Sanctions Lists API

Check organization, vessel and aircraft names against the OFAC SDN, OFAC Consolidated and UN Security Council sanctions lists.

The API.SH Sanctions Lists API is a name lookup over three official sanctions lists: the US Treasury OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, the OFAC Consolidated (non-SDN) list and the UN Security Council Consolidated List. Search an organization, vessel or aircraft name; fuzzy matching ignores accents, punctuation and legal-form words such as LLC or JSC, and each match comes with a 0 to 1 score, the name that matched, list, programs, aliases, addresses, countries, remarks, identity documents and, for vessels and aircraft, call sign, type, tonnage, flag and owner. Listed individuals are not searchable. It is a data lookup to support your screening, not a compliance program or a substitute for one.

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1 endpoint
from $1 / 1,000 calls
1,000 free credits / month
failed calls free

Sanctions screening (organisations, vessels, aircraft)

GET https://api.api.sh/sanctions/v1/search

{ "success": true }

1 credit · $1 per 1,000 calls

What you can build with the Sanctions Lists API

Counterparty and supplier checks

Run a supplier, customer or partner company name against the OFAC and UN lists during onboarding, and send any match above your min_score to a person for review.

/search

Vessel and shipping screening

Check a ship's name before a charter or cargo deal and compare the match's call sign, flag, tonnage and owner with your shipping documents.

/search

Aircraft checks

Search an aircraft name or operator and read the listed type, call sign and owner to support leasing, maintenance or charter due diligence.

/search

Batch re-screening of a vendor list

Re-run your saved list of company names on a schedule from Google Sheets, Zapier or n8n, and use lists_updated_at to record which list version each check used.

/search

Filtering by program or country

Narrow a search to one list, a sanctions program or a country to research exposure in a region or under a specific program.

/search

Sanctions Lists data you get

Field names from real responses. Numbers come parsed, URLs absolute, dates in ISO 8601.

Sanctions Lists API endpoints and prices

Every Sanctions Lists endpoint costs 1 credit per call: credits are $1 per 1,000 on a monthly plan, $2 pay-as-you-go. Pricing

Profiles and accounts1

Sanctions screening (organisations, vessels, aircraft)

/sanctions/v1/search

$1 · $2 PAYG

1 credit

Call the Sanctions Lists API

Sanctions screening (organisations, vessels, aircraft): GET https://api.api.sh/sanctions/v1/search

curl "https://api.api.sh/sanctions/v1/search?name=rosneft" \
  -H "x-api-key: $APISH_KEY"

import os, requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.api.sh/sanctions/v1/search",
    params={"name": "rosneft"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["APISH_KEY"]},
    timeout=120,
)
res.raise_for_status()
data = res.json()

const url = new URL("https://api.api.sh/sanctions/v1/search");
url.searchParams.set("name", "rosneft");

const res = await fetch(url, { headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.APISH_KEY } });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
const data = await res.json();

# Google Sheets (API.SH add-on)
=APISH("/sanctions/v1/search", "name", "rosneft")

# Zapier, Make, n8n (verified node): pick the API.SH app,
# choose "Sanctions Lists" and "Sanctions screening (organisations, vessels, aircraft)".

# AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor): add the
# API.SH MCP server https://api.sh/mcp

Create a free accountConfirm your email and get 1,000 free credits every month. No card needed.
Create an API keyOne key works for all 483 platforms.
Send the requestJSON back in one call. Add output=csv or output=ndjson for files.

Why API.SH for Sanctions Lists data

Public data only: no Sanctions Lists login, cookies or account needed
One key and one response shape for Sanctions Lists and 482 other platforms
Built and maintained by API.SH, not third-party publishers
Pay per call; errors on our side cost nothing
Live status for every endpoint

API.SH vs the official Sanctions Lists API

OFAC publishes its SDN and Consolidated lists as free downloads with a web search tool, and the UN publishes its Consolidated List the same way; neither offers a fuzzy-matching screening API. API.SH loads those lists, refreshes them every few hours and lets you search organizations, vessels and aircraft by name in one call. It does not cover individuals, EU or UK lists, PEPs or adverse media.

Full AML platforms such as sanctions.io, OFAC-API.com, dilisense, Dow Jones and OpenSanctions cover more lists, individuals and PEPs, with audit features and compliance support; use one of those if you need a full screening program. API.SH is a simple pay-per-call lookup for organizations, vessels and aircraft on the OFAC and UN lists.

Sanctions Lists API questions

What sanctions data can I get?+

From /sanctions/v1/search: matches for an organization, vessel or aircraft name on the OFAC SDN, OFAC Consolidated (non-SDN) and UN Security Council Consolidated lists, each with score, matched name, list, list id, type, programs, aliases, addresses, countries, remarks, identity documents and, for vessels and aircraft, call sign, type, tonnage, flag and owner. A match flag says whether anything scored at or above min_score.

How much does the Sanctions Lists API cost?+

Every Sanctions Lists endpoint costs 1 credit per call. On a monthly plan 1,000 credits cost $1 (Starter is $50/month for 50,000 credits). Pay-as-you-go is $2 per 1,000 credits, with top-ups from $15 that never expire.

Is there a free sanctions screening API?+

Yes. Every account gets 1,000 free credits every month. That is 1,000 calls to /sanctions/v1/search at 1 credit each. The OFAC and UN lists themselves are free public downloads, and OpenSanctions is free for non-commercial use.

Where does the data come from?+

From the US Treasury OFAC SDN list, the OFAC Consolidated (non-SDN) list and the UN Security Council Consolidated List. The lists are refreshed every few hours, and lists_updated_at in each response shows when.

Do I need keys for the underlying sources?+

No. One API.SH key covers all three lists.

Can I screen individuals?+

No. The search covers organizations, vessels and aircraft only; listed individuals are not searchable. EU, UK and other national lists, PEP lists and adverse media are not included either.

Does this make my business compliant with sanctions rules?+

No. It is a data lookup to support screening. It is not certified compliance software and does not replace your compliance program, your own review of matches or legal advice. Treat a match as a lead to check, and a non-match as no guarantee.

How do I get started?+

1. Sign up at api.sh. 2. Copy your API key. 3. Call /sanctions/v1/search with name=rosneft and min_score=0.75. Request examples and every parameter are in the docs at https://api.sh/docs. You can also use the JS or Python SDK, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, n8n or the MCP server at https://api.sh/mcp.