The SDN List identifies persons and entities designated under OFAC-administered sanctions authorities. A designation is associated with one or more sanctions programmes; the governing authority determines the applicable prohibition. For blocking sanctions, property and interests in property within US jurisdiction or the possession or control of US persons are blocked, and dealings are generally prohibited unless authorised.

The list is an operational aid rather than the entire sanctions perimeter. Unlisted entities can be blocked through the 50 Percent Rule, while programme-specific prohibitions can apply beyond named persons. A potential match must be resolved using identifiers such as aliases, addresses, dates of birth and registration information rather than name similarity alone.

Blocking, rejecting a transaction and releasing a false positive are different outcomes. Applicable licences, exemptions and reporting duties must be assessed before taking action. Effective screening therefore combines current list data, ownership analysis, programme interpretation, escalation and records explaining how a match was resolved.