Sanctions screening API for AML, KYC & KYB workflows
Screen people, companies, vessels, and transactions against global sanctions and risk data using OFAC-API.com's documented v4 Screening API.
Supporting Effective AML/CFT Programs
Sanctions screening is the process of checking individuals, organizations, and other entities against government-maintained watchlists — such as the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, the EU Consolidated List, and the UN Security Council sanctions list — to ensure your organization is not doing business with prohibited parties.
Regulatory bodies in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and many other jurisdictions require businesses in regulated industries to screen customers and counterparties as part of their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) programs. Failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties and reputational damage.
Compliance Terms Explained
KYC (Know Your Customer) is the process of verifying the identity of individual customers and assessing their risk profile before and during a business relationship. Sanctions screening is a required component of any KYC program.
KYB (Know Your Business) applies the same principles to business customers — verifying the organization's identity, ownership structure, and the risk profile of its beneficial owners and directors.
AML (Anti-Money Laundering) refers to the broader set of laws, regulations, and procedures designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income. Watchlist screening and transaction monitoring are central AML controls.
CDD (Customer Due Diligence) is the ongoing obligation to monitor customer relationships over time — including periodic rescreening as sanctions lists are updated by government agencies.
Core screening services for compliance programs.
Developer centric
REST endpoints, Swagger documentation, Postman examples, and consistent JSON response structures help streamline integration and reduce implementation complexity.
Screening quality
Configurable matching logic based on business type and region to eliminate false positives.
Ongoing monitoring
Facilitate bulk screening and rescreening to support ongoing compliance obligations.
Support the controls behind a broader sanctions compliance program
OFAC's sanctions compliance framework describes program elements such as risk assessment, internal controls, testing and auditing, and training. Those concepts are useful beyond OFAC: many organizations also manage EU, UK, UN, Canada, FinCEN, and sector-specific obligations. OFAC-API.com provides data and APIs that can support screening controls within a broader, risk-based compliance program.
FinCEN's April 7, 2026 proposed rule would refocus financial institution AML/CFT program expectations on effectiveness, reasonably designed risk-based programs, and devoting more attention to higher-risk activity. Because the proposal is not final and comments are due June 9, 2026, compliance teams should monitor the rulemaking and evaluate changes with counsel and compliance advisors.
Risk assessment inputs
Screen customers, counterparties, suppliers, transactions, locations, and ownership data to help identify where sanctions risk may arise.
Internal controls
Embed screening into onboarding, payments, account review, and escalation workflows so potential matches are identified and reviewed consistently.
Escalation and records
Use structured API responses to support review queues, case notes, audit trails, and documented decisions by compliance personnel.
Testing and tuning
Calibrate match thresholds, sources, and workflows over time as risk assessments, sanctions programs, and business activity change.
Regulatory change management
Track proposed and final rule changes so screening controls stay aligned with risk-based AML/CFT and sanctions program expectations.
Ongoing monitoring
Rescreen portfolios and customer populations as sanctions lists, watchlists, ownership data, and regulatory expectations evolve.
Common Use Cases
OFAC-API.com integrates into a wide range of compliance workflows.
Know Your Customer (KYC)
Screen individual clients against global sanctions lists and watchlists during onboarding. Identify politically exposed persons (PEPs) and high-risk individuals before establishing a relationship.
Know Your Business (KYB)
Verify the entities and beneficial owners behind businesses before onboarding. Screen organizations, directors, and related parties against sanctions and risk databases.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
Monitor transactions in real time against sanctions lists to prevent funds from being processed on behalf of sanctioned individuals or entities. Integrate directly into payment and transaction workflows.
Investment Adviser AML/CFT Readiness
Support sanctions screening, watchlist checks, transaction screening, and ongoing review workflows as covered investment advisers prepare for FinCEN's AML/CFT requirements.
Batch Screening
Submit up to 500 cases with the Screening API, or use the Jobs API for large asynchronous batch jobs of up to 100,000 records.
Real-Time Onboarding Checks
Run sub-second sanctions checks inline with onboarding flows, account creation, and payment initiation. Low-latency responses built for customer-facing workflows.
How It Works
Get up and running in minutes.
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Get API keyChoose your API
Use the Screening API for automated checks, the Search API for broader research, or the World Data API for direct data access.
Explore APIsIntegrate & go live
Follow the documentation, test with Swagger or Postman, and deploy into your compliance workflow.
Read the docsGlobal Data Coverage
OFAC-API.com screens against dozens of continuously updated sanctions and risk datasets. Core coverage includes major international sanctions programs — OFAC's SDN and Non-SDN lists, the EU Consolidated List, the UN Security Council list, the UK HM Treasury list, and Canada's OSFI list, among others.
Beyond sanctions, the platform covers politically exposed persons (PEPs), flagged cryptocurrency addresses and digital asset fraud, vessel and maritime risk data, and additional country and multilateral programs. A complete listing of covered sources is available in the documentation.
View all data sourcesCoverage includes
- OFAC SDN and Non-SDN sanctions lists
- EU, UN, UK, Canada, and other sanctions programs
- Politically exposed persons and adverse risk data
- Vessel, maritime, cryptocurrency, and fraud indicators
Who Uses OFAC-API.com
Organizations that onboard customers, process payments, screen counterparties, or operate in regulated industries use OFAC-API.com for automated sanctions and watchlist screening.
Financial services
Teams that need sanctions screening in onboarding, payments, account reviews, and transaction workflows.
- Banks and credit unions
- Fintech companies
- Payment processors
- Money service businesses
- Insurance providers
- Cryptocurrency exchanges
Professional and regulated firms
Organizations managing client, counterparty, beneficial owner, or matter-level risk.
- Registered investment advisers
- Law firms
- Real estate firms
- Healthcare organizations
- Government contractors
Platforms and global commerce
Companies embedding sanctions data or screening workflows into internal systems or customer-facing products.
- Compliance software vendors
- Import and export businesses
- Marketplaces
- Logistics and shipping teams
- Enterprise risk teams
Investment adviser AML/CFT readiness
Registered investment advisers and exempt reporting advisers preparing for FinCEN's AML/CFT program and suspicious activity report filing requirements may use sanctions screening, watchlist screening, transaction screening, and ongoing customer review workflows as part of a broader risk-based compliance program.
FinCEN has delayed the effective date of those investment adviser requirements to January 1, 2028; covered advisers should evaluate obligations with counsel and compliance advisors. See the Federal Register rule and related industry coverage.