Knowledge base
Plain answers about sanctions checks, and how to get the most out of OFACScreen.
Guides
OFAC basics
Learn the fundamentals of OFAC and how sanctions screening works.
- Is there a free OFAC search? How to check the SDN list without paying (or signing up) Yes, checking a name against the OFAC SDN List is free and legal for anyone. Here is an honest comparison of Treasury's official search tool and OFACScreen's free search, which covers all 14 sanctions and export-control lists with no signup, plus what free searches genuinely do not give you.
- What is OFAC? A complete guide OFAC is the Treasury Department office that enforces US economic sanctions. This guide covers what OFAC does, who has to comply, the penalties for violations, and how to build a screening program that keeps your business safe.
- Understanding the OFAC SDN list The SDN List is OFAC's primary sanctions list. Learn what it contains, how often it is updated, what types of entries appear on it, and what to do if you get a match.
Compliance
Regulatory requirements and how to build an effective compliance program.
- How much does OFAC screening cost? Pricing models compared (free to enterprise) OFAC screening ranges from free to thousands per year, and most vendors will not tell you which until you sit through a sales call. Here are the four real pricing models, actual dollar figures, and how to match your business to one.
- How to prove you ran an OFAC check: Documentation and audit trails that satisfy examiners A bank, title underwriter, or counterparty is asking for proof you screened someone against OFAC. Here is exactly what documentation examiners expect, how long you need to keep it, and how to generate an audit-ready record instead of assembling one by hand.
- Do you need to screen employees against the OFAC list? Hiring, HR, and staffing agency obligations No law says "screen every new hire against the OFAC list," but paying wages or benefits to a sanctioned person is a prohibited transaction regardless. What HR teams and staffing agencies actually need to do about it.
- What an examiner asks for, and which of it we give you A field-by-field account of what OFACScreen records, what it does not record, and which parts of a sanctions examination remain your job. Written so you can check every line against the product before you rely on it in front of a regulator.
- OFAC compliance for small businesses: A practical checklist A step-by-step OFAC compliance checklist for small businesses. Covers designating a compliance officer, implementing screening, documenting your program, and training your team.
- Building an effective OFAC compliance program: The five pillars An effective OFAC compliance program rests on five pillars: management commitment, risk assessment, internal controls, testing and audit, and training. Learn how to build each one.
- BSA/AML and OFAC: How these programs work together BSA/AML and OFAC compliance programs share common goals and often overlap. Learn how SAR filing, CTR reporting, and OFAC screening fit together in an integrated compliance approach.
Industry guides
OFAC compliance requirements for specific industries.
- Do law firms need to run OFAC checks? Sanctions screening for attorneys and legal practices OFAC applies to lawyers the same way it applies to banks: no exemption for legal services. Learn when representing a sanctioned client requires a specific license, why your trust account is a hidden exposure point, and how to build a screening program that fits a law practice.
- OFAC compliance for crypto exchanges and Web3 companies: Wallets, mixers, and the SDN list Crypto exchanges and Web3 companies are US persons subject to the same OFAC rules as banks, and OFAC has proven it with Tornado Cash, SUEX, and multi-hundred-million-dollar settlements. Here is how to screen users, wallets, and jurisdictions.
- OFAC screening for freight forwarders, carriers, and logistics companies: Who to screen and when Freight forwarders and carriers can be liable for a sanctions violation even when they never take title to the cargo. Here is exactly who to screen on a shipment, how to handle vessels and transshipment risk, and how to document it.
- OFAC compliance for banks and credit unions Banks and credit unions face the highest expectations for OFAC compliance. This guide covers BSA/AML integration, examiner expectations, the five pillars of compliance, and practical screening strategies.
- OFAC compliance for auto dealers Auto dealers are required to comply with OFAC regulations. Learn about cash reporting rules, vehicle sales screening requirements, CDD obligations, and common compliance mistakes dealers make.
- OFAC compliance for insurance companies Insurance companies face unique OFAC compliance challenges across policyholder screening, claims processing, and reinsurance. Learn about state and federal requirements and how to build an effective program.
- OFAC compliance for FinTech and payment companies FinTech and payment companies face growing OFAC compliance expectations. This guide covers MSB registration, real-time screening, customer onboarding, and maintaining bank partnerships.
