Where to download the OFAC SDN list, and which file to use
Download the OFAC SDN list from OFAC's Sanctions List Service, which offers the SDN list and the Consolidated (non-SDN) list as separate data files, plus a tool to build a custom dataset. For a spreadsheet, take the CSV, which opens directly in Excel (OFAC FAQ 80). For software, use the XML files. Each download is the complete current list, so replace your old copy rather than adding to it (OFAC FAQ 89).
The two lists
- SDN list. People, companies and groups designated by OFAC, plus blocked vessels and aircraft (Sanctions List Service; SDN list page).
- Consolidated (non-SDN) list. OFAC's other, non-blocking lists, published together as one set of files (Consolidated list page).
Most screening programs check both. OFAC's own Sanctions List Search searches both together (OFAC FAQ 369).
File formats
OFAC lists XML, CSV, PIP, DEL and FF files for automated systems (OFAC FAQ 287). In practice:
| File | Use it for |
|---|---|
| CSV | Spreadsheets and simple imports (OFAC FAQ 80) |
| XML | Software that parses structured records |
| Advanced XML | Software that needs the full data model: aliases, identity documents, dates of birth, digital currency addresses, vessel details |
| PIP, DEL, FF | Legacy delimited and fixed-width formats, documented in OFAC's tutorial on legacy flat files |
The Sanctions List Service page links to the explanatory documentation for the advanced data format and the tutorial for the legacy formats (Sanctions List Service).
A direct CSV link for the SDN list is published on the service (SDN.CSV). The CSV has no header row; fields are documented in the legacy format tutorial.
How to tell which publication you have
Record the publication date with every copy you screen against. The advanced XML carries it in its first element, DateOfIssue, with year, month and day. The legacy CSV does not, so note the download date and keep the file.
Your screening record should name the list version it used. That is what lets you show an auditor what you were checking against on a given day. See OFAC license vs OFAC clearance for the rest of a usable record.
Do I need a supplement or update file?
No. OFAC says the SDN and Consolidated files are comprehensive, and database administrators can overwrite old data with the latest files (OFAC FAQ 89).
OFAC does publish a delta file through the Sanctions List Service, which it uses to update the lists, and the public may use it too. But OFAC tells database administrators to refresh from the complete files (OFAC FAQ 90). Past delta files are browsable by year in the delta file archive.
Where to see what changed
For a human-readable log, OFAC records changes in the recent actions section of its site and keeps an archive of changes to the SDN list (OFAC FAQ 90).
This matters because the lists move. A customer or vendor screened clean last month can be added this week, which is why a one-time download is not a screening program. See how often to re-screen and screening a vendor master file.
Download or search?
- Checking one or two names by hand: Treasury's Sanctions List Search is quicker.
- Screening a file of customers or vendors: download the lists, or use a tool that screens the whole file against the current versions and keeps the results.
- Automating: use the data files. OFAC says its search tool should not be driven by automated systems running continual searches (OFAC FAQ 287).
This is screening data, not legal advice.
Run a free OFAC check against the current SDN and Consolidated lists without downloading anything, with the publication date of each list shown.