United States Secret Service

The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency with two primary missions: protecting the nation's leaders and investigating financial and cyber crimes. Operating under the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service protects the President, Vice President, their families, former presidents, major presidential candidates, visiting foreign leaders, and designated national security events. Its investigative mission — the agency's original function dating to 1865 — targets counterfeiting, financial fraud, identity theft, and cybercrime.

Current Law (2026)

Legal Authority

• 18 U.S.C. § 3056 — Powers, authorities, and duties (under the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secret Service protects: the President, VP, their immediate families, former presidents and spouses, children of former presidents until age 16, major presidential candidates, visiting heads of state, and other designated persons; also authorizes investigation of counterfeiting, fraud against financial institutions, identity theft, computer fraud, and telecommunications fraud)
• 18 U.S.C. § 3056A — Uniformed Division (creates a permanent police force for protection of the White House, VP residence, foreign diplomatic missions in D.C., and other designated buildings; officers have arrest authority within their jurisdiction)
• 18 U.S.C. § 471–473 — Counterfeiting (the crimes the Secret Service was originally created to combat: manufacturing, passing, or possessing counterfeit U.S. currency — prosecuted under federal criminal law)
• 18 U.S.C. § 1028 — Identity theft and fraud (fraud involving identification documents — passports, driver's licenses, identity documents)
• 18 U.S.C. § 1029 — Access device fraud (fraud involving credit cards, debit cards, and other access devices)
• 18 U.S.C. § 1030 — Computer fraud (unauthorized access to protected computers — a key statute in the Secret Service's cybercrime investigations)
• 6 U.S.C. § 381 — Transfer of Secret Service to DHS (moved Secret Service from Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security as a distinct entity; Secretary of Homeland Security assumes oversight; Treasury's related functions also transferred)
• 6 U.S.C. § 382 — Use of proceeds from criminal investigations (Secret Service may use appropriated funds and proceeds from undercover operations to acquire equipment, investigative assets, and informant services for financial crime and protective operations)
• 6 U.S.C. § 383 — National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI within Secret Service, authorized FY2023-2028; trains and equips state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement in computer forensics, cybercrime investigation, and electronic evidence handling)

How It Works

The Secret Service operates two missions that, while seemingly unrelated, share a common thread: protecting the integrity of the nation's institutions. Protection safeguards the individuals who lead the government. Investigation safeguards the financial and digital systems that underpin the economy.

The protective mission is the agency's most visible function. The Secret Service provides 24/7 protection to the President, Vice President, and their immediate families. Former presidents receive lifetime protection (restored after a period when it was limited to 10 years post-presidency). During presidential campaigns, major candidates receive protection once they meet criteria set by an advisory committee. The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate National Special Security Events — major gatherings like inaugurations, political conventions, and international summits — where the Secret Service assumes the lead federal security role.

The Uniformed Division is a separate uniformed police force (distinct from the plainclothes protective detail) that provides security for the White House complex, the Vice President's residence at the Naval Observatory, foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington area, and other designated facilities. Uniformed Division officers have full arrest authority within their jurisdiction.

The investigative mission is the Secret Service's original function — it was created in 1865 (the day Lincoln was assassinated, coincidentally) to combat rampant counterfeiting that threatened the post-Civil War monetary system. Today, the investigative portfolio has expanded well beyond counterfeiting to encompass financial institution fraud, identity theft, access device fraud (credit card/debit card), computer intrusion, and telecommunications fraud. The Secret Service operates Electronic Crimes Task Forces in major cities, bringing together federal, state, local, and private sector partners to combat cybercrime.

The dual-mission model creates synergies: the financial crime expertise the Secret Service develops through investigations directly supports its protective mission (financial intelligence helps identify threats to protected persons), and the protective mission's security technology expertise benefits investigations.

The Homeland Security Act transferred the Secret Service from the Department of the Treasury to DHS in 2003 (6 U.S.C. § 381), where it operates as a distinct entity under the Secretary; the transfer preserved the dual mission while placing it within the broader homeland security framework. The agency retains specialized authorities including using proceeds from undercover criminal investigations (§ 382) to fund equipment and informant services. The Secret Service also operates the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) (§ 383, authorized FY2023–2028) in Hoover, Alabama — the nation's primary training facility for state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement in computer forensics, cybercrime investigation, and electronic evidence handling, providing free federally funded training that equips local agencies to investigate financial crime, child exploitation, and ransomware.

How It Affects You

If you're attending an event protected by the Secret Service: When a National Special Security Event (NSSE) is designated — inaugurations, major party conventions, State of the Union addresses, major international summits — the Secret Service becomes the lead federal security coordinating authority. This changes the experience of attending or working near the event.