- OFAC compliance for mortgage lenders Mortgage lenders must screen borrowers, co-signers, and other parties against OFAC lists at multiple points in the loan lifecycle. Learn when and how to screen effectively.
- Real estate and OFAC: Screening requirements for title companies Title companies play a key role in real estate OFAC compliance. Learn about FinCEN Geographic Targeting Orders, beneficial ownership requirements, and how to screen during the closing process.
Sanctions lists
Deep dives into the sanctions lists we screen against.
- Russia sanctions screening: How to check companies and individuals under the Russia programs Not every Russian company is sanctioned, and not every sanction is a full block. A practical guide to SDN vs. SSI, the 50% rule with oligarch-owned subsidiaries, US/EU/UK divergence, and how to actually run the check.
- Understanding OFAC sanctions programs: SDN, sectoral, and country-based OFAC administers multiple sanctions programs beyond the SDN List. Learn the differences between SDN, sectoral, and country-based programs and why your business needs to understand them.
- Beyond OFAC: Additional sanctions lists US businesses should know OFAC is not the only sanctions authority. Learn about the BIS Entity List, EU FSF, UN Consolidated List, the UK Sanctions List, and why US businesses should screen against these lists too.
Best practices
Tips and techniques for getting the most out of your screening program.
- How do I check a person or company against the OFAC SDN list? A step-by-step guide A concrete, step-by-step walkthrough of how to screen a name against the OFAC SDN list: what information to gather, how to read a match score, how to clear a false positive, and what to do if it is real.
- How often should you run OFAC screening? Rescreening frequency by risk level A clean OFAC result from last month is not a clean result today. OFAC updates its lists multiple times a week, and no regulation hands you a fixed rescreening schedule. Here is how to build a risk-based frequency you can defend, tiered from real-time to quarterly.
- How OFACScreen matches names The exact method behind every match OFACScreen returns: trigram similarity over a romanized name, ranked by score, with aliases searched alongside primary names, and exact matching for listed wallet addresses, ID numbers, email addresses, websites and phone numbers. Includes the default cut-off, the per-request API parameter, and the gaps we know about, including the one where Korean written in hanja is read as Chinese.
- How fuzzy matching works in sanctions screening Sanctions screening requires more than exact name matching. Learn how fuzzy matching techniques like trigram similarity, phonetic matching, and edit distance help catch matches that exact search would miss.
- How to handle an OFAC match: Step-by-step procedures When your screening returns a potential OFAC match, you need a clear process. This guide walks through verifying the match, blocking transactions, reporting to OFAC, and documentation requirements.
- Batch screening best practices: Screen your entire customer database Batch screening lets you check your entire customer database against sanctions lists at once. Learn best practices for CSV formatting, scheduling rescreens, handling results, and documentation.
- API integration guide: Adding OFAC screening to your application Add OFAC screening directly into your application with our REST API. This guide covers authentication, endpoints, code examples in Python and JavaScript, and error handling.
- Choosing the right OFAC screening software: A buyer's guide Not all OFAC screening tools are created equal. Learn what features to look for, what red flags to watch out for, the right questions to ask vendors, and how OFACScreen compares.
Regulatory updates
Updates and analysis on sanctions regulations affecting US businesses.
- Who is required to comply with OFAC? What 'all US persons' actually means for your business OFAC does not exempt small businesses, and it does not only apply to banks. It binds every US person, individuals and companies alike, with strict liability and no size threshold. Here is exactly who is covered, how that differs from BSA/AML, and what a proportionate compliance program looks like.
- The OFAC 50 percent rule explained: When a company is sanctioned without being on any list OFAC blocks any company owned 50% or more, directly or indirectly, by sanctioned persons, automatically, even if the company itself appears on no list. Here is how the aggregation and ownership rules work, why a clean name search does not cover ownership, and how to actually check who owns a counterparty before you do business with them.
- OFAC penalties and enforcement: What every business should know OFAC penalties can reach millions of dollars, and the agency operates under strict liability. Learn about civil and criminal penalties, recent enforcement actions, and the value of voluntary self-disclosure.
- The USA PATRIOT Act and OFAC: What every business should know The USA PATRIOT Act strengthened OFAC compliance requirements through CIP, CDD, and beneficial ownership rules. Learn how these provisions connect to your OFAC screening obligations.
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