How to check if a company is sanctioned.

The official lists, and where to search them

Treasury: OFAC

• SDN List. OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons: people, companies, groups, vessels and aircraft whose property in the US is blocked and with whom US persons generally may not deal. Search it at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov; the data files are on the Sanctions List Service. The name search is fuzzy, with a score and a minimum-score slider, and OFAC sets no recommended threshold. OFAC updates the list on no fixed timetable, often several times a week; the free check below shows the date of the copy it read.
• The Consolidated (non-SDN) lists. OFAC’s other lists: Sectoral Sanctions Identifications, the Palestinian Legislative Council list, the CAPTA list, the Menu-Based Sanctions list, the Chinese Military-Industrial Complex list and the Foreign Sanctions Evaders list (empty since 18 December 2025). The same search covers them.
• The 50 Percent Rule. A company owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly and in total, by one or more blocked persons is itself blocked, even if it is not named on any list. OFAC says the rule speaks only to ownership, not control, but urges caution with companies that blocked persons control. A list search alone cannot find these companies; you need the ownership.

Commerce: BIS export lists

• Entity List. Foreign parties the Bureau of Industry and Security believes are involved in activities contrary to US national security or foreign policy (15 CFR Part 744, Supplement No. 4). Exports to them need a licence. Last revised 24 August 2026.
• The affiliates rule. On 29 September 2025 BIS extended Entity List and Military End-User restrictions to companies 50 percent or more owned by listed parties. On 10 November 2025 it suspended that rule until 9 November 2026, unless extended. Check its status before you rely on either date.
• Unverified List, Military End-User List, Denied Persons List. Further BIS lists with their own restrictions.
• Where to search. The Consolidated Screening List combines the BIS lists, the State Department’s nonproliferation and debarred lists, and OFAC’s lists in one fuzzy search, updated daily. It says a likely match needs further due diligence and checking against the agency’s official list, and it does not apply the 50 percent rules.

Federal procurement

• SAM.gov exclusions. Parties debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment or otherwise ineligible for federal awards (FAR subpart 9.4). Search free, without an account, at sam.gov.
• FASCSA orders. Exclusion and removal orders issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act (41 U.S.C. 1323 and 4713), implemented by FAR 52.204-29 and 52.204-30. They are published in SAM; search the exclusions for “FASCSA order”. SAM showed three active order records on 12 October 2026. Some orders appear only in a solicitation.
• The Section 1260H list. The Defense Department’s list of “Chinese military companies” under section 1260H of the FY2021 defense authorization act, published in the Federal Register; the latest was published on 10 June 2026. Since 30 June 2026 the Defense Department may not contract with listed companies or entities they control, and from 30 June 2027 that extends to goods and services that include their products (section 805, FY2024 defense authorization act).
• The FCC Covered List. Communications equipment and services the FCC has found to pose an unacceptable national security risk (47 CFR 1.50002), at fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist, dated 9 October 2026. Several entries are categories, such as foreign-produced drones, routers, power inverters and advanced robotic devices, so a company-name search will miss them.

How to check a company, step by step

1. Get the exact legal nameAnd any trade names, former names, the country and the address. Ask for the registration documents if you do not have them.
2. Search OFACRun the names through Sanctions List Search. Read each result’s programme codes and details.
3. Search the Consolidated Screening ListFor the BIS and State Department lists.
4. Ask who owns itFor the 50 Percent Rule, get the ownership down to the people and companies who own 50 percent or more, and search them too.
5. For federal work, check SAMThe exclusions, including FASCSA orders, and the company’s registration. Check the 1260H list and, for equipment, the FCC Covered List.
6. Resolve every hitCompare the details: country, address, dates, identification numbers. OFAC does not confirm matches or false positives for you.
7. Keep the recordWhat you searched, the list versions, the results, how you resolved each hit, and the date.

If you find a match

Stop and get advice before you go further. If the match is real and you are a US person, OFAC’s rules may require you to block or reject the transaction and report it to OFAC within 10 business days. Do not tip off the counterparty or guess.

BSJ’s signed supplier check

For companies that would rather have it done and on file: send the company you buy from or sell to. We check the company and its listed parents and affiliates against the public lists on this page, and return a dated record of which lists and versions were checked, what was found and how each hit was resolved. Each report is signed by a named reviewer. We do not investigate individuals. For now it is ordered through the request form, and pricing is on inquiry.

Questions people ask

How do I check if a company is sanctioned?

Search the company's exact name in OFAC's free Sanctions List Search at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov, which covers the SDN List and OFAC's other lists. Then search the Consolidated Screening List at trade.gov for the Commerce and State Department lists. For federal work, also check SAM.gov exclusions, FASCSA orders, the Section 1260H list and the FCC Covered List.

Can a company be sanctioned without being on the SDN List?

Yes. Under OFAC's 50 Percent Rule, a company owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly and in total, by one or more blocked persons is itself blocked even if it is not named. A list search alone will not find it; you need the ownership.

Is a name match on the OFAC search a sanctions hit?

Not necessarily. OFAC says many potential matches from screening are false positives, and it does not confirm matches for you. Compare the details, such as country, address and identification numbers, before you treat a match as real.

What is the difference between the SDN List and the Entity List?

The SDN List is Treasury's list of blocked persons, with whom US persons generally may not deal at all. The Entity List is the Commerce Department's list of foreign parties to whom exports of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations need a licence. Both can be searched together through the Consolidated Screening List.

What is a FASCSA order?

An exclusion or removal order issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, barring a source or its products from federal procurement. Orders are published in SAM.gov, where you can find them by searching exclusions for 'FASCSA order', and some appear only in a solicitation.

Does BSJ check individuals?

No. BSJ's supplier check covers the company and its listed parents and affiliates against the public lists. BSJ does not investigate individuals.

Primary sources

• OFAC Sanctions List Search, read 13 October 2026 (SDN List updated that day); OFAC FAQ 5, updated 9 September 2026.
• OFAC, Other OFAC Sanctions Lists, read 12 October 2026.
• OFAC, 50 Percent Rule FAQs 398–402, and the revised guidance of 13 August 2014.
• BIS, 15 CFR Part 744, Supplement No. 4 (Entity List), last revised 24 August 2026 (91 FR 54658).
• BIS, Expansion of End-User Controls to Cover Affiliates of Certain Listed Entities, 90 FR 47201, 30 September 2025; one-year suspension, 90 FR 50857, 12 November 2025, effective 10 November 2025, until 9 November 2026.
• International Trade Administration, Consolidated Screening List, read 12 October 2026.
• FAR subpart 9.4 and FAR subpart 4.23 (FASCSA), FAC 2026-01, effective 13 March 2026; SAM.gov exclusions search, read 12 October 2026.
• DoD, Notice of Availability of Designation of Chinese Military Companies, 91 FR 35189, 10 June 2026.
• FCC Covered List, dated 9 October 2026.

General information, not legal advice. BSJ Ventures publishes methods; it never publishes clients, cases or verdicts, and it claims no relationship with any agency or maker named here.

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