The Government of the United Kingdom assumes responsibility for civilan Search and Rescue (SAR) within the UK and its aviation and maritime Search and Rescue Regions. The maritime responsibility arises from the UK Government's acceptance of the Convention of the High Seas 1958, of the International Conventions of  Safety of Life at Sea 1960 and 1974, and of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 1979 (as amended). The lead Government Department for UKSAR is the Department for Transport (DfT), which delegates the authority for responding to maritime incidents to HM Coastguard by the authority of the Coastguard Act 1925.

HM Coastguard is an on-call emergency organisation responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime SAR within the UK Maritime Search and Rescue Region. This includes the mobilisation, organisation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons either in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the United Kingdom.

The 19 Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) around the UK Coast form a network of command and control centres for responding to reports of maritime and coastal distress. MRCC watch-keeping staff provide a 24 hour service to mariners and coast users in receiving incoming disress calls, alerting the appropriate rescue assets, and co-ordinating the rescue effort.