diff --git a/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/audit.rs b/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/audit.rs
index 7dda92d3f..22120bf2d 100644
--- a/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/audit.rs
+++ b/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/audit.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,26 @@
 //!    hash breaks).
 //!
 //! [`AuditLog::verify`] checks both.
+//!
+//! ## Surviving a restart
+//!
+//! Both invariants are about a log a regulator reads *later*, so the log has
+//! to outlive the process that wrote it. [`AuditLog::new`] mints a fresh
+//! keypair, which is right for a one-shot run and wrong for anything
+//! inspected after the fact: the verifying key the regulator ingested
+//! out-of-band no longer matches, and rows written before the restart cannot
+//! be verified by any process.
+//!
+//! So: [`AuditLog::with_signing_key`] signs with an operator-held key,
+//! [`AuditLog::save_entries`] / [`AuditLog::load_entries`] persist the rows
+//! (never the key — that belongs where `compliance/hsm-kms-guidance.md` says),
+//! [`AuditLog::resume`] continues the chain onto its real head, and
+//! [`verify_entries`] verifies a detached run of rows from the published
+//! verifying key alone, with no signing key and no live log.
+
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{BufReader, BufWriter};
+use std::path::Path;
 
 use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
 use ed25519_dalek::{Signature, Signer, SigningKey, Verifier, VerifyingKey};
@@ -75,6 +95,76 @@ impl AuditLog {
         Self { signing_key, verifying_key, entries: Vec::new() }
     }
 
+    /// Build a log that signs with a key the operator already holds, so the
+    /// chain can be continued after a restart.
+    ///
+    /// [`Self::new`] mints a fresh keypair every time it is called, which
+    /// silently rotates the key a regulator was given. Hand the long-lived key
+    /// in here instead; keep it where `compliance/hsm-kms-guidance.md` says to
+    /// keep it.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn with_signing_key(signing_key: SigningKey) -> Self {
+        let verifying_key = signing_key.verifying_key();
+        Self {
+            signing_key,
+            verifying_key,
+            entries: Vec::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Continue an existing chain: the same signing key, plus the rows written
+    /// before the restart so the next row hashes onto the real head rather
+    /// than onto an empty one.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    /// [`Error::AuditChainBroken`] or [`Error::AuditSignatureInvalid`] if the
+    /// rows do not verify under this key. Resuming onto rows this key did not
+    /// write would build a log that fails verification later — at the
+    /// regulator, over a chain nobody can repair — so it fails here instead.
+    pub fn resume(signing_key: SigningKey, entries: Vec<AuditEntry>) -> Result<Self> {
+        let verifying_key = signing_key.verifying_key();
+        verify_entries(&entries, &verifying_key)?;
+        Ok(Self {
+            signing_key,
+            verifying_key,
+            entries,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Write the rows to a CBOR file, as
+    /// [`SanctionsIndex::save_snapshot`](crate::SanctionsIndex::save_snapshot)
+    /// does for the index.
+    ///
+    /// The signing key is deliberately **not** written: a private key does not
+    /// belong in a file beside the rows it signed. Pair this with
+    /// [`Self::resume`] and a key from the operator's own store.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    /// [`Error::Io`] if the file cannot be written, [`Error::Cbor`] on an
+    /// encoding failure.
+    pub fn save_entries(&self, path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+        let file = File::create(path)?;
+        let writer = BufWriter::new(file);
+        ciborium::into_writer(&self.entries, writer).map_err(|e| Error::Cbor(e.to_string()))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Read rows back from a file written by [`Self::save_entries`].
+    ///
+    /// Returns the rows unverified — pass them to [`Self::resume`] to continue
+    /// signing, or to [`verify_entries`] to check them against a published key.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    /// [`Error::Io`] if the file cannot be read, [`Error::Cbor`] on a decoding
+    /// failure.
+    pub fn load_entries(path: &Path) -> Result<Vec<AuditEntry>> {
+        let file = File::open(path)?;
+        let reader = BufReader::new(file);
+        let entries: Vec<AuditEntry> =
+            ciborium::from_reader(reader).map_err(|e| Error::Cbor(e.to_string()))?;
+        Ok(entries)
+    }
+
     /// Public verifying key (regulators ingest this out-of-band).
