The answer is no. They receive six months of protection after leaving office, with the possibility of an extension, but nothing permanent.
Do vice presidents get Secret Service for life? The question has become a hot topic once again following new developments regarding former Vice President Kamala Harris and her security detail. As of August 2025, Harris’s extended Secret Service protection has been revoked, sparking renewed debate about what protections former vice presidents actually receive.
Unlike presidents, who are guaranteed lifetime Secret Service protection, former vice presidents are covered for only six months after leaving office. That limited timeframe has been the standard for years. After those six months expire, security decisions shift to the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, who may extend coverage if deemed necessary.
In Harris’s case, her protection would have normally ended in July 2025, but it had been extended earlier in the year. The extension was unusual, given that most former vice presidents quietly transition to private life with no federal security support after their initial six-month window. This week, however, President Trump reversed that extension, formally ending Harris’s protection effective September 1, 2025.
The decision comes just as Harris is preparing for a nationwide 15-city book tour to promote her memoir, 107 Days. Without Secret Service agents at her side, Harris is expected to rely on private security teams to manage safety during public appearances. The move has triggered sharp criticism from her allies, who argue that her high profile makes her a target and that stripping protection is politically motivated.
How Protection Works for Different Roles
To better understand the distinction in Secret Service coverage, it helps to look at how the rules apply to different roles:
- Former Presidents: By law, all former U.S. presidents are guaranteed lifetime Secret Service protection. This ensures that even decades after leaving the White House, they remain under federal security. Their spouses also receive lifetime coverage, unless they remarry. Children of former presidents are protected until they turn 16.
- Former Vice Presidents: The rules for vice presidents are much narrower. Once a vice president leaves office, they receive only six months of Secret Service protection. After that period, the protection normally ends, and they are expected to make their own private security arrangements.
- Extensions: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Secret Service, has the authority to extend protection if credible threats or ongoing security risks exist. These extensions are rare and typically short-term, granted only when circumstances demand additional coverage.
- Spouses and Children: A vice president’s spouse and children under 16 are covered during the same protection window. When the six-month period expires, their protection ends as well, unless DHS grants an extension alongside the former vice president.
This framework explains why Kamala Harris’s protection drew so much attention. Unlike most of her predecessors, she became one of the very few former vice presidents in recent history to have her Secret Service coverage extended beyond the standard six months. Even more unusual, however, was the decision to withdraw that extension before the newly scheduled end date—an uncommon step that sparked debate about both the security process and the political climate surrounding her.
Read Also-Kamala Harris Secret Service Protection Revoked Ahead of Book Tour
Duration of Secret Service Protection for Vice Presidents
Unlike presidents, who are entitled to lifetime protection, vice presidents face much stricter limits on their post-office security. By statute, vice presidents and their families receive Secret Service protection only while in office. This ensures their safety during their active duties, when they are among the most visible political figures in the country and second in line to the presidency.
Once a vice president leaves office, the coverage does not continue indefinitely. Instead, there is a standard six-month grace period in which the former vice president and their immediate family remain under Secret Service watch. This buffer is designed to allow for a smoother transition from federal security to private arrangements. After those six months expire, the responsibility for personal safety typically shifts to privately hired security teams, unless a formal extension is granted.
The reasoning behind this limited timeframe is rooted in practicality. Unlike former presidents, who remain high-value symbolic and political targets long after leaving office, vice presidents generally step into a lower public profile. However, the government recognizes that threats can persist in certain situations, which is why the sitting President or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) retains the authority to extend Secret Service protection if credible risks are identified.
These extensions are not automatic and are usually temporary, situation-specific decisions. For example, if intelligence agencies detect unusual levels of threat activity, or if the vice president played a particularly controversial role during their tenure, the Secret Service may recommend prolonging protection beyond the six-month cutoff.
Importantly, the protection also covers the spouse and minor children of the vice president during the same timeframe. That means the family remains safeguarded while in office and for up to six months afterward, after which they, too, lose automatic federal coverage unless an extension applies.
This structured timeline underscores the clear distinction between presidential and vice-presidential security. Presidents receive an enduring shield that follows them for life, while vice presidents are afforded a more limited window of federal protection, reflecting their different roles and long-term risk profiles.
Notable Exceptions
While the general rule is that former vice presidents receive only six months of Secret Service protection after leaving office, there have been a handful of notable exceptions where coverage was extended due to heightened security concerns. These cases highlight the flexibility built into the system, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to adapt protections based on real-world threats.
One of the most widely cited examples involves former Vice President Dick Cheney. After leaving office in January 2009, Cheney’s protection was extended well beyond the standard six-month cutoff. The extension was granted because of the unique security risks associated with his role in the War on Terror. As the face of many controversial national security decisions during the George W. Bush administration—including his strong stance on counterterrorism and interrogation policies—Cheney remained a potential target for adversaries. Reports indicate that credible threats and ongoing security concerns persuaded officials to authorize continued Secret Service coverage for him longer than usual.
Another example involves temporary extensions for certain vice presidents when security assessments warranted additional caution. While details are not always made public, the Secret Service and DHS have the discretion to quietly prolong protection if intelligence suggests a higher-than-normal risk, whether from domestic extremists or international actors. These decisions are rarely permanent and are generally revisited periodically to determine if the protection is still justified.
What makes these exceptions stand out is that they underscore how vice presidential protection is not one-size-fits-all. Instead, it can be adjusted based on the individual’s public profile, their exposure to national security issues, and any continuing threats tied to their time in office.
In short, while most former vice presidents transition to private life with only a brief period of Secret Service support, figures like Dick Cheney demonstrate how the government can and does make exceptions when the risk environment demands it.
Why the issue matters now
The debate is not just about one individual—it’s about the broader question of whether vice presidents, who often remain prominent figures in politics and public life, deserve the same lifetime coverage as presidents. Critics of the current system argue that the threats faced by former vice presidents have increased in recent years, especially given the heightened polarization in the United States.
Supporters of the status quo counter that extending lifetime protection would place an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers, especially since many former vice presidents do not maintain the same public visibility as ex-presidents.
Conclusion
So, do vice presidents get Secret Service for life? The answer is no. They receive six months of protection after leaving office, with the possibility of an extension, but nothing permanent. Harris’s case underscores how political and security considerations can collide, leaving the American public questioning whether the current system is fair or sufficient.
As the controversy unfolds, many will be watching closely to see how Harris manages her safety in the months ahead. What do you think—should vice presidents get lifetime protection, or is the current system enough?