11_occupation` | Job/profession if listed |
| **Insolvency Details** | |
| `12_insolvencyType` | Bankruptcy, IVA, DRO or BRO |
| `13_caseNumber` | Official case reference number |
| `14_status` | Current status (discharged, active, suspended) |
| **Dates** | |
| `15_orderDate` | Date bankruptcy order made |
| `16_arrangementDate` | Date IVA arranged |
| `17_notificationDate` | Date notified to register |
| `18_year` | Year of insolvency |
| **Court & Officials** | |
| `19_court` | Court that made the order |
| `20_insolvencyServiceOffice` | Handling office location |
| `21_insolvencyPractitioner` | Appointed IP name |
| `22_firm` | IP's firm name |
| **Other** | |
| `23_caseDescription` | Full case summary |
| `24_detailsUrl` | Link to full record |

*Note: Column names include numeric prefixes to ensure correct display order in exports and previews.*

***

### Insolvency types explained

**Bankruptcy** — Court order where individual's assets are sold to pay creditors. Stays on register for 3 months after discharge (typically 12 months from order).

**Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)** — Formal agreement to repay creditors over time (usually 5-6 years). Stays on register for 3 months after completion.

**Debt Relief Order (DRO)** — For people with debts under £30,000, minimal assets and low income. Lasts 12 months. Stays on register for 3 months after end date.

**Bankruptcy Restrictions Order/Undertaking (BRO/BRU)** — Additional restrictions for bankrupts who acted improperly. Can last 2-15 years.

***

### Data source & licence

All data sourced from the [Individual Insolvency Register](https://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/eiir/) maintained by the Insolvency Service.

Published under the **Open Government Licence v3.0** — commercial use permitted with attribution.

**Attribution:** *Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.*

Full licence: [nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/)

***

### Performance

- Typical run for 50 results: 30-60 seconds
- Pagination supported for larger result sets
- Rate-limited to respect government servers

***

### Notes

- Searches England, Wales and Northern Ireland only (Scotland has separate register)
- Records remain on register for 3 months after discharge/completion
- Historic records may not be available
- Name matching is exact — use accurate spelling

# Actor input Schema

## `searchName` (type: `string`):

Individual's surname and forename, or trading name for sole traders. E.g. 'Smith John' or 'ABC Trading'

## `searchType` (type: `string`):

Type of insolvency to search for

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of records to return. Default 50, max 500.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchName": "Smith John",
  "searchType": "all",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchName": "Smith John"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "searchName": "Smith John" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchName": "Smith John"
}' |
apify call spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=spookyweb/uk-insolvency-register-search",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/plpt8ninJDNXcMDj3/builds/6a70eQVadnjCMNzaX/openapi.json