OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals List identifies designated and blocked persons, organisations, groups and assets. Human- and machine-readable releases support screening, while each programme determines property-blocking and transaction prohibitions for a listed party or asset.
TL;DR:
- Lists parties and assets designated under OFAC sanctions authorities.
- Blocking generally freezes covered property under US jurisdiction or US-person control unless authorised.
- Unlisted entities can be blocked through ownership; blocking and rejecting payments are distinct actions.
Summary
Designations under particular sanctions authorities
The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List identifies parties and assets designated under OFAC-administered authorities. Entries carry programme information and identifiers relevant to interpretation. Under blocking measures, the legal framework governs property and interests in property within the relevant US jurisdiction or possession or control of US persons. The designation and applicable authority therefore matter alongside the immediate payment instruction or business relationship.
Resolving a possible match
OFAC supplies current human-readable and machine-readable information through its Sanctions List Service and search tools. A potential result needs to be resolved using available identifiers such as aliases, addresses, dates of birth and registration information. Similarity of names is not, by itself, a confirmed designation match. Preserving the relevant entry and the evidence used to resolve it connects the technical screening output with a reasoned decision about the actual customer, counterparty or asset.
The list is not the complete sanctions perimeter
An unlisted entity can be blocked under the 50 Percent Rule when the relevant blocked-person ownership test is met. Other programme-specific restrictions can also reach conduct beyond a named SDN entry. Conversely, non-SDN lists have their own measures and should not automatically be treated as full blocking lists. Effective review therefore combines current designation data with ownership information and the legal scope of the programme relevant to the parties and proposed activity.
Blocking, rejection and authorised activity
Blocking property, rejecting a transaction and clearing a false positive are distinct outcomes. Applicable licences, exemptions and reporting duties need to be assessed under the relevant rules before the response is determined. A screening tool supports identification but does not replace that legal analysis. The current entry, jurisdictional nexus, ownership and transaction facts together explain the conclusion, with records showing why the institution treated the payment or property as prohibited, authorised or outside the measure.
Keywords
- OFAC SDN
- designated persons
- blocked assets
- US jurisdiction
- prohibited dealings
- ownership screening
- identity resolution
- sanctions licences
- transaction rejection
- asset freezing