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Search the party’s legal name and aliases in OFAC’s Sanctions List Search, then compare any possible match against the full list entry and reliable identity details. Do not stop at the name: check ownership, the sanctions program and the whole payment chain. A search result is a screening alert, not by itself a legal decision that a transaction is prohibited or allowed.
What should you identify before screening?
Start with the transaction you are considering and the legal entities involved. For a payment provider, the company you contract with may not be the only relevant party: identify other banks, processors, beneficiaries and intermediaries in the payment route when that information is available.
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- Record the counterparty’s legal name, jurisdiction, known aliases or former names, registration details and address.
- Identify known owners and parent companies, and gather reliable information about the ownership chain.
- Map the payment route and note the parties, locations and services involved.
- Keep the source and date of the information you use, so you can distinguish verified details from assumptions.
How do you search OFAC’s lists?
For an individual lookup
- Open OFAC’s Sanctions List Search.
- Search the party’s legal name and any known aliases. The tool uses fuzzy name matching to surface possible matches, so a result is an alert to review rather than a finding that the party is sanctioned.
- Open any plausible result and inspect the full entry, including its list type, program information, aliases and identifiers.
OFAC says the search covers the SDN List and consolidated non-SDN lists. For current downloadable list data and information about using it, consult OFAC’s Sanctions List Service and FAQ 91 on the lists OFAC maintains. OFAC describes the public search as intended for individual lookups, not continuous automated queries. Organizations screening repeatedly should choose a workflow and data source suited to their volume and needs.
For a possible match
Compare the entry with reliable records for the actual person or company. Depending on what is available, relevant details can include nationality, date or place of birth, passport or tax identification numbers, company registration numbers and addresses. A similar name alone can be a false positive; matching details across multiple identifiers call for escalation under your organization’s procedures. OFAC says it does not confirm matches or false positives for users; see its FAQ 5 on determining whether a match is valid, updated September 9, 2026.
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Why isn’t a clean name search enough?
Check who owns the company
Under OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule, an entity is blocked if one or more blocked persons own 50 percent or more of it in aggregate, directly or indirectly—even if the entity is not listed under its own name. Trace the ownership chain and assess how interests combine; indirect ownership can be fact-specific, and not every partial ownership chain produces the same result. OFAC explains the rule and indirect-ownership examples in FAQ 401. A company’s absence from search results alone does not establish that it is unblocked.
Look beyond the SDN List
OFAC maintains multiple lists, and a non-SDN listing may carry restrictions different from SDN blocking. Read the entry and the rules for its list and program instead of treating every search hit as having the same legal effect. OFAC also does not maintain a single “countries you cannot do business with” list: sanctions can target geographic areas, specific parties, sectors or activities. Check the current program information and applicable rules for the transaction’s parties, locations, services and payment route using OFAC’s country and sanctions program information.
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How do you decide what to do with an alert?
- Pause and review. Follow your organization’s sanctions procedures for a plausible alert; do not treat an automated score or a provider’s “clean” claim as a final determination.
- Resolve identity and ownership. Compare available identifiers, verify the entity and ownership chain, and document why the alert is or is not a valid match.
- Assess the transaction under the applicable rules. Check the list and program, jurisdictional facts, payment route, and whether an exemption or authorization applies. Some prohibited transactions require property to be blocked; others require a transaction to be rejected or stopped when there is no blockable interest. Blocking and rejection are distinct outcomes, so confirm the governing program rules and reporting requirements.
- Escalate uncertainty. If identity, ownership, authorization or the applicable rule is unclear, use your compliance or legal review process before proceeding.
OFAC’s FAQ 5 says that actions blocking property or rejecting transactions due to sanctions must be reported within 10 business days, subject to the governing regulations and applicable reporting process. Check those requirements for the specific action rather than assuming every alert triggers the same report.
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How should a business choose a screening workflow?
For an occasional manual check, the public search can help identify possible list matches, but it does not replace ownership analysis or review of the transaction context. For recurring or high-volume screening, compare available approaches against your organization’s actual needs:
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- How many parties and transactions must be screened, and how quickly must alerts be resolved?
- Which lists, aliases and ownership information are covered, and how often is the data updated?
- Can the workflow document identifier comparisons, decisions, escalations and changes over time?
- Does it fit your payment systems, geographies, internal controls and applicable requirements?
OFAC does not prescribe one universal screening system, match threshold or screening frequency. Its guidance says compliance controls should fit the organization’s circumstances; see Starting an OFAC Compliance Program and FAQ 560 on payment-related obligations. The public single-user search is not a substitute for a system designed for continuous automated screening.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What records should you keep, and when should you check again?
Keep an accurate record of the screening date, lists and program information consulted, identifiers compared, ownership evidence, source data and the reason for your decision. Refresh screening according to a risk-based policy and when relevant ownership, party or transaction facts change. Lists and programs can change, so an earlier clear result is not proof of a party’s current status. OFAC’s guidance on intermediary diligence emphasizes that a financial institution should assess its own relevant customers and their ownership; the specific intermediary-bank FAQ does not create a blanket exemption for payment processors or other intermediaries. See FAQ 116.
This is general due-diligence guidance, not a determination about a particular provider or payment. The result depends on the parties’ identities and ownership, the payment chain, jurisdictional facts, applicable sanctions rules and any available authorization or exemption.
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