OFAC SDN name screening: start free, then work locally
A name match is a lead to investigate, not a decision. Here is a practical first pass for a customer, vendor, counterparty, or beneficiary, with a repeatable local option when one check is no longer enough.
What to check first
Start with the exact name you have, including known aliases or spellings when available. Our free OFAC sanctions checker lets you screen a name without an account. It also accepts a crypto wallet address, but name matching and address matching answer different questions. Keep the input, source date, and result together so a later reviewer can see what was actually checked.
OFAC's own Sanctions List Search searches names on both the SDN List and the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List and uses fuzzy matching in its name field. Our local ofac-screen product is a first-pass SDN name workflow; do not treat it as a substitute for checking every OFAC list or for a compliance program.
No signup. The free web tool allows up to 20 checks per day.
Review a possible match
A similar name can belong to a different person or company. Open the full sanctions entry and compare the identifiers you actually have, such as aliases, address, date of birth, or place of incorporation. OFAC's guidance on assessing name matches says organizations should use their own sanctions procedures to investigate and resolve potential matches.
- Record the list and source date that produced the hit.
- Compare available identifiers with the complete official entry.
- Escalate unresolved or close matches under your organization's review procedure.
- Recheck the official source before relying on a screening result.
When a local CLI helps
For repeat, batch, or offline work, ofac-screen is a dependency-free Python command-line tool. It includes a bundled SDN/AKA sample, optional refresh from public Treasury data, stdin or file input, and JSON output for scripts. The sample makes first-run testing possible without a network call; a refreshed source is needed for current screening.
Local name-screening workflow: $9 suggested price, $5 minimum.
Need offline crypto wallet address checks instead? See the separate $29 wallet screening kit.
For an agent or API workflow, the paid sanctions_screen API handles names and wallets per call over x402 (USDC on Base). Prefer card billing instead? Subscribe on RapidAPI for the same sanctions-screening endpoint, billed by RapidAPI. Browse the full product catalog for prices and current availability.
Not official OFAC software or legal/compliance advice. These tools do not clear a person or transaction. Confirm important results against official OFAC sources and your organization's qualified review process.