Screening a party is not hard. But it is easy to miss a step when you are busy. One skipped check can lead to a fine. This denied party screening checklist gives you every step in order. Print it, save it, or copy it into your own process. Work through it each time you take on a new customer or send a shipment. New to this? Read our Denied Party Screening 101 guide first. Want the full method behind each step? See our step-by-step screening process. This page is the short, practical checklist.
Step 1: Collect the Details
Good screening starts with good information. Get these before you search. The more you have, the easier it is to tell a real match from a false one.
Full legal name of the company or person.
Any trading names, old names, or aliases.
Full address and country.
Company registration number, if you have it.
Date of birth for an individual.
Vessel name and IMO number, if a ship is involved.
The party’s role in the deal.
Step 2: List Everyone You Need to Check
Do not screen only the buyer. One deal can involve many parties. Any of them could be on a list. Check all of these:
The buyer or customer.
The end user of the goods.
The consignee and any notify party.
Intermediate consignees and agents.
The freight forwarder and carrier.
The bank or payment party.
Owners and key people behind the company.
Step 3: Check the Right Lists
There is no single global list. The ones that apply depend on where you are, where your goods come from, and the currency you use. Most businesses check the main U.S. lists plus any local ones. A good free tool checks several at once.
The U.S. sanctions lists, including the OFAC SDN list.
The U.S. export-control lists, including the BIS Entity List and the Denied Persons List.
The EU, UK, and UN lists, if they apply to your trade.
Any national lists for the countries you deal with.
Turn on fuzzy matching. Bad actors use odd spellings and aliases.
Search each party one by one if you are doing it by hand.
Do not rely on an exact spelling alone.
Step 5: Deal With Any Hits
A name match is not proof. Many hits are just common names. Check the details to decide. Use this simple guide.
What you find
What to do
The details clearly do not match
Likely a false match. Write down why you cleared it. Carry on.
The details match, or you cannot tell
Stop. Do not ship or pay. Escalate and investigate.
You confirm a real match
Do not deal with them. Get compliance or legal advice.
Never clear a hit in your head. Write down the reason every time.
Step 6: Check Ownership
A company can be off-limits even if its name is not on a list. This happens when a listed party owns it. Under the U.S. “50 percent rule,” an entity owned 50 percent or more by sanctioned parties is treated as sanctioned too. A name search will not show this. For higher-risk parties, find out who owns and controls them.
Step 7: Keep a Record
If a regulator asks, you need proof that you screened. Save a record for every check. Keep it even when the result is clean.
Who you screened.
The date and time.
Which lists you checked.
The result.
How you cleared any hits.
This is your audit trail. It is as important as the screening itself.
Step 8: Screen Again Later
Lists change all the time. A clean party today can be listed next week. So do not screen just once. Screen again at these points:
When you take a new order.
Before you ship.
Before you release payment.
When a party’s details change.
On a regular schedule for your existing customers.
The Full Checklist at a Glance
Step
Done?
1. Collected full names and details
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2. Listed every party in the deal
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3. Picked the right lists
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4. Ran the search with fuzzy matching
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5. Checked and cleared any hits
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6. Looked at ownership
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7. Saved a record
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8. Set a reminder to screen again
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Want to do this well every time? Read our denied party screening best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free denied party screening checklist tool?
Yes. You can run the checks in this list for free with Globalior’s screening tool. It covers the main U.S. lists in one search. Use the checklist above to make sure you do not skip a step.
How long does it take to work through the checklist?
A clean check takes a minute or two per party. Most of the time goes into checking hits. Good details up front make it faster.
Do I need to do every step for every deal?
Yes for the core steps. Always list the parties, run the search, check hits, and keep a record. Ownership checks matter most for higher-risk parties.
Key Takeaways
Use this denied party screening checklist every time you onboard a party or send a shipment. Collect the details. List every party. Check the right lists. Run the search with fuzzy matching. Clear any hits and write down why. Check ownership. Save a record. Then screen again later. You can run all these checks for free with our denied party screening tool. Want help turning this checklist into a process for your team? Contact the Globalior team for free trade-compliance guidance.
