SanctionsAI › Glossary › OFAC 50 Percent Rule

What is OFAC 50 Percent Rule?

Also known as: 50% Rule

Under OFAC's 50 Percent Rule, any entity owned 50% or more, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate, by one or more blocked persons is itself considered blocked — even if it does not appear on the SDN List by name. Screening therefore requires looking through ownership, not just matching names.

Screening for OFAC 50 Percent Rule-related risk is exactly what SanctionsAI automates — a single API (HTTP, CLI, or MCP) that screens names and wallets against OFAC lists before your agent pays. Free tier, no key: see the docs →

Related terms

OFAC · SDN List · Blocked Person · Secondary Sanctions · Facilitation · Strict Liability · Sanctions Screening · Consolidated Sanctions List · False Positive · Fuzzy Matching

This glossary is general information for educational purposes, not legal or compliance advice. Sanctions rules change; always verify against the official source (OFAC / FinCEN / your regulator) and consult qualified counsel. Definitions summarize public guidance from the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and FinCEN.