Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§3952 Diplomatic and Consular Missions

Title 22 › CHAPTER 52 — FOREIGN SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER III — APPOINTMENTS › § 3952

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State can recommend a U.S. member of the Service for a commission as a diplomat or a consul. The President, with the Senate’s OK, can appoint that person. The Secretary can also commission a U.S. member as a vice consul. All official duties by diplomats or vice consuls must be done under their commission. Commissioned Service members may carry out any duties allowed for diplomats or consuls except serving as the head of a mission. The Secretary of State must set the boundaries of consular districts.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §3952

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Recommendations by Secretary of State; appointment by President; vice consul; performance of official functions under commission

The Secretary of State may recommend to the President that a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States be commissioned as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The President may, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, commission such member of the Service as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The Secretary of State may commission as a vice consul a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States. All official functions performed by a diplomatic or consular officer, including a vice consul, shall be performed under such a commission.

(b)Function of commissioned Service members

Members of the Service commissioned under this section may, in accordance with their commissions, perform any function which any category of diplomatic officer (other than a chief of mission) or consular officer is authorized by law to perform.

(c)Limits of consular districts

The Secretary of State shall define the limits of consular districts.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 3952

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110