How to perform an OFAC search and review the result

Prepare the identity and the reason for the check

For a public name lookup without an account, use the free OFAC and sanctions search. Select OFAC SDN and non-SDN, inspect the datasets actually searched and open the source evidence. Public lookup does not create a private screening decision or saved review.

Start with the legal party your team needs to check. Keep the deal or customer reference separate from the subject's name. Decide which sources, reviewer and business checkpoint the approved procedure requires.

Open SanctionsKit New screening. Use fictional subjects in Sandbox to practice. Actual checks need authorized Production access and the required available sources.

Choosing a tool for recurring checks? Compare OFAC screening software for source selection, saved evidence and team review. Check pricing for production capacity, or try the synthetic demo before creating a workspace.

Enter only facts you know

For a company, look up its LEI and registered identity and compare the record with the documents you hold. An LEI identifies the entity; it does not establish sanctions status or complete beneficial ownership.

Add the name, subject type and reliable distinguishing details. If you know only a birth year, do not invent a month and day. Include an identifier's type and issuer where known so reviewers can compare like with like.

Under Save for future checks, choose This screening only, Use a saved profile or Create a saved profile. Check a saved profile before using it. Correct stale identity details in Counterparties rather than carrying them into another check.

Confirm the required coverage

Under Source coverage, select the approved policy. Choose sources directly only when your permissions and procedure allow it. The SDN and non-SDN sources are separate, so confirm which are required and currently available.

Keep an unavailable required source visible as a failure. Removing it changes the scope rather than completing the original check. See source discovery and the OFAC API guide for integration details.

Run the search and inspect its status

Run screening and read the outcome with its coverage details. A completed result records the versions used. A source failure or other error is an incomplete operation, not evidence that there were no candidates.

Open any potential match in the Review queue. You can inspect the retained result and source evidence there without building your own file-import process.

Explain the match decision

Compare every candidate with the correct subject. Use reliable identifiers and comparable dates; treat missing information as unknown. A high score does not establish identity or decide whether an activity is permitted. OFAC FAQ 5 gives the authority's match-assessment guidance.

Record the identity finding, complete required outside checks, and enter the separate business decision. Finish any independent approval. If policy opens a case for a no-match, that case still needs its required work.

Keep the record and handle later changes

Save the result ID with your customer or deal record. Link original documents from approved storage and use evidence exports for the retained screening and review facts.

For ongoing checks, create a monitor and confirm its first screening completes. Corrected identity details require a new result. Keep the earlier evidence; narrowing a search to make a candidate disappear does not resolve the earlier finding.

Frequently asked questions