What NSSE designation means:

• Federal, state, and local law enforcement integrate under Secret Service coordination
• No-fly zones and Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are established — drone operations are prohibited in the entire security perimeter (violation of a TFR is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. § 46307)
• Security perimeters restrict access; expect bag checks, magnetometers, and credentialing requirements
• Arriving significantly early is essential — security screening adds 30-90 minutes at large NSSEs

Practical tips: Leave large bags, prohibited items, and photography equipment exceeding venue rules at home. Expect road closures within several blocks of the venue; use mass transit where possible. If you're a media credentialed attendee, Secret Service advance teams coordinate credential verification hours before the event — arrive early and have your credential documentation ready.

If you're a victim or business victim of counterfeiting, financial fraud, or identity theft: The Secret Service's investigative mission covers crimes you may encounter.

What USSS investigates:

• Counterfeit currency: If your business receives counterfeit bills, report to your nearest USSS field office (directory at secretservice.gov/contact/offices) or local FBI field office. Both agencies coordinate on counterfeiting
• Access device fraud (credit card/debit card fraud, ACH fraud): Large-scale organized criminal rings targeting payment networks are a USSS priority; contact your USSS field office for network-level fraud — individual transactions are handled through your bank and card issuer
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): The Secret Service is increasingly the lead agency for BEC attacks — where fraudsters impersonate executives or vendors to divert wire payments. BEC causes $2.9 billion in annual losses per FBI IC3 2023 data. If your business suffered a BEC attack: (1) contact your bank immediately to recall the wire; (2) file a complaint at ic3.gov; (3) contact your local USSS field office. Report BEC complaints directly at secretservice.gov/contact
• Identity theft and document fraud: USSS investigates criminal networks creating fraudulent passports, driver's licenses, and social security numbers used in financial fraud

If you're a business facing serious cyber intrusions or ransomware: The Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs) operate in major metropolitan areas — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Boston, Washington D.C., and others — as joint federal-state-local-private sector task forces targeting cybercrime. If your business suffered a significant cyber attack:

1. Contact your local USSS field office or nearest FBI field office
2. Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov
3. Engage your cyber insurance carrier and legal counsel — victim cooperation with law enforcement is usually required for coverage

The National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI): State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies can apply for free, federally funded training in Hoover, Alabama covering computer forensics, cybercrime investigation, and electronic evidence handling. This training builds digital investigation capacity for agencies that couldn't otherwise afford specialized cyber training. Information and applications at secretservice.gov/investigations/ncfi.

If you're a former president, protected candidate, or their family: Secret Service protection shapes daily life in ways both protective and constraining.

Who is protected: President and Vice President and their immediate families (24/7). Former presidents receive lifetime protection (restored by the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2013). Spouses of former presidents receive lifetime protection unless they remarry. Children of former presidents until age 16. Major presidential candidates once designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security. Visiting foreign heads of state during official visits.

What protection means practically: Agents conduct advance work at every location you visit. Your schedule is shared with the protective detail in advance; last-minute changes require readvance operations. Residences become secured facilities. Public appearances, travel plans, and social media are evaluated for security implications. Protection can be declined by adults (some former presidents have reduced or declined it), but cannot be declined for minor children.

If you're a financial institution, payment network, or large employer: The Secret Service is a law enforcement partner — not a regulator — for financial fraud matters. Engage proactively through your local USSS field office's financial crimes unit.

For BEC prevention briefings: USSS field offices can provide threat briefings to financial institutions and corporate treasury departments on current BEC tactics, spoofed email indicators, and fraud typologies. Request proactively — the Secret Service welcomes private sector engagement before crimes occur, particularly with financial institutions that can spot patterns across multiple victim accounts.

For access device fraud: If your payment network or card-issuing institution has identified a coordinated carding ring (bulk purchase and use of stolen card data), notify your local USSS field office. USSS has specialized expertise in access device fraud prosecution that complements CISA's critical infrastructure protection work.

