OFAC screening: what US law expects.
OFAC enforces US sanctions on a strict-liability basis for civil penalties. It does not need to prove intent. US persons, and many non-US businesses that touch the US financial system, screen against OFAC lists before they deal with a customer and again when those lists change.
Which lists matter
The Specially Designated Nationals list and the consolidated non-SDN list are the core OFAC files we check every 60 minutes.
How often to rescreen
Rescreen when OFAC publishes a new version. Waiting for an annual review leaves the gap between a new designation and your next check.
How OnSanctions helps
Send a name and identifier. The first call enrolls and screens. The same call later rescreens. The response names the dataset version and the time of the screen.
Questions
- Does OFAC need to prove intent?
- Not for a civil penalty. Strict liability is the civil standard.
- Which OFAC files do you check hourly?
- The SDN list and the consolidated non-SDN list.
- Do you keep my customer list?
- No readable copy. We keep a one-way fingerprint so a rescreen counts as the same subject.
- Is a clear result a clearance?
- No. It covers the categories and dataset version on that response.
Screen your customers against OFAC and rescreen when it changes.
See every list we screen and how often it refreshes, check one name now with a quick check, or read the API reference to screen your whole customer base.