{
  "schema_version": "citation-answer/v1",
  "answer_key": "ofac-sanctions-compliance",
  "artifact_slug": "ofac-sanctions-compliance",
  "query": "who must comply with ofac sanctions regulations",
  "citation_slots": 2,
  "canonical_path": "/guides/ofac-sanctions-compliance",
  "title": "Who Must Comply With OFAC Sanctions Regulations — OFAC Sources",
  "description": "Who OFAC says must comply with U.S. sanctions, and why OFAC publishes program pages rather than one sanctioned-country list, with dated official sources.",
  "answer_capsule": "All U.S. persons must comply with OFAC sanctions: every U.S. citizen and permanent resident wherever located, all individuals and entities within the United States, and all U.S.-incorporated entities and their foreign branches, per OFAC FAQ 11, accessed 2026-07-22. OFAC also publishes program pages instead of 1 single sanctioned-country list.",
  "scope": "This guide covers the compliance population OFAC names in FAQ 11 and how country exposure is organized by sanctions program. It does not evaluate any transaction, name, or entity, and it does not interpret program-specific definitions beyond what the cited pages state.",
  "methodology_version": "citation-answer/v1",
  "reproducibility_note": "Re-derive this answer from the cited government file; no Fonteum account is required.",
  "limitations": [
    "Program-specific definitions of U.S. person and covered transactions live in each program's implementing regulations; this page does not restate them.",
    "Program pages and designations change without a fixed schedule; the access date above anchors what was observed.",
    "Nothing on this page is legal advice or a determination about any person, entity, or transaction."
  ],
  "related_links": [
    {
      "label": "Sanctions screening definition",
      "href": "/glossary/sanctions-screening"
    },
    {
      "label": "SDN definition",
      "href": "/glossary/sdn"
    },
    {
      "label": "How often OFAC updates the SDN List",
      "href": "/guides/ofac-sdn-list-updates"
    }
  ],
  "data_as_of": "2026-07-22",
  "source_artifacts": [
    {
      "source_key": "ofac-faq-11",
      "kind": "upstream",
      "file_name": "OFAC FAQ 11 — Who must comply with OFAC sanctions?",
      "file_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/11",
      "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
      "published_date": null,
      "retrieved_date": null,
      "data_as_of": "2026-07-22",
      "sha256": null
    },
    {
      "source_key": "ofac-programs",
      "kind": "upstream",
      "file_name": "OFAC Sanctions Programs and Country Information",
      "file_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information",
      "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
      "published_date": null,
      "retrieved_date": null,
      "data_as_of": "2026-07-22",
      "sha256": null
    }
  ],
  "published_date": "2026-07-22",
  "modified_date": "2026-07-22",
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_key": "ofac-faq-11",
      "name": "OFAC FAQ 11 — Who must comply with OFAC sanctions?",
      "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
      "official_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/11",
      "source_date_kind": "accessed",
      "source_date": "2026-07-22",
      "limitation": "The FAQ states the general compliance population. Program-specific definitions of U.S. person live in each program's implementing regulations in 31 CFR chapter V."
    },
    {
      "source_key": "ofac-programs",
      "name": "OFAC Sanctions Programs and Country Information",
      "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
      "official_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information",
      "source_date_kind": "accessed",
      "source_date": "2026-07-22",
      "limitation": "Program pages change as designations change. A program listing is not a determination about any specific person, entity, or transaction."
    }
  ],
  "facts": [
    {
      "fact_key": "compliance-population",
      "label": "Who must comply",
      "value": "OFAC FAQ 11: all U.S. persons, including all U.S. citizens and permanent residents regardless of location, all individuals and entities within the United States, and all U.S.-incorporated entities and their foreign branches.",
      "source": {
        "source_key": "ofac-faq-11",
        "name": "OFAC FAQ 11 — Who must comply with OFAC sanctions?",
        "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
        "official_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/11",
        "source_date_kind": "accessed",
        "source_date": "2026-07-22",
        "limitation": "The FAQ states the general compliance population. Program-specific definitions of U.S. person live in each program's implementing regulations in 31 CFR chapter V."
      }
    },
    {
      "fact_key": "program-structure",
      "label": "How country coverage is published",
      "value": "OFAC publishes sanctions by program on its Sanctions Programs and Country Information page; restrictions differ by program, and some programs target regions, sectors, entities, or individuals rather than whole countries.",
      "source": {
        "source_key": "ofac-programs",
        "name": "OFAC Sanctions Programs and Country Information",
        "publisher": "U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control",
        "official_url": "https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information",
        "source_date_kind": "accessed",
        "source_date": "2026-07-22",
        "limitation": "Program pages change as designations change. A program listing is not a determination about any specific person, entity, or transaction."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "Is there one official OFAC sanctioned-country list?",
      "answer": "No. OFAC organizes sanctions by program on its Sanctions Programs and Country Information page. Some programs are comprehensive for a country or region; others target specific entities, sectors, or individuals."
    },
    {
      "question": "Do foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies have to comply?",
      "answer": "FAQ 11 names U.S.-incorporated entities and their foreign branches. Whether a foreign subsidiary is covered depends on the specific program's implementing regulations in 31 CFR chapter V, which define terms like U.S. person for that program."
    },
    {
      "question": "Where do I check a specific name against OFAC lists?",
      "answer": "Use OFAC's Sanctions List Search or the published list files. A name similarity alone is not an identity determination; results are scoped to the list file version checked on a stated date."
    }
  ]
}