SDN, Consolidated and the Consolidated Screening List: which lists to screen
For a U.S. sanctions check, screen OFAC's SDN list and OFAC's Consolidated (non-SDN) list. If you export, also screen the Consolidated Screening List (CSL) published on Trade.gov. The SDN list names blocked persons. OFAC's Consolidated list gathers its other, non-blocking lists. The CSL is a different thing: a combined export screening list from the Departments of Commerce, State and the Treasury, including the Entity List and the SDN list (Trade.gov CSL). The similar names cause most of the confusion.
OFAC's SDN list
Property of people and companies on the SDN list that is in the United States or held by a U.S. person is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them (OFAC FAQ 91). Some parties are blocked without being listed, including entities owned 50 percent or more by blocked persons (same FAQ). See the 50 percent rule with worked examples.
OFAC's Consolidated (non-SDN) list
OFAC keeps several lists of persons subject to sanctions other than blocking, and publishes their data together as the Consolidated Sanctions List (OFAC, Other OFAC Sanctions Lists). As listed on that page on 7 October 2026:
| List | What it covers | Last updated (per OFAC) |
|---|---|---|
| Sectoral Sanctions Identifications (SSI) | Persons in Russian economic sectors identified under E.O. 13662; directives set the prohibitions | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Foreign Sanctions Evaders (FSE) | Foreign persons who violated or evaded U.S. sanctions on Iran, or facilitated deceptive transactions; currently empty | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council (NS-PLC) | PLC members elected on the slate of Hamas or another designated group, not on the SDN list | 27 Jul 2026 |
| CAPTA List | Foreign financial institutions subject to correspondent or payable-through account sanctions | 6 Apr 2022 |
| Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions (NS-MBS) | Persons subject to certain non-blocking menu-based sanctions | 17 Jul 2026 |
| Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex (NS-CMIC) | Persons subject to certain sanctions under the CMIC program | 16 Dec 2021 |
OFAC's free Sanctions List Search searches the SDN and Consolidated lists together and shows which list each result is on (OFAC FAQ 369).
Trade.gov's Consolidated Screening List
The CSL combines export screening lists from three departments (Trade.gov CSL):
- Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security: Denied Persons List, Unverified List, Entity List, Military End User List
- State: Nonproliferation Sanctions, AECA Debarred List
- Treasury, OFAC: the SDN list and several of OFAC's non-SDN lists
Trade.gov says the CSL tools update automatically every day at 5:00 AM Eastern, offers a search engine with fuzzy name matching, downloadable files and an API, and says a user must check the official publication of restricted parties in the Federal Register and the agencies' own lists before acting on a result (Trade.gov CSL).
Which lists for which job
This is our recommendation by role, not a regulatory requirement:
| You are | Screen at least |
|---|---|
| Car dealer | SDN and Consolidated |
| Title or escrow closer | SDN and Consolidated |
| Accounts payable | SDN and Consolidated; add the CSL for foreign suppliers of controlled goods |
| Exporter or forwarder | The CSL, which includes the SDN list, plus OFAC's full Consolidated list |
Trade.gov describes the CSL as an aid to screening for export transactions, and OFAC's own guidance points to its SDN and Consolidated files for automated screening (OFAC FAQ 287).
Screen the OFAC lists now
Run a free OFAC check against the SDN and Consolidated lists. Our search covers those two OFAC lists only; for the Commerce and State lists, use the CSL search on Trade.gov. This is screening data, not legal advice.