OFAC SDN List: Official Search, Downloads, and Formats

The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List is the U.S. Treasury's list of individuals and entities with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing. This page points you to the official sources to search and download it, explains the file formats, and is honest about what lives here and what does not.

Last reviewed 2026-08-31Official sources onlyNo mirrored data

Freshness and scope: this page was last reviewed on 2026-08-31 and is a guide, not a dataset. SanctionsAI does not mirror the SDN List here, and there is no on-site search of SDN records on this page. The list changes as OFAC actions occur, so for any real decision use the official SDN List page, the official Sanctions List Search tool, or the Sanctions List Service downloads directly.

Search the SDN List: official tools first

If you need to look up a person, company, vessel, or aircraft right now, use OFAC's own tools. They are free, authoritative, and always current:

For a convenient check inside your workflow, SanctionsAI also offers a free name checker. It is a screening aid, not a substitute for the official list or a legal determination.

Download the SDN List data: Sanctions List Service

Bulk data lives on OFAC's Sanctions List Service, which publishes the SDN List and other OFAC lists as downloadable data files. Always download from that official page; copies hosted elsewhere (including anything cached here or anywhere else on this site) can be stale the moment OFAC publishes an update.

File formats the official service publishes

FormatWhat it is
SDN.XMLStructured XML of SDN entries, programs, and remarks. The usual choice for programmatic ingestion.
SDN.CSVComma-separated values covering the same entries for spreadsheet and simple pipeline use.
Fixed-widthThe classic plain-text, fixed-width layout of the list (the historical sdn.txt style).
AdvancedAdvanced variants of the files that provide additional, more granular data fields.
EnhancedEnhanced variants that include extra detail such as additional name information on entries.

The exact file menu can change; treat the Sanctions List Service page as the source of truth for which formats are currently offered.

What this page is, and is not

This page does not mirror the SDN List. There is no copy of the list's records hosted here, and there is no on-site search of SDN entries. Any page other than OFAC's own that claims to be "the SDN List" is a copy that can lag the real thing.

Not legal advice. This page is technical documentation. Nothing here is legal advice or a legal determination about any person or entity.

Screening is not a compliance program. Checking names against the SDN List is a single internal control, not a compliance program. OFAC's own framework, A Framework for OFAC Compliance Commitments, describes five essential components of a risk-based sanctions compliance program: management commitment, risk assessment, internal controls, testing and auditing, and training.

Related resources on SanctionsAI

Frequently asked questions

What is the OFAC SDN List?
A list of individuals and entities with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing, maintained by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. SDNs can be located anywhere, not only in comprehensively sanctioned countries. Official page: sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList.
Where can I search or download the official SDN List?
Search with OFAC's Sanctions List Search tool; download bulk data from the Sanctions List Service in fixed-width, SDN.CSV, and SDN.XML formats, plus Advanced and Enhanced variants.
How often is the SDN List updated?
Whenever OFAC takes action: designations, modifications, and delistings are published on the Recent Actions page with no fixed schedule. Any snapshot goes stale immediately, which is why this page links out instead of hosting a copy. This page was last reviewed 2026-08-31.
Does this page host or search the SDN List itself?
No. SanctionsAI does not mirror the list here and offers no on-site search of SDN records. Use the official tools above, or our free name checker as a screening aid.
Is screening against the SDN List enough for compliance?
No. SDN screening is not a compliance program. OFAC's compliance framework lays out five essential components, of which screening-related internal controls are only one.