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united states Department of state

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Diplomatic Security

Serves the foreign 

diplomatic community
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Introduction..................................................................................... 1

The Office of Foreign Missions........................................................ 3

Diplomatic Motor Vehicles.............................................................. 4

Travel Restrictions............................................................................ 4

Property, Customs, and Tax Exemption .......................................... 4

Protective Liaison Division............................................................... 6

Contact Us........................................................................................ 8

OFM Regional Offices...................................................................... 8
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Diplomatic Security: 

SERVes the foreign 

diplomatic community

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Introduction 

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security manages the special 

protections and privileges afforded to foreign diplomats 

who reside in and visit the United States. Diplomatic 

Security ensures that these diplomats are treated fairly, 

that their embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic 

missions are well protected, and that they correctly receive 

and use their diplomatic and consular privileges. Our work 

not only helps the United States maintain good relations 

with foreign countries, it also helps ensure that foreign 

countries fairly treat our U.S. diplomats overseas.

Of all countries, the United States hosts the highest 

number of persons who are entitled to some degree 

of diplomatic privilege and immunity, one of the oldest 

principles of foreign relations. As a matter of international 

law, our responsibility for serving diplomats and their 

embassies stems directly from the Vienna Conventions on 

Diplomatic Relations, signed in 1961, and on Consular 

Relations, signed in 1963.
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The foreign diplomatic community residing in the United 

States numbers more than 128,000 people—including 

diplomats, consular officers, and staff members of 

international organizations and their family members. 

Most of these persons are entitled to some degree of 

immunity; however, there are different categories of 

persons within a diplomatic mission, some of whom enjoy 

greater immunities and privileges than others. Only about 

20,000 are given the highest level of diplomatic immunity. 

As with diplomats serving throughout the world, foreign 

diplomats living in the United States receive varying 

degrees of immunity from prosecution as well as tax, 

customs, and other benefits. Privileges and immunities 

are extended to ensure the efficient and effective 

performance of official missions on behalf of their 

governments, not to benefit individuals. Most of 

these privileges and immunities are not absolute.

Within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Office of 

Foreign Missions and the Protective Liaison Division (PL) 

provide services to the diplomatic community residing in 

the United States. 
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The Office of Foreign Missions

: The Office of Foreign Missions seeks to:

: Protect the national security interests 

of the United States,

: Guard the public from abuse of 

diplomatic privileges and immunities, 

: Press for the fair treatment of 

U.S. diplomats abroad, and

: Provide services to the foreign diplomatic 

community in the United States. 

Created by Congress in 1982 when it passed the 

Foreign Missions Act, the Office of Foreign Missions uses 

reciprocity as its primary tool in seeking improvement in 

the treatment of U.S. missions and personnel abroad. 

Through its control over diplomats’ motor vehicles, tax 

and customs benefits, property, and travel, the Office 

of Foreign Missions both regulates their privileges and 

benefits for reciprocity and security reasons, and provides 

these benefits effectively and efficiently to the diplomatic 

community.
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Diplomatic Motor Vehicles

One of the most widely recognized programs managed by 

the Office of Foreign Missions deals with motor vehicles. 

The most visible symbol of this program is the diplomatic 

license plates issued by the Office of Foreign Missions. To 

ensure that diplomats are qualified drivers and that their 

vehicles are mechanically safe and carry adequate levels 

of insurance, the Office of Foreign Missions issues driver’s 

licenses, vehicle titles, and registration. 

Travel Restrictions

The Office of Foreign Missions monitors travel by foreign 

diplomats within the United States based on national 

security and reciprocity. Members of certain diplomatic 

missions are required to obtain permission before traveling 

within the United States and others are required simply to 

notify the Office of Foreign Missions 

of their travel plans.

Property, Customs, and Tax Exemption

The Office of Foreign Missions also works with 

foreign missions in the United States on property, customs, 

and tax exemption issues. Foreign missions are required 

by law to obtain permission from the Office of Foreign 

Missions before they may purchase, lease, sell, or renovate 
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real estate. The Office of Foreign Missions also provides 

guidance to foreign missions in their dealings with local 

governments in these matters. The Office of Foreign 

Missions reviews applications for the duty-free importation 

of official and personal shipments and resolves related 

problems. In accordance with international law and 

reciprocity, the diplomatic tax exemption program ensures 

the correct exemption for foreign missions and their 

members from sales, utility, vehicle sale, and fuel taxes.

Foreign diplomats must comply with U.S. laws and 

regulations but, due to international law, most cannot 

be prosecuted in the United States without a waiver of 

immunity from their own country. In the case of minor 

offenses, the Office of Foreign Missions may rescind 

certain privileges. For instance, if a diplomat has many 

traffic violations, the Office of Foreign Missions can revoke 

driving privileges. For more serious offenses, the diplomat 

may be requested to depart the country. In one case, the 

Office of Foreign Missions expelled a diplomat who had 

committed customs fraud by reselling cigarettes purchased 

without paying taxes. 

In all serious cases, the Department of State requests a 

waiver from the offending diplomat’s government so that 

the diplomat can be prosecuted in the United States.
Protective Liaison Division

The Protective Liaison Division (PL) coordinates 

protection of all foreign officials and their 

embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic 

missions in the United States. This protection is 

based not on reciprocity, but an assessment of risk, 

that is, the threat to the mission or individual while in 

the United States.

All foreign missions in the United States are provided 

with some police coverage and are identified to local 

police departments as sensitive locations for priority 

police response. To provide this security, PL works 

closely with the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, 

state and local police departments, and other federal 

law enforcement authorities.

PL also offers a broad range of security services to 

the diplomatic community. Each year, PL makes 

hundreds of visits to foreign embassies and consulates 

throughout the United States to discuss and resolve 

security issues. PL conducts outreach programs 

to disseminate information to state and local law 

enforcement agencies about the protections that 

diplomatic immunity gives diplomats and consular 

officials.

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Contact Us

For more information about the Office of Foreign Missions, 

please visit: www.state.gov/ofm

Write: Office of Foreign Missions

3507 International Place, NW

Washington, DC 20522-3302

Email: OFMINFO@state.gov

For services and assistance to the foreign diplomatic 

community residing in the United States with travel, 

property, banking, diplomatic motor vehicle, or tax 

and customs, please call (202) 895-3500

OFM Regional Offices

Chicago (312) 353-5762

Houston (713) 272-2865

Los Angeles (310) 235-6292

Miami (305) 442-4943

New York (212) 826-4500

San Francisco (415) 744-2910

The Protective Liaison Division may 

be contacted in Washington, DC, 

at (202) 895-3600 during normal 

business hours. After-hours and 

emergency notifications may 

be made 24 hours daily to the 

Diplomatic Security Command 

Center; call (571) 345-3146 or 

toll free 1-866-217-2089.
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Photo Credits

Cover: top left, AP/Wide World Photos 

Page 1: AP/Wide World Photos

Page 2: bottom, AP/Wide World Photos

Page 3: AP/Wide World Photos

Page 5: right, AP/Wide World Photos

All other photos: U.S. Department of State
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Public Affairs

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

U.S. Department of State

Washington, DC 20522-2008

571-345-2502

www.diplomaticsecurity.state.gov

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Publication 11205

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Revised February 2008