How to check a name against the OFAC list (and keep a record)
US persons and companies may not do business with people and entities on the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, and many payment, shipping and banking partners expect you to have checked. The check itself takes a minute; the part people skip is keeping a record. This guide covers both.
1. Type the name the way it appears on the document
Use the name on the invoice, contract, passport or wire instruction, not a nickname. For companies include the distinctive words but do not worry about suffixes such as Ltd, LLC or GmbH: a good matcher ignores them. For people, first and last name are enough; a middle name helps only when the listing has it too.
If you know the country or the year of birth, add them. They do not change what is searched; they tell you whether a hit is plausible (a 1960 listing is not your 1992 customer).
2. Read the result by grade, not by score alone
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| Exact | The name you typed equals a listed name (or a strong alias) after normalisation. Treat as a hit until you have compared identity details. |
| Possible | Very similar (about 90% or more), or an exact match on a weak alias such as initials. Review the entry; many are false positives on common names. |
| Weak | Loosely similar, or a weak alias only. Usually a false positive, but it is in the record so you can show you saw it. |
| No match | Nothing on the two lists resembled the name at the time of the check. Not clearance; see the limits below. |
3. Compare what the listing says with what you know
- Programs: which sanctions program the entry falls under (Russia, counter-terrorism, narcotics, Iran and so on). Does it fit your counterparty's business and location at all?
- Country and addresses: open the official entry and compare the addresses and nationality.
- Date of birth, passport or ID numbers: for individuals these settle most cases.
- Entity type: a vessel or an aircraft with the same name as a company is not your company.
- If it still looks like your counterparty, stop the transaction and contact OFAC's online Compliance Hotline (ofac.treasury.gov/ofac-compliance-hotline) or your bank's compliance team. Do not tell the counterparty they are on a list before you have talked to a professional.
4. Keep a record
A screening record should let someone else see, months later, that you checked, what you checked and against which version of the list. It needs:
- The exact query and any hints you used.
- Date and time of the check (UTC is fine, just be consistent).
- The list version: the OFAC publication date of the SDN and Consolidated files, ideally a version id.
- The outcome and, for hits, the entries you reviewed and why you decided they were not your counterparty.
- Who ran the check. Store it with the order, contract or donation file.
5. Re-check when it matters
The lists change two or three days a week on average (see how often OFAC updates the SDN list). A check is a snapshot. Re-screen recurring counterparties on a schedule (monthly is common for small businesses) and before large or unusual transactions. If you have more than a handful of names, a watchlist that re-screens them after every list update and emails only new hits saves time and leaves a monthly record.
Free: one name against the SDN and Consolidated lists with a printable record. Watchlist: up to 100 names re-screened after every list update.
Free search PricingFAQ
Do I have to screen every customer?
US sanctions apply to everyone in the US regardless of size, so a match with a listed person is a problem whether or not you screened. How much screening is reasonable depends on your exposure: international customers, payees and donors are the usual focus. Many businesses screen all new counterparties once and recurring ones periodically.
Does 'no match' mean the person is cleared?
No. It means the name did not resemble a listed name at that time. Transliterations, nicknames, maiden names and listings on other countries' lists (EU, UK, UN) are not covered, and a new designation can appear the next day.
What if I get a possible match on a very common name?
Compare the identity details (country, date of birth, identifiers). If none of them fit, document that and proceed. If some fit or you cannot tell, ask OFAC's hotline or a compliance professional before completing the transaction.
How long should I keep screening records?
OFAC's record-keeping rule is five years for records of transactions subject to the regulations; keeping the screening record with the transaction file for that long is the simplest approach.
Updated 2026-10-22. General information, not legal advice.