United States government agency
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Also known as: United States Secret Service
Written by
Michael Ray
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
U.S. Secret Service agent performing protection duties
See all media
- Date:
- 1865 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- counterfeiting
- Related People:
- Julia Pierson
See all related content →
Top Questions
What does the U.S. Secret Service do?
What does the U.S. Secret Service do?
The U.S. Secret Service is a federal law-enforcement agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security tasked with the criminal investigation of counterfeiting and other financial crimes. After the assassination of President William McKinley, the agency assumed the role of chief protective service for national leaders, their families, and visiting dignitaries.
When was the U.S. Secret Service created?
When was the U.S. Secret Service created?
The U.S. Secret Service was created in 1865 as a specialized branch of the Department of the Treasury to combat the economic threat of counterfeit currency, which in the final days of theAmerican Civil War was estimated to constitute as much as half of circulating U.S. currency.
Who was the first female U.S. Secret Service director?
Who was the first female U.S. Secret Service director?
Julia Pierson was appointed the first female U.S. Secret Service director by President Barack Obama in 2013.
Recent News
June 9, 2024, 11:10 PM ET (AP)
Trump complains about his teleprompters at a scorching Las Vegas rally
June 7, 2024, 12:59 PM ET (AP)
The Latest: Naomi Biden hugs her father as she leaves witness stand
June 6, 2024, 1:59 PM ET (AP)
Secret Service head says RNC security plans not final as protesters allege free speech restrictions
May 22, 2024, 6:12 PM ET (AP)
Republican National Committee’s headquarters evacuated after vials of blood are addressed to Trump
U.S. Secret Service, federal law-enforcement agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security tasked with the criminal investigation of counterfeiting and other financial crimes. After the assassination of Pres. William McKinley in 1901, the agency also assumed the role of chief protective service for national leaders, their families, and visiting dignitaries.
In the final days of the American Civil War, it was estimated that as much as half of circulating U.S. currency was counterfeit. In 1865 the Secret Service was established as a specialized branch of the Department of the Treasury to combat this threat to the economy. As a result, the widespread use of fraudulent banknotes was seriously curtailed, and the organization’s mandate was expanded to include the policing of other federal crimes, including bootlegging, mail theft, and smuggling. Jurisdiction over many of these matters passed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation when that agency was created in 1908, but crimes against the financial or banking sector, including cybercrime, remain within the purview of the Secret Service.
The second, and perhaps more visible, role of the Secret Service involves the protection of prominent political figures and government officials. This includes the president, the vice president, the first family, and visiting foreign heads of state, as well as major presidential and vice presidential candidates within 120 days of a general election. While all such candidates may request protection, the Secret Service applies a series of criteria—which include a base level of success in party primary elections and fund-raising efforts, the national prominence of the individual, and the performance of the candidate’s party in previous presidential elections—to determine who will receive it.
On rare occasions, large public gatherings (such as the Super Bowl) or major political events (such as party conventions or major speeches) may be designated National Special Security Events. In these cases the Secret Service works with local and federal law-enforcement organizations to secure the event and the surrounding airspace. In March 2003 the Treasury Department ceded control of the Secret Service to the Department of Homeland Security. A scandal rocked the agency in 2012 when it was revealed that agents performing advance work for a presidential trip to Cartagena, Colombia, had taken prostitutes back to their hotel rooms. An investigation was launched to analyze what was seen as a male-dominated culture within the agency, and in 2013 Pres. Barack Obama appointed Julia Pierson as the first female Secret Service director. A series of security lapses in 2014, including one in which an armed intruder scaled the White House fence and gained access to the interior of the executive mansion, led to Pierson’s resignation.
Michael Ray
