OFAC Sanctions Screening - SDN List Search for KYC/AML Compliance

Screen individuals, companies, and organizations against the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. Built for compliance teams, banks, fintechs, and KYC/AML workflows that need fast, reliable sanctions checks on counterparties, customers, and vendors.

Reads directly from the official OFAC data feed. No API key required. Returns aliases, addresses, passport and national ID numbers, sanctions programs, and OFAC remarks for every match.

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What You Get

Each result is one SDN entry matching your search criteria.

Field	Type	Description
uid	integer	OFAC unique identifier for the SDN entry
name	string	Primary name on the SDN list
title	string	Title or position (individuals), if listed
sdnType	string	Individual or Entity
programs	array	Sanctions programs (e.g. SDGT, IRAN, RUSSIA-EO14024, DPRK)
remarks	string	OFAC-provided remarks and additional context
aliases	array	Alternate names (AKA/FKA) with type and category
addresses	array	Known addresses including city, country, and postal code
ids	array	Government-issued IDs: passport numbers, national IDs, tax IDs, vessel registration
dateOfBirth	string	Date of birth (individuals)
placeOfBirth	string	Place of birth (individuals)
nationalities	array	Listed nationalities
citizenships	array	Listed citizenships

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Sample Output

{
  "uid": 7889,
  "name": "AL QAEDA",
  "sdnType": "Entity",
  "programs": ["SDGT"],
  "remarks": "Formerly listed as AL QA'IDA. All offices worldwide.",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "uid": 7890,
      "type": "a.k.a.",
      "category": "strong",
      "lastName": "AL-QAIDA"
    },
    {
      "uid": 7891,
      "type": "a.k.a.",
      "category": "strong",
      "lastName": "THE BASE"
    }
  ],
  "addresses": [
    {
      "uid": 12034,
      "country": "Afghanistan"
    }
  ],
  "ids": []
}

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Who Uses This

Compliance teams at banks and credit unions running name checks before onboarding new business customers or processing wire transfers to high-risk jurisdictions.

Fintech and payments companies automating sanctions screening in customer onboarding flows, transaction monitoring, and KYC verification pipelines.

Corporate legal and procurement teams screening vendors, suppliers, and counterparties before executing contracts or disbursing funds.

Due diligence and background check providers adding OFAC verification to investigative reports on individuals and businesses.

RegTech developers integrating SDN list data into compliance software, risk scoring engines, or automated alert systems.

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How to Use

Screen a single name

{
  "searchTerm": "Wagner Group",
  "maxResults": 100
}

Filter by country

{
  "searchTerm": "Ivan",
  "country": "Russia",
  "entityType": "Individual",
  "maxResults": 50
}

Filter by sanctions program

{
  "searchTerm": "Bank",
  "program": "IRAN",
  "entityType": "Entity",
  "maxResults": 100
}

Broad program sweep (no name filter)

{
  "program": "DPRK",
  "entityType": "Entity",
  "maxResults": 500
}

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Input Reference

Parameter	Type	Description
searchTerm	string	Name of the individual or entity to screen. Case-insensitive. Partial matches included. Leave blank to retrieve all entries matching other filters.
country	string	Filter by country. Matches against address and ID country fields (e.g. Iran, Russia, North Korea).
program	string	Filter by OFAC sanctions program. Partial match (e.g. SDGT, IRAN, UKRAINE-EO13661, RUSSIA-EO14024, DPRK).
entityType	string	Filter by type: Individual or Entity. Leave blank for all.
maxResults	integer	Maximum results to return. Default: 100. Max: 1000.

All parameters are optional and combinable. A run with no filters returns the full SDN list up to maxResults.

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Sanctions Programs Covered

The SDN list covers 40+ active sanctions programs. Common ones include:

Program	Description
SDGT	Specially Designated Global Terrorists
IRAN	Iran sanctions
RUSSIA-EO14024	Russia / Ukraine-related (Executive Order 14024)
UKRAINE-EO13661	Ukraine-related (Executive Order 13661)
DPRK	North Korea sanctions
CUBA	Cuba sanctions
SYRIA	Syria sanctions
VENEZUELA	Venezuela-related
SDNTK	Narcotics Trafficking Kingpins
TCO	Transnational Criminal Organizations

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Cost Estimate

Pricing is $0.002 per result.

Run size	Estimated cost
10 results	~$0.02
100 results	~$0.20
500 results	~$1.00
1,000 results	~$2.00

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Output Formats

Results are available in JSON, CSV, and Excel from the Apify dataset viewer. Integrate downstream via the Apify API or webhooks.

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FAQ

Does this require an API key? No. OFAC publishes the SDN list as a public data feed. This actor reads directly from that feed with no credentials required.

How current is the data? The actor fetches the live OFAC SDN data on every run. The SDN list is updated by OFAC on an irregular schedule — typically within hours of a new designation. Results reflect the state of the list at the time of the run.

What is the difference between AKA "strong" and "weak"? OFAC categorizes aliases by confidence. "Strong" aliases are high-confidence alternate names routinely used by the designated party. "Weak" aliases are lower-confidence variants or transliterations.

Can I use this for automated transaction screening? Yes. The actor is designed for batch and automated workflows. Combine with Apify schedules or the API to run checks on demand as part of a larger pipeline.

What does the remarks field contain? OFAC-provided free text with additional context: former names, organizational relationships, geographic scope, vessel details, and other designator notes.

What ID types appear in the ids array? Common types include: Passport, National ID Number, Tax ID Number, Vessel Registration Ownership Document, Certificate of Incorporation, and others. Each entry includes the ID number, issuing country, and issue/expiration dates where available.