     #[must_use]
     pub fn verifying_key(&self) -> VerifyingKey {
@@ -156,39 +246,59 @@ impl AuditLog {
     /// Recompute every entry's chain hash and verify every signature.
     ///
     /// Returns `Ok(())` only if the entire log is intact.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    /// See [`verify_entries`], which this delegates to.
     pub fn verify(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        let mut prev_hash = String::new();
-        for (i, e) in self.entries.iter().enumerate() {
-            let body = serde_json::to_string(&AuditBody {
-                seq: e.seq,
-                at: e.at,
-                query: &e.query,
-                decision: &e.decision,
-                hit_count: e.hit_count,
-                top_hit: e.top_hit.clone(),
-                id: e.id.clone(),
-            })?;
-            let mut hasher = blake3::Hasher::new();
-            hasher.update(prev_hash.as_bytes());
-            hasher.update(body.as_bytes());
-            let recomputed = hex(hasher.finalize().as_bytes());
-            if recomputed != e.chain_hash {
-                return Err(Error::AuditChainBroken(i));
-            }
-            let sig_bytes = unhex(&e.signature).ok_or(Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
-            let sig_array: [u8; 64] = sig_bytes
-                .try_into()
-                .map_err(|_| Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
-            let sig = Signature::from_bytes(&sig_array);
-            self.verifying_key
-                .verify(e.chain_hash.as_bytes(), &sig)
-                .map_err(|_| Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
-            prev_hash = e.chain_hash.clone();
-        }
-        Ok(())
+        verify_entries(&self.entries, &self.verifying_key)
     }
 }
 
+/// Verify a detached run of rows against a published verifying key.
+///
+/// This is the regulator's path. The crate header's claim is that "regulators
+/// can inspect the screening history of any payment attempt after the fact",
+/// which requires verification to be possible from the rows plus the public
+/// key alone — no signing key, no live [`AuditLog`], no process that is still
+/// running. [`AuditLog::verify`] delegates here so there is one
+/// implementation of the two invariants rather than two that can drift.
+///
+/// # Errors
+/// [`Error::AuditChainBroken`] with the index of the first row whose chain
+/// hash does not recompute, or [`Error::AuditSignatureInvalid`] if a signature
+/// is malformed or does not verify under `verifying_key`.
+pub fn verify_entries(entries: &[AuditEntry], verifying_key: &VerifyingKey) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut prev_hash = String::new();
+    for (i, e) in entries.iter().enumerate() {
+        let body = serde_json::to_string(&AuditBody {
+            seq: e.seq,
+            at: e.at,
+            query: &e.query,
+            decision: &e.decision,
+            hit_count: e.hit_count,
+            top_hit: e.top_hit.clone(),
+            id: e.id.clone(),
+        })?;
+        let mut hasher = blake3::Hasher::new();
+        hasher.update(prev_hash.as_bytes());
+        hasher.update(body.as_bytes());
+        let recomputed = hex(hasher.finalize().as_bytes());
+        if recomputed != e.chain_hash {
+            return Err(Error::AuditChainBroken(i));
+        }
+        let sig_bytes = unhex(&e.signature).ok_or(Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
+        let sig_array: [u8; 64] = sig_bytes
+            .try_into()
+            .map_err(|_| Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
+        let sig = Signature::from_bytes(&sig_array);
+        verifying_key
+            .verify(e.chain_hash.as_bytes(), &sig)
+            .map_err(|_| Error::AuditSignatureInvalid)?;
+        prev_hash = e.chain_hash.clone();
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 impl Default for AuditLog {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self::new()
@@ -305,4 +415,129 @@ mod tests {
             other => panic!("wrong err: {other:?}"),
         }
     }
+
+    // ---- surviving a restart ----------------------------------------
+
+    fn key(seed: u8) -> SigningKey {
+        SigningKey::from_bytes(&[seed; 32])
+    }
+
+    fn tempdir() -> std::path::PathBuf {
+        let mut p = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let uniq = format!(
+            "op-screening-audit-{}",
+            std::time::SystemTime::now()
+                .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+                .map(|d| d.as_nanos())
+                .unwrap_or(0)
+        );
+        p.push(uniq);
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&p).expect("mkdir");
+        p
+    }
+
+    /// The restart the crate header's claim depends on: two rows written, the
+    /// process ends, the rows come back and the chain continues onto its real
