diff --git a/syft/pkg/license.go b/syft/pkg/license.go
index ae311a13c..25341c9e4 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/license.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/license.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package pkg
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/scylladb/go-set/strset"
 
@@ -112,7 +114,12 @@ func NewLicenseFromURLs(value string, urls ...string) License {
 	s := strset.New()
 	for _, url := range urls {
 		if url != "" {
-			s.Add(url)
+			sanitizedURL, err := stripUnwantedCharacters(url)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Tracef("unable to sanitize url=%q: %s", url, err)
+				continue
+			}
+			s.Add(sanitizedURL)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -122,13 +129,28 @@ func NewLicenseFromURLs(value string, urls ...string) License {
 	return l
 }
 
+func stripUnwantedCharacters(rawURL string) (string, error) {
+	cleanedURL := strings.TrimSpace(rawURL)
+	_, err := url.ParseRequestURI(cleanedURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid URL: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return cleanedURL, nil
+}
+
 func NewLicenseFromFields(value, url string, location *file.Location) License {
 	l := NewLicense(value)
 	if location != nil {
 		l.Locations.Add(*location)
 	}
 	if url != "" {
-		l.URLs = append(l.URLs, url)
+		sanitizedURL, err := stripUnwantedCharacters(url)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Tracef("unable to sanitize url=%q: %s", url, err)
+		} else {
+			l.URLs = append(l.URLs, sanitizedURL)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return l
diff --git a/syft/pkg/license_test.go b/syft/pkg/license_test.go
index 2322712b6..3f967f348 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/license_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/license_test.go
@@ -226,3 +226,39 @@ func TestLicense_Merge(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestLicenseConstructors(t *testing.T) {
+	type input struct {
+		value string
+		urls  []string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		input    input
+		expected License
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "License URLs are stripped of newlines and tabs",
+			input: input{
+				value: "New BSD License",
+				urls: []string{
+					`
+						http://user-agent-utils.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/UserAgentUtils/LICENSE.txt
+									
+					`},
+			},
+			expected: License{
+				Value: "New BSD License",
+				Type:  license.Declared,
+				URLs:  []string{"http://user-agent-utils.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/UserAgentUtils/LICENSE.txt"},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := NewLicenseFromURLs(test.input.value, test.input.urls...)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expected, got)
+		})
+	}
+}