What is the OFAC sanctions list?
When people say “the OFAC list,” they usually mean the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (the SDN List). In fact, the Office of Foreign Assets Control publishes several sanctions lists: the SDN List, with full blocking, and a group of narrower non-SDN lists combined in the Consolidated Sanctions List. Each list carries different legal consequences, so knowing which one a name appears on is the first step in understanding what is actually prohibited.
This guide explains what each OFAC list means, how the lists differ, how they relate to sanctioned countries and how to search them.
What Are the OFAC Sanctions Lists?
| List | Who is on it | Main effect | More on our site |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDN List | Individuals and companies acting for targeted countries; terrorists, narcotics traffickers, proliferators and others designated under thematic programs | Full blocking of property; U.S. persons generally may not deal with them | The SDN list explained |
| SSI List (Sectoral Sanctions Identifications) | Persons operating in designated sectors of the Russian economy | Only the activities described in OFAC’s sectoral directives are prohibited | SSI list guide |
| FSE List (Foreign Sanctions Evaders) | Foreign persons determined to have violated, or facilitated deceptive transactions in violation of, U.S. sanctions on Iran (E.O. 13608); the list is currently empty | U.S. persons may not deal with them; no blocking of property | FSE list guide |
| NS-MBS List (Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions) | Persons subject to less-than-full blocking sanctions | Specific measures chosen from a statutory “menu”, listed for each record | NS-MBS list guide |
| CAPTA List | Foreign financial institutions subject to correspondent account or payable-through account sanctions | U.S. banks may not maintain such accounts for them, or only under strict conditions | — |
| NS-CMIC List | Companies operating in the defense and related materiel or surveillance technology sectors of China’s economy (E.O. 14032) | U.S. persons may not purchase or sell their publicly traded securities, or securities that provide investment exposure to them | — |
| NS-PLC List | Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council elected on the slate of Hamas or another FTO, SDT or SDGT who are not SDNs | U.S. financial institutions are authorized (not required) to reject their transactions | — |
Data from these non-SDN lists is published together as the Consolidated Sanctions List, separately from the SDN List. According to OFAC, the FSE List has contained no entries since December 18, 2025, although names may be added again. The composition of the lists changes over time, so compliance teams should rely on OFAC’s current data rather than on any static copy.
How Does the SDN List Differ From the Consolidated Sanctions List?
The difference is the strength of the restriction. An SDN designation blocks all of the person’s property within U.S. jurisdiction and bars U.S. persons from almost any dealing with that person. An entry on a non-SDN list imposes only the specific measures attached to it — for example, a ban on certain debt or equity dealings with an SSI entity, or a ban on correspondent accounts for a CAPTA-listed bank. A company on the SSI List can still lawfully do other business with U.S. persons; an SDN generally cannot.
A person can appear on more than one list, and entities owned 50% or more, directly or indirectly and in the aggregate, by one or more SDNs are blocked even if unnamed (see OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule). That is why effective screening covers both the SDN List and the Consolidated Sanctions List and also looks at ownership.
Is the OFAC List a List of Countries?
Not exactly. OFAC administers country-based programs and thematic programs (terrorism, narcotics, cyber, human rights and others), but its lists name persons, companies, vessels and aircraft rather than whole countries. A small number of jurisdictions — such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea and the Crimea region and the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine — are subject to broad embargoes, while most other programs target specific people and sectors. For the current country picture, see our list of OFAC sanctioned countries.
Who Has to Comply With the OFAC Lists?
U.S. persons — U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are, entities organized under U.S. law and their foreign branches, and anyone in the United States — must comply. For Cuba and Iran, foreign entities owned or controlled by U.S. persons are covered as well. Non-U.S. companies are not directly bound by most OFAC prohibitions, but they are exposed when their transactions use U.S. banks or the U.S. dollar, when they cause a U.S. person to violate the rules, or when a program includes secondary sanctions. See who must comply with OFAC sanctions for details.
How Do You Search the OFAC Lists?
OFAC’s free Sanctions List Search covers both the SDN List and the Consolidated Sanctions List, and the full data can be downloaded from OFAC’s Sanctions List Service. Because the search uses fuzzy name matching, every result must be checked against the other identifiers before you treat it as a true match. Our step-by-step guide shows how to check a name against OFAC lists.
How Are Names Added to and Removed From the Lists?
Names are added by designation under a specific executive order or statute and removed when OFAC grants a request for reconsideration, when a program ends or when the basis for the designation no longer applies. A listed person may petition OFAC under 31 C.F.R. § 501.807; our guide explains how removal from the SDN list works.
Need Help With an OFAC List Issue?
If a payment has been blocked, a counterparty has turned out to be listed or your own name is on an OFAC list, our attorneys can identify which list and program apply, assess your exposure and prepare the next steps — from a license application to a delisting petition. Contact us for a confidential review.
FAQ
What is the OFAC sanctions list?
Usually the SDN List, whose entries are fully blocked; OFAC also publishes narrower non-SDN lists as the Consolidated Sanctions List.
Is the OFAC list the same as the SDN list?
Not entirely. The SDN List is the best-known OFAC list, but OFAC publishes the non-SDN lists separately in the Consolidated Sanctions List. Screening should cover both, and a name match should be checked to see which list and program it comes from.
Does the OFAC list include countries?
No — the lists name persons, companies, vessels and aircraft; country restrictions come from OFAC’s country-based programs.
Who is included in the OFAC lists?
Individuals, companies, organizations, vessels and aircraft (entries may also list crypto wallet addresses as identifiers) linked to sanctioned governments or designated under thematic programs such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, weapons proliferation, cyber activity, human rights abuse and corruption.
Where can I search the OFAC sanctions list?
In OFAC’s free Sanctions List Search, which covers both the SDN List and the Consolidated Sanctions List.
