United States Secret Service

The US Secret Service (simply known as Secret Service)^[3] is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agency is in charge with handling criminal investigations and protecting political leaders of the United States, their families, and visiting heads of state or government.^[4] The agency was under the United States Department of the Treasury until 2003.^[5] Its original job was to stop Counterfeiting of money.

US Secret Service
Emblem of the U.S Secret Service
Secret Service special agent badge
U.S. Secret Service flag
Common name	Secret Service
Abbreviation	USSS
Agency overview
Formed	July 5, 1865; 160 years ago (1865-07-05)
Employees	8,300+ (2024)[1]
Annual budget	US$3.2 billion (2025)[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	United States
Operational structure
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Agency executive	Sean M. Curran, Director[2]
Parent agency	U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2003–present) U.S. Department of the Treasury (1865–2003)
Facilities
Field and resident offices	116
Overseas offices	20
Website
secretservice.gov

History

President Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation that established the Secret Service just hours before he was assassinated on April 14, 1865.

After the Assassination of President William McKinley in September 1901, U.S. Congress passed a federal law and directed the Secret Service to provide mandatory protection to the president.

Primary missions

The Secret Service is authorized by 18 U.S.C. § 3056(a) to protect:^[6][7]

• President of the United States
• Vice President of the United States
• First Lady of the United States
• Spouse of the Vice President
• President-elect
• Vice President-elect
• People in the presidential line of succession.
• The immediate family members such as children, grandchildren, stepchildren, in-laws etc.
• Former presidents and their spouses for the rest of their life, unless the spouse remarries.
• Children of former presidents under the age of 16.
• Visiting heads of state or government and their spouses.
• Major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses
• Former vice presidents, their spouses up to six months after the former vice president leaves office.

The Secret Service also provides security for the White House, the Number One Observatory Circle, Treasury Department building and private residences of the president and former presidents.

Other missions

The Secret Service is tasked with protecting the financial systems of the United States and cyber-based crime such as, counterfeit money, bank and financial fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud.^[8]