Free OFAC search: check any name against the SDN list
Search the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list by name and see every match with its sanctions program, aliases and remarks. The list is loaded fresh from the US Treasury, aliases are searched automatically, and it is free with no signup.
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What is this OFAC search?
This tool searches the OFAC SDN list, thousands of sanctioned people, businesses, vessels and aircraft, including their registered aliases, which is where manual checks usually go wrong: a sanctioned party rarely appears under the exact spelling you have. Matches show the sanctions program, the entity type and the remarks OFAC publishes.
It is a screening aid, not a screening service. A hit here means stop and investigate; no hit means the exact name is not on this list today. Real compliance screening also covers the EU, UN and UK lists, PEP registers and adverse media, runs on every onboarding automatically and keeps an audit trail, which is what the PEP and sanctions API does.
Running lookups one at a time?
The API returns the same records as structured JSON. Every new key starts with 150 free lookups.
What is the OFAC SDN list?
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the US Treasury, administers American sanctions programs. Its central instrument is the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list: the SDN list. US persons are broadly prohibited from dealing with anyone on it, and their assets under US jurisdiction are blocked.
The reach is longer than it sounds: because so much trade clears through US banks or involves US dollars, non-US businesses screen against the SDN list too. OFAC also maintains consolidated non-SDN lists (sectoral sanctions, foreign sanctions evaders); a serious screening programme covers those alongside the SDN list itself.
How it works
person, business, vessel or aircraft, and run the search
every match shows its program, type, known aliases and OFAC remarks
A hit means investigate before you transact; screening at scale belongs in an automated flow with an audit trail
What people use this lookup for
check a counterparty before a one-off international payment
verify a new customer or supplier name against the SDN list
screen vessels and aircraft named in shipping documents
resolve aliases and program listings behind a name that raised a flag
Important notes
This search covers the OFAC SDN list including published aliases. It does not cover OFAC's consolidated non-SDN lists, or EU, UN and UK sanctions regimes. A result here is not legal advice and no substitute for a compliance programme.
The list is downloaded from the US Treasury and refreshed at least daily; the exact list date is shown with every search.
Frequently asked questions
Is this OFAC search free?
Yes, completely free with no signup. It searches the live SDN list including aliases. For automated screening of every onboarding, including EU, UN and UK lists, PEP registers and adverse media, see the PEP & sanctions API.
What does a match on the SDN list mean?
It means OFAC has designated a party with that name under a sanctions program. Confirm it is actually your counterparty (names collide), then stop the transaction and escalate to compliance. US persons are generally prohibited from dealing with SDN-listed parties.
What if I find no match?
No match means the exact name and its registered aliases are not on the SDN list today. It does not clear the party against other regimes (EU, UN, UK), PEP status or adverse media, and spelling variants beyond the registered aliases are not covered.
How current is the list?
The SDN list is fetched from the US Treasury and refreshed at least daily; every search shows the date of the list it ran against. OFAC updates the list irregularly, sometimes several times a week.
Can I screen every customer automatically?
That is exactly what the PEP & sanctions API is for: screening as a background step in your onboarding flow, across sanctions lists, PEP registers and adverse media, with every result recorded for the regulator.