# Secret Service protection, who gets it and for how long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418 "2017-02-09T22:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/1 "2017-02-09T22:06:06Z")
According to the [Daily Mail](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4206384/Hillary-Clinton-spotted-arriving-Chelsea-s.html) Clinton was “spotted arriving at her daughter’s home on Wednesday night with Secret Service in tow.” Now I’m not concerned with her comings and goings but just wanted to ask a general question about Secret Service protection. Does she qualify for such protection as the spouse of an ex-President or as a recent candidate for the Presidency or both? In the former case I assume such protection is in perpetuity but how far does it extend? Would any adult offspring of an ex-President be also covered or only minors? And if recent candidates for the Presidency receive SS protection does that last for any period after they are no longer a candidate or does it terminate with their candidacy? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/2 "2017-02-09T22:18:36Z")
used to be president and spouse got it for life. For a short time it was changed to 10 years after leaving office . Now it’s back to life. for candidates it stops when they drop out of race or the election is over. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/3 "2017-02-09T23:24:36Z")
Yes, for candidates it’s as soon as the election is over. The night of the 2012 election, Romney drove to the convention centre in a 15-car convoy. After he conceded to Obama, his son Tagg drove him home in a convoy of one. The Secret Service dropped coverage around 3 am, while Romney slept. > **[How the Secret Service Said Goodbye to Mitt Romney](https://www.gq.com/story/how-the-secret-service-said-goodbye-to-mitt-romney)** > > At some point, early Wednesday morning, when Gov. Mitt Romney and family were tucked into bed, a quiet call went out on the radio channel used by his Secret Service agents: "Javelin, Jockey details,... ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/4 "2017-02-09T23:31:21Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > for candidates it stops when they drop out of race or the election is over. Are there any rules for how that’s determined? Could a candidate keep coverage until the results are certified by congress if they dispute the outcome? (I was going to ask about Al Gore but then I realized he was the VP anyway) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/5 "2017-02-09T23:35:32Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > For a short time it was changed to 10 years after leaving office . Now it’s back to life. There is a reason for that too. The 10 year limit was a dumb idea to begin with. Sitting Presidents get an astounding number of death threats and some of them are deadly serious (no pun intended). You would think that would stop when they leave office but it doesn’t. Ex-Presidents and even their spouses continue to get very serious death threats for the rest of their lives. They need to have protective custody forever unless we want to risk sudden, unplanned state funerals because there are plenty of crazies out there that would love to knock off an ex-President or even their spouse. I don’t know why other countries don’t have the same types of problems with that type of thing but the U.S. has for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/6 "2017-02-09T23:43:52Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Are there any rules for how that’s determined? Could a candidate keep coverage until the results are certified by congress if they dispute the outcome? (I was going to ask about Al Gore but then I realized he was the VP anyway) That scenario is just general policy, not a specific law. The Director of the Secret Service can extend protection for anyone that is needed as conditions dictate. It is a law enforcement agency. They can potentially protect just about anyone if they need to just like local police can protect your house if you have a potential threat. The laws are about who they are required to protect and for how long but it isn’t exhaustive. In practice, the SS usually wants to drop protection for losing candidates as soon as possible because it costs a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/7 "2017-02-10T00:06:11Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > There is a reason for that too. The 10 year limit was a dumb idea to begin with. Sitting Presidents get an astounding number of death threats and some of them are deadly serious (no pun intended). You would think that would stop when they leave office but it doesn’t. Ex-Presidents and even their spouses continue to get very serious death threats for the rest of their lives. They need to have protective custody forever unless we want to risk sudden, unplanned state funerals because there are plenty of crazies out there that would love to knock off an ex-President or even their spouse. > > I don’t know why other countries don’t have the same types of problems with that type of thing but the U.S. has for a long time. You have to go counties ruled by dictators to see the level of security accorded US Presidents and former Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/8 "2017-02-10T02:11:49Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yes, for candidates it’s as soon as the election is over. > > The night of the 2012 election, Romney drove to the convention centre in a 15-car convoy. > > After he conceded to Obama, his son Tagg drove him home in a convoy of one. > > The Secret Service dropped coverage around 3 am, while Romney slept. > > [How the Secret Service Said Goodbye to Mitt Romney | GQ](http://www.gq.com/story/how-the-secret-service-said-goodbye-to-mitt-romney/) I don’t see why , after the expense of the whole election cycle, the losing candidate can’t have, say, 48-72 hours to tie up loose ends and/or return home, whichever comes first. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/9 "2017-02-10T05:01:30Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t know why other countries don’t have the same types of problems with that type of thing but the U.S. has for a long time. Well, many millions of Britons would quite like to see Mr. Blair and Mr. Cameron bite the big one, but we can’t be bothered enough to spend the rest of our lives in jail. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yes, for candidates it’s as soon as the election is over. > > The night of the 2012 election, Romney drove to the convention centre in a 15-car convoy. > > After he conceded to Obama, his son Tagg drove him home in a convoy of one. > > The Secret Service dropped coverage around 3 am, while Romney slept. > > [How the Secret Service Said Goodbye to Mitt Romney | GQ](http://www.gq.com/story/how-the-secret-service-said-goodbye-to-mitt-romney/) Eventually there’ll be a sad story of some defeated candidate in the final race having to bicycle home alone. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection-who-gets-it-and-for-how-long/779418/10 "2017-02-10T06:17:30Z")
There has to be some common sense applied. We wasted lord knows how much money on Bess Truman long after anyone gave a thin shit about her.