OFAC SDN search
SDN List Search That Reads Every Alias
An SDN list search checks a name against the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List kept by OFAC. If a person or company is on it, their property is blocked and U.S. persons generally may not deal with them. OfacScanner searches every SDN alias in seconds.
How one SDN candidate is scored
ReviewSpelling, word order and sound
Matched a listed AKA in Latin form
Customer born 1991, entry lists 1964
Nationality differs from the entry
Example data. A strong alias match with a date of birth that does not fit usually ends in Review.
What is an SDN list search
The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the SDN list, is the main sanctions list published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. It names individuals, companies, vessels and aircraft tied to sanctions programs such as counter terrorism, narcotics trafficking, cyber activity and country programs.
When a party is on the SDN list, any of its property that comes into the possession or control of a U.S. person is blocked, and U.S. persons generally may not do business with it. A Specially Designated Nationals search, often just called an OFAC SDN search, is how a business confirms that a new customer, vendor or payee is not one of them.
The search sounds simple. In practice the list holds many spellings of the same name, and the people on it rarely use the exact spelling you have on file. That is where most of the work is.
How an SDN entry is built
Knowing the parts of an entry makes a search result much easier to judge.
Every SDN entry has a primary name and a type. Most also carry details that you can compare against your own customer data.
Aliases
Listed parties often have several AKAs, sometimes marked as weak or strong. A good search checks every one of them, not only the primary name.
Program codes
Codes such as SDGT, SDNTK or CYBER2 show which sanctions program the listing falls under. They help you understand why the party is listed.
Identifying details
Dates and places of birth, nationality, passport and national ID numbers, addresses, and for vessels the IMO number, flag and call sign.
Remarks
Free text notes, for example links to other listed parties or a prior name of a company.
Three names, three different outcomes
The same search returns very different ratings once you add type, date of birth and country.
Names you search
- Harbor Line Trading, organization, United Arab Emirates
- Ivan Zarevkin, individual, born 1991
- Example Ship Aurora, vessel
Result
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Harbor Line Trading
Nearest candidate scores below threshold
52/100 Clear -
Ivan Zarevkin
Alias match, but birth year is far off
78/100 Review -
Example Ship Aurora
Listed vessel name matches exactly
100/100 Exact match
Example data for illustration. Real results show the SDN entry, its program code and the date of the list version used.
How to run an SDN list search
The same four steps work for a single customer or a daily routine.
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01
Enter the full name
Use the legal name from an ID or company register. Matching removes suffixes like GmbH, OOO or JSC on its own.
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02
Set the type and facts
Choose individual, organization, vessel or any, then add date of birth and country to raise or lower the score.
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03
Check the matched alias
Look at which alias produced the score and compare the listed details with your data.
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04
Decide and save
Clear the name with a reason or escalate it. The evidence record keeps the SDN list version, time and user.
Why a scored SDN search beats exact matching
Spelling variants meet
Spelling distance, word order and phonetic similarity combine into one score, so Abdulrahman and Abd al Rahman are compared fairly.
Every alias searched
All AKAs on the entry are checked, and the result tells you which one matched.
Fewer false alarms
A person is never scored high against a vessel, and a date of birth that does not fit lowers the score.
Proof built in
Each search stores the score breakdown and a PDF certificate for audits and bank partners.
The SDN list is not the only OFAC list
OFAC also publishes consolidated non-SDN lists such as the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications and Foreign Sanctions Evaders lists. OfacScanner searches all of them together, as described on our OFAC sanctions list search page. Search results support your decision. The final call belongs to your team, and OfacScanner is not affiliated with OFAC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
SDN list search questions
Another question? Write to [email protected].
What does SDN stand for?
How often does the SDN list change?
Is an OFAC SDN search enough for a new customer?
Why does a common name return so many candidates?
Can I search vessels on the SDN list?
Keep exploring
Screen your first name in seconds
Type a person or company name, see the risk rating and top candidates from the current OFAC list, and keep the evidence when you sign up.
Results support your compliance decisions, and the final decision stays with your team. OfacScanner is not affiliated with OFAC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.