State Variations

The Secret Service is exclusively federal. State and local law enforcement support Secret Service operations:

• State and local police assist with protective security during presidential visits and NSSEs
• State investigators may participate in Electronic Crimes Task Forces
• State counterfeiting cases may be adopted for federal prosecution through the Secret Service
• State and local officers may serve on Secret Service-led financial crime task forces

Implementing Regulations

• 31 CFR Part 411 — Color Illustrations of United States Currency: this regulation governs when and how color reproductions of U.S. paper currency are legally permissible — preventing photographic counterfeiting while allowing legitimate advertising, educational, and artistic use. Key provisions:

  • § 411.1(a) — Authorization conditions: color illustrations of U.S. currency are permissible only when ALL of the following conditions are met: (1) the illustration is less than three-quarters or greater than one-and-one-half times the size of a genuine bill (i.e., smaller than 75% or larger than 150% of actual bill dimensions); (2) the illustration is one-sided only — reproductions of both sides of the same bill in a single piece are prohibited; (3) the note is not reproduced in the same dimensions (length × width) as genuine currency even if scaled; and (4) all materials used to make the illustration (negatives, plates, digital files) are destroyed after use and cannot be used again
  • § 411.1(b) — Motion picture and digital reproductions: motion pictures, digital/electronic reproductions, or videotapes of currency are permissible for "motion picture, electronic, magnetic, or digital processes" when they clearly appear to be reproductions and the original is not used to produce a physical counterfeit note; these provisions accommodate advertising production and film/TV use
  • § 411.2 — Black-and-white illustrations: black-and-white illustrations of currency have somewhat more permissive rules (size and one-sidedness still required, but some provisions differ); black-and-white reproductions are inherently less useful for counterfeiting

  The size-and-one-sidedness rules in Part 411 are the Secret Service's primary regulatory tool against high-quality printing-based counterfeiting of U.S. currency. An advertisement or film prop that uses a currency image violating these conditions — for example, a full-sized, two-sided color reproduction printed on a single sheet — constitutes a federal regulatory violation regardless of criminal intent. Violations may result in seizure of the counterfeit-grade reproductions and referral for criminal counterfeiting prosecution under 18 U.S.C. §§ 471–473. Note: 31 CFR Part 411 governs reproduction authorization rules; actual Secret Service investigative authority and law enforcement operations are governed by 18 U.S.C. § 3056 and the Secret Service's DHS organizational framework.

  DHS organizational regulations in 6 CFR also apply to Secret Service operations within the department.

Pending Legislation

• S 3125 — Make Secret Service Director a Senate-confirmed post with single 10-year term. Status: Introduced.
• HR 5877 — Expand Secret Service authority over digital-asset money laundering. Status: In committee.
• HR 7876 — DHS grants to reimburse local law enforcement for Secret Service-protected properties, $61M/year. Status: Introduced.
• HR 4364 (Rep. Brecheen, R-OK) — Require Secret Service to record protective-agent communications, 90-day retention. Status: Introduced.

Recent Developments

The Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny following protection failures, including the 2024 assassination attempt against a presidential candidate that prompted congressional investigations and operational reforms. The agency has expanded its cybercrime and financial investigation capabilities in response to the growing scale of digital financial crime, ransomware attacks, and cryptocurrency-related fraud. The Uniformed Division's mission has evolved to address drone threats and other emerging security technologies. Recruiting and retention challenges have been a persistent concern, with the agency competing for talent with higher-paying private sector security firms.

• Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt (July 2024): The shooting at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally — where a gunman killed one attendee and wounded two others before being killed by Secret Service counter-snipers — was the most significant protection failure since President Reagan's 1981 shooting. The gunman was on the rally's roof within 130 meters of the stage; local law enforcement and Secret Service failed to detect and neutralize him before he fired. A second, foiled assassination attempt in September 2024 targeted Trump at his Florida golf course. Congressional investigations and an independent review identified multiple operational failures; Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned and was replaced by Sean Curran.
• USSS post-assassination reform: Following the Butler attack, the Secret Service implemented operational reforms including expanded counter-sniper protocols, improved communication between advance teams and local law enforcement, and additional resources for threat assessment. The agency requested supplemental appropriations for additional personnel and equipment. Congress appropriated additional USSS funding. The agency's ability to protect a former president who is also a candidate — with the expanded physical footprint of campaign events — remains a challenge given staffing constraints.
• Mar-a-Lago and Trump property protection costs: The Secret Service protection of Trump's extensive private property holdings (Mar-a-Lago, Bedminster, Trump Tower) generates significant ongoing costs for permanent detail operations. The Secret Service leases space in Trump-owned properties for operations — raising emoluments questions about government payments to the president's businesses. These costs were a controversy in Trump's first term and resumed in his second term at larger scale given his more frequent use of private properties.
• Expanding USSS protection mission: The USSS protects the President, Vice President, their families, former presidents, and major presidential/vice presidential candidates. ELON Musk's role as a senior unofficial advisor to Trump raised questions about whether Musk should receive protection — he did not receive formal USSS protection but has private security. The Secret Service's financial crimes division (EFTS) handles major cryptocurrency fraud, elder financial exploitation, and business email compromise — a growing workload as financial crime has migrated to digital channels.