Practical guide
What is OFAC, and what does an OFAC check tell you?
Learn what OFAC does, how its sanctions lists fit into a customer check, and what to do with a possible match or a no-match result.
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What OFAC does
OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the U.S. Treasury. It administers and enforces U.S. economic and trade sanctions. Its lists help businesses identify people and organizations that may be subject to restrictions. A list search is one step in understanding whether those restrictions affect a business activity.
SanctionsKit helps you run that search and keep a record of the review. It does not issue government approval. OFAC publishes SDN and consolidated non-SDN data through its Sanctions List Service; those sources have different purposes.
Choose the sources for your check
Open New screening and check the environment. Sandbox uses invented records, so it is useful for practice but does not search live OFAC data. A real check needs authorized Production access and available coverage.
Select the policy your team has approved, or the required sources when your permissions allow. The ofac-sdn and ofac-non-sdn sources are separate. Learn what the SDN list contains before treating the two as interchangeable.
Enter the person or company you actually mean
Use the legal name, correct subject type, and reliable facts you already hold. Check a company separately from its director when both are required. For a recurring relationship, select Create a saved profile and add your own party ID in External reference.
A no_match means this comparison found no candidate in the selected coverage. A potential_match needs review. An error means the check is incomplete; it cannot support either conclusion.
Review identity before deciding what to do
Open a candidate in the Review queue. Read the complete source record and compare identifiers, dates and aliases with the subject. A similar name is a reason to investigate, not proof that the identities are the same.
Record the identity finding separately from the business decision. Ownership, countries and the planned activity may need further work even after a name check. OFAC explains the reach of its rules in FAQ 11; your responsible team applies them to the facts.
Keep the evidence and plan the next check
Find the result in Screening history. Save its ID with the customer record and use the evidence workflow to retrieve the retained facts and source versions.
For an ongoing relationship, use Monitoring under the approved policy. Confirm that its first check completes. For a full walkthrough, follow how to perform an OFAC search.
Sources and references
Frequently asked questions
What does OFAC stand for?
OFAC stands for the Office of Foreign Assets Control. It is part of the U.S. Treasury and administers and enforces U.S. economic and trade sanctions. Businesses use its published lists as part of their sanctions checks.
Does OFAC approve the customers I screen?
No. A screening result records a comparison against selected sources. OFAC has not approved your customer through that search, and a no-match does not resolve ownership restrictions or every issue with the planned activity.
Why are there two OFAC source choices?
The SDN list and the consolidated non-SDN lists cover different entries and restrictions. Choose the sources your approved procedure requires. A check against one does not establish that you searched the other.
Where should a first-time user start in SanctionsKit?
Start with an invented subject in Sandbox and follow the result into the Review queue. This shows how input, coverage and review connect. Use authorized Production access and verified available sources for an actual check.