# Check a name against denied-party lists

> Check a person or company against denied-party and sanctions lists, including the US Consolidated Screening List. See each possible match, the list that names it and why it matched.

Source: https://border.bot/tools/denied-party-screening
Last updated: 2026-10-21

Denied-party screening checks whether a customer, supplier or consignee is named on a government list of people and companies you may not trade with: sanctions lists, export control lists and debarments. This tool searches every list border.bot has loaded, starting with the US Consolidated Screening List, and shows each possible match with the list that names it, how closely the name matched and why.

- **Cost:** Free, no account
- **Lists:** The US Consolidated Screening List and the other lists loaded (named in each result)
- **Input:** A person’s or company’s name, a company, a country
- **You get:** Possible matches with their list, score, aliases and programmes

## Use the tool

Enter the name of the person or company, and their employer if you want both checked. Add their country to see which matches are tied to it. Nothing you enter is kept: an anonymous check leaves no record of the names.

Open https://border.bot/tools/denied-party-screening in a browser, enter a person’s or company’s name, optionally a company and the party’s country, and submit. In-browser agents can call the WebMCP tool `screen_denied_party` on that page. With an account, the REST API (`POST /v1/screen`), the dashboard and the MCP server (`screen_party`) screen from the workspace’s credits and keep each check as evidence.

Every visitor gets a small number of free runs, shared between the classifier, the calculator, the origin finder, screening and the CPSC eFiling checker; the air waybill generator has its own allowance. Free runs are checked by Cloudflare Turnstile and counted per visitor, so they stay available for real people. Create an account for free credits and the full dashboard, API and MCP access.

## Example result

A company name close to one on the SDN list, with its country

|  | Result |
| --- | --- |
| Possible match | The listed company, 94% similar |
| List | SDN (sanctions), US Department of the Treasury |
| Country | Tied to the same country |
| Next step | Compare addresses and identifiers before acting |

Illustrative: run the check on a real name.

## What each kind of list means

| Kind | What it names | What it means for you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sanctions | People, companies, vessels and aircraft whose property is blocked | Dealings are generally prohibited |
| Export control | Parties that need a licence for some or all goods | Shipping may need a licence, or be refused |
| Debarment | Parties barred from some trade | Check whether your goods and transaction are covered |

## How to screen a name against denied-party lists with border.bot

1. **Enter the name.** Type the person’s or company’s name as it appears on the order or invoice. Spelling variants and transliterations are matched too, so you don’t need the exact form.
2. **Add a company and country.** Add the company to screen a person and their employer at once. Add the country to flag matches whose listed address, nationality or flag is there.
3. **Run the check.** Every loaded list is searched by name and alias. Matches from 70% similarity up are shown, best first.
4. **Review each match.** Compare the listed party’s aliases, addresses, dates and identifiers with what you know about your customer. A match is a lead to check, not a verdict: most are different people or companies with similar names.

## How a match is found

### Names and aliases

Each listed party has a main name and often many aliases, former names and spellings. Your name is compared with every one of them, and the closest decides the score.

### Fuzzy matching

Names are compared by their letter patterns, so “Maritme” still finds “Maritime” and word order matters less. An exact match scores 100%; anything below 70% isn’t shown.

### Country

When you give a country, matches with a listed address, nationality or registration there are marked. A match tied to the same country deserves a closer look.

### Listing dates

A party only matches while it is on its list. Parties that were removed, or whose listing hasn’t started, are left out.

### What the lists are

Sanctions lists name people, companies, vessels and aircraft whose assets are blocked. Export control lists name parties that need a licence or can’t receive certain goods. Debarment lists name parties barred from some trade.

### Why screen at all

Trading with a listed party can break sanctions or export control law even if you didn’t know. Screening customers and consignees before you ship is the usual first step, and keeping a record of it shows you did.

## Screen in a way you can rely on

- Screen the name on the order, the consignee and the company, not only the account holder.
- Screen again before each shipment to a new or changed party: lists change every week.
- Check a match against the listed party’s addresses, dates of birth and identifiers before you decide anything.
- Don’t refuse a customer on a name match alone; ask for more information or get advice first.
- With an account, every check is kept as your evidence, with the lists and versions it searched.

## From your own systems and agents

- REST API: `POST /v1/screen` (with an API client token, charged in credits): [API reference](https://border.bot/docs)
- MCP server: the `screen_party` tool at `https://mcp.border.bot/mcp`: [connect an agent](https://border.bot/mcp)
- WebMCP on this page: `screen_denied_party` (in-browser agents, uses the visitor’s free runs)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is denied-party screening?

It is checking the people and companies you trade with against government lists of parties you may not deal with, or may only deal with under a licence. Exporters, marketplaces, freight forwarders and banks screen customers and consignees before they ship or pay.

### Which lists are searched?

Every list border.bot has loaded and live, starting with the US Consolidated Screening List, which combines the export screening lists of the US Departments of Commerce, State and the Treasury (including OFAC’s SDN list and the Entity List). Each result names the lists it searched.

### What does the score mean?

How closely your name matches the listed name or alias, from 70% to 100%. A high score means the names are alike, not that it is the same party. Compare the details before you act.

### I got a match. What now?

Most matches are false positives: a different person or company with a similar name. Compare the listed party’s aliases, addresses, dates and identifiers with your customer’s. If it still looks like the same party, hold the transaction and get advice from a compliance specialist or lawyer.

### Are the names I enter stored?

Not by this free tool. The run log keeps only whether a company and a country were given, never the names. With an account, checks are kept on purpose, as your workspace’s evidence.

### Is a clear result a guarantee?

No. It means no listed name matched closely enough at the time of the check. Lists change, and some rules (such as ownership by a listed party) reach beyond the names on a list. You remain responsible for your compliance.

### Can I screen many names, or keep a record?

Yes, with an account. The dashboard, the REST API and the MCP server screen names from your workspace’s credits, and every check is kept as evidence with the lists and versions it searched.

### How many free checks do I get?

Each visitor gets a few free runs, shared between the free tools, and the page shows how many you have left. Create an account to keep going with free credits.

## Sources

- [International Trade Administration: Consolidated Screening List](https://www.trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list)
- [US Treasury OFAC: Specially Designated Nationals list](https://ofac.treasury.gov/specially-designated-nationals-and-blocked-persons-list-sdn-human-readable-lists)