Type a name, get a result. We check the SDN List and the Consolidated Screening List, plus seven more, and handle the usual alias and spelling drift. Free for single lookups.
An OFAC sanctions list search checks a name against the lists maintained by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control. In practice that means two lists: the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and the Consolidated Screening List. A hit tells you the person or entity is subject to U.S. sanctions. SanctScan runs the lookup across nine sanctions lists, returns confidence-scored results, and is free for the first 25 checks each month.
Three steps. You won't need more.
Paste an individual, company, or vessel name into the search box. No account needed for a one-off lookup.
We run the query against the SDN List, the Consolidated Screening List, and six more global sanctions lists in one pass.
Each hit comes back with a confidence score, the source list, matched aliases, and full entity details. Triage takes seconds.
Under the hood: we normalize the query (case, diacritics, token order), run exact plus fuzzy matching against the full sanctions database, and score candidates using name similarity, alias overlap, and whatever identifiers are on the record. It's the same engine the API, bulk CSV, and continuous monitoring all call into. A manual search produces the exact same output an automated one would.
One search hits every major sanctions list, not only OFAC.
OFAC's main list. Individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft that U.S. persons can't do business with.
Foreign Sanctions Evaders, Sectoral Sanctions Identifications, Palestinian Legislative Council, and the Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions list.
Commerce's aggregated list: Entity List, Denied Persons, Unverified, Military End User, plus the State Department lists.
EU sanctions designations, enforced across all 27 member states.
UN sanctions that bind every member state. Covers terrorism, DPRK, Libya, ISIL/Al-Qaida, and other regimes.
UK financial sanctions, maintained by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.
Canadian (OSFI), Australian (DFAT), Swiss (SECO), and Japanese MoF sanctions lists. For anyone operating across borders.
Both lists get lumped together under "OFAC sanctions list search." Their legal scope isn't the same.
| Dimension | SDN List | Consolidated Screening List |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | OFAC (Treasury) | Commerce, aggregating OFAC + State + BIS |
| Scope | Comprehensive asset block | Export controls + non-SDN sanctions |
| Enforcement | Strict liability, global reach over U.S. persons | Program-specific, primarily export-focused |
| Typical use case | Customer/counterparty screening | Export licensing, shipping party checks |
Searching only the SDN List misses export-control hits flagged by the Entity List. SanctScan runs both on every query. You get the SDN hit and the CSL hit in the same result set, each tagged with its source so you can tell which sanctions regime actually applies.
OFAC pushes SDN updates throughout the week. Frequency spikes around executive orders and geopolitical events.
We pull the canonical list feed every 24 hours, so your search matches whatever OFAC last published.
We read OFAC's SDN XML feed and the Commerce CSL API directly. No third-party repackaging sitting in between.
Given that cadence, one search today doesn't tell you much about tomorrow. Turn on continuous monitoring for anyone you want to keep track of, and we'll rerun the search on every list update and ping you by email or webhook if the match state changes. Official Treasury guidance lives at ofac.treasury.gov/faqs.
It's checking a name against the lists that the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control maintains. In practice that's the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and the Consolidated Screening List. A search returns every record that matches the name you typed, plus any known aliases, transliterations, or close spellings on file.
Yes. Single-name searches are free, and you get 25 of them per month without a credit card. If you need automated screening, API access, bulk CSV, or continuous monitoring, paid plans start at $19/month.
The SDN List is OFAC's flagship list: individuals and entities that U.S. persons are flat-out prohibited from doing business with. Think terrorists, narcotics traffickers, people tied to sanctioned regimes. The Consolidated Screening List is broader. It's a Commerce Department aggregation that pulls in OFAC's non-SDN programs plus lists from the State Department and the Bureau of Industry and Security. If you're searching only one of the two, you're missing hits. A decent OFAC search checks both.
Often. Typically several times a week, and sometimes several times a day during active geopolitical events. Each update can add names, remove delisted entries, or rewrite identifying information on records you've already seen. SanctScan pulls the canonical feed every 24 hours, so any search you run reflects what OFAC last published.
Yes. Fuzzy matching handles transliterations ('Viktor' vs 'Victor'), common misspellings, swapped word order, partial matches, and the a.k.a. field on each SDN record. Every result ships with a confidence score, so you can look at the likely hits first and skip anything weak.
OFAC enforces strict liability. A business can be penalized for transacting with a sanctioned party even if it had no idea the party was sanctioned. Standard practice is screening every new customer at onboarding, rescreening existing customers when the list changes, and checking counterparties before payments go out. Continuous monitoring is how you stop doing that manually. SanctScan rescreens saved entities each time the lists update.
If the match is real, you generally need to block the transaction, freeze any associated assets, and file a blocking report with OFAC within 10 business days. Depending on the facts, a SAR to FinCEN may also be in order. If the match turns out to be a false positive (same name, different person), you still need to document why you cleared it. SanctScan's PDF report captures the query, the results, and your resolution note so a regulator can follow the trail later.
Yes. SanctScan has a REST API that takes JSON queries and returns scored results with the matched list, full entity metadata, and aliases. It handles batch screening, webhook callbacks for monitoring alerts, and paginated bulk exports. API access comes with the Starter plan and above.
Free plan gets you 25 automated screenings a month. Bulk CSV upload, continuous monitoring, and audit-ready PDF reports all included.
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