+    /// head rather than onto an empty one.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_restart_continues_the_chain() {
+        let dir = tempdir();
+        let path = dir.join("audit.cbor");
+
+        let mut before = AuditLog::with_signing_key(key(1));
+        before.record("Alpha Corp", &[], "clear").expect("row 0");
+        before.record("Beta Ltd", &[], "review").expect("row 1");
+        before.save_entries(&path).expect("save");
+        let head = before.entries().last().expect("two rows").chain_hash.clone();
+        drop(before);
+
+        let rows = AuditLog::load_entries(&path).expect("load");
+        assert_eq!(rows.len(), 2, "both pre-restart rows came back");
+        let mut after = AuditLog::resume(key(1), rows).expect("the rows verify under this key");
+        after.record("Gamma GmbH", &[], "clear").expect("row 2");
+
+        let all = after.entries();
+        assert_eq!(all.len(), 3);
+        assert_eq!(all[2].seq, 2, "the sequence continues, it does not restart at 0");
+        assert_ne!(
+            all[2].chain_hash, head,
+            "the new row is its own link, not a repeat of the old head"
+        );
+        after.verify().expect("the whole chain verifies across the restart");
+    }
+
+    /// The regulator's path: rows on disk plus the published verifying key, no
+    /// signing key and no live log. That is what "inspect the screening
+    /// history after the fact" has to mean.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_regulator_verifies_dumped_rows_with_only_the_public_key() {
+        let dir = tempdir();
+        let path = dir.join("audit.cbor");
+
+        let mut log = AuditLog::with_signing_key(key(2));
+        log.record("Delta SA", &[], "clear").expect("row");
+        log.record("Epsilon BV", &[], "hit").expect("row");
+        log.save_entries(&path).expect("save");
+        let published = log.verifying_key();
+        drop(log);
+
+        let rows = AuditLog::load_entries(&path).expect("load");
+        verify_entries(&rows, &published).expect("the dumped rows verify on their own");
+
+        // Both invariants still bite on the detached rows.
+        let mut edited = rows.clone();
+        edited[0].query = "Not Delta SA".into();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(
+                verify_entries(&edited, &published),
+                Err(Error::AuditChainBroken(0))
+            ),
+            "an edited row breaks its chain hash"
+        );
+
+        let mut dropped = rows.clone();
+        dropped.remove(0);
+        assert!(
+            verify_entries(&dropped, &published).is_err(),
+            "a removed row breaks the chain"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Resuming onto rows a different key signed fails here, rather than
+    /// building a log that fails later at the regulator over a chain nobody
+    /// can repair.
+    #[test]
+    fn resuming_with_the_wrong_key_is_refused() {
+        let mut log = AuditLog::with_signing_key(key(3));
+        log.record("Zeta Oy", &[], "clear").expect("row");
+        let rows = log.entries().to_vec();
+
+        assert!(
+            AuditLog::resume(key(4), rows.clone()).is_err(),
+            "the rows do not verify under this key"
+        );
+        AuditLog::resume(key(3), rows).expect("the right key resumes");
+    }
+
+    /// Why `with_signing_key` exists. `new()` mints a fresh keypair, so a
+    /// second run cannot verify the first run's rows at all — pinned here so
+    /// it reads as a known limit of `new()` rather than a surprise found by a
+    /// regulator.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_fresh_log_cannot_verify_another_runs_rows() {
+        let mut first = AuditLog::new();
+        first.record("Eta AB", &[], "clear").expect("row");
+        let rows = first.entries().to_vec();
+
+        let second = AuditLog::new();
+        assert_ne!(
+            first.verifying_key().to_bytes(),
+            second.verifying_key().to_bytes(),
+            "each new() mints its own key"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            verify_entries(&rows, &second.verifying_key()).is_err(),
+            "so the previous run's rows are unverifiable under the new key"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/lib.rs b/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/lib.rs
index f56ebe4a0..01935a53b 100644
--- a/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/lib.rs
+++ b/openpay/crates/op-screening/src/lib.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ pub mod screener;
 pub mod storage;
 pub mod updater;
 
-pub use audit::{AuditEntry, AuditLog, AuditVerifyError};
+pub use audit::{AuditEntry, AuditLog, AuditVerifyError, verify_entries};
 pub use bsa::{CtrHelper, SarHelper, Transaction, Trigger, TriggerKind};
 pub use error::{Error, Result};
 pub use lists::{