Secret Service Protection Law

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedures
Sec. 3056. Powers, authorities, and duties of United States Secret Service

• (a) Under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect the following persons:
  • (1) The President, the Vice President (or other officer next in
    the order of succession to the Office of President), the
    President-elect, and the Vice President-elect.
  • (2) The immediate families of those individuals listed in
    paragraph (1).
  • (3) Former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes,
    except that protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event
    of remarriage unless the former President did not serve as
    President prior to January 1, 1997, in which case, former
    Presidents and their spouses for a period of not more than ten
    years from the date a former President leaves office, except that
    -
    • (A) protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of
      remarriage or the divorce from, or death of a former President;
      and
      (B) should the death of a President occur while in office or
      within one year after leaving office, the spouse shall receive
      protection for one year from the time of such death:
      Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall have the
      authority to direct the Secret Service to provide temporary
      protection for any of these individuals at any time if the
      Secretary of the Treasury or designee determines that information
      or conditions warrant such protection.
  • (4) Children of a former President who are under 16 years of
    age for a period not to exceed ten years or upon the child
    becoming 16 years of age, whichever comes first.
  • (5) Visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments.
  • (6) Other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States
    and official representatives of the United States performing
    special missions abroad when the President directs that such
    protection be provided.
  • (7) Major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and,
    within 120 days of the general Presidential election, the spouses
    of such candidates. As used in this paragraph, the term ''major
    Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates'' means those
    individuals identified as such by the Secretary of the Treasury
    after consultation with an advisory committee consisting of the
    Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of
    the House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders
    of the Senate, and one additional member selected by the other
    members of the committee. The protection authorized in paragraphs (2) through (7) may be declined.

• (b) Under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secret Service is authorized to detect and arrest any person who violates -
  • (1) section 508, 509, 510, 871, or 879 of this title or, with
    respect to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal
    land banks, and Federal land bank associations, section 213, 216,
    ^[1] 433, 493, 657, 709, 1006, 1007, 1011, 1013, 1014,
    1907, or 1909 of this title;
  • (2) any of the laws of the United States relating to coins,
    obligations, and securities of the United States and of foreign
    governments; or
  • (3) any of the laws of the United States relating to electronic
    fund transfer frauds, credit and debit card frauds, and false
    identification documents or devices; except that the authority
    conferred by this paragraph shall be exercised subject to the
    agreement of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the
    Treasury and shall not affect the authority of any other Federal
    law enforcement agency with respect to those laws.

• (c)
  • (1) Under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, officers and agents of the Secret Service are authorized to -
    • (A) execute warrants issued under the laws of the United
      States;
    • (B) carry firearms;
    • (C) make arrests without warrant for any offense against the
      United States committed in their presence, or for any felony
      cognizable under the laws of the United States if they have
      reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has
      committed or is committing such felony;
    • (D) offer and pay rewards for services and information leading
      to the apprehension of persons involved in the violation or
      potential violation of those provisions of law which the Secret
      Service is authorized to enforce;
    • (E) pay expenses for unforeseen emergencies of a confidential
      nature under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury and
      accounted for solely on the Secretary's certificate; and
      (F) perform such other functions and duties as are authorized
      by law.
  • (2) Funds expended from appropriations available to the Secret Service for the purchase of counterfeits and subsequently recovered shall be reimbursed to the appropriations available to the Secret Service at the time of the reimbursement.

• (d) Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs, resists, or interferes with a Federal law enforcement agent engaged in the performance of the protective functions authorized by this section or by section 1752 of this title shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

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