12 FAM 300
PHYSICAL SECURITY PROGRAMS
PHYSICAL SECURITY OF FACILITIES ABROAD
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
(Office of Origin: DS/C/PSP)
12 FAM 311 SCOPE AND AUTHORITY
12 FAM 311.1 Policy
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
This section implements the security responsibilities of the Secretary under the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (SECCA), amended in 2022, and the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986.
12 FAM 311.2 Applicability
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. All United States diplomatic facilities abroad, constructed or acquired after November 29, 1999, must meet SECCA requirements (12 FAM 312) unless the diplomatic facility is exempted or the requirement waived in accordance with this section.
b. Security requirements, standards, and policies published in 12 FAM Diplomatic Security, 12 FAH-5 Physical Security Handbook, and 12 FAH-6 Overseas Security Policy Board (OSPB) Security Standards and Policy Handbook apply to all facilities owned or leased by the USG and occupied by USG personnel under COM security responsibility. This includes all new embassy compounds (NECs), new office buildings (NOBs), newly acquired buildings (NABs), and existing office buildings (EOBs). For EOBs only, the physical security standards apply to the maximum extent feasible or practicable as defined in 12 FAH-5 H-121.1.
c. These requirements, standards, and policies apply irrespective of whether a diplomatic facility is acquired or constructed for temporary, interim, or permanent occupancy.
12 FAM 311.3 Authorities
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-399;) (22 U.S.C. 4801, et seq.).
b. Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-113; 22 U.S.C. 4865, amended in 2022) with an effective date of November 29, 1999, and Conference Report 106-479.
c. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228), Section 505 (22 U.S.C. 3927, as amended) (Exemption of Voice of America Correspondents on Official Assignment from Responsibilities of the Secretary and Chief of Mission).
d. Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-465) Section 207 (22 U.S.C. 3927) and the President’s Letter of Instruction to the Chief of Mission
12 FAM 312 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. The President’s Letter of Instruction to COMs states that each COM is directly responsible for the mission’s security (1 FAM 013; 2 FAH-2 H-116).
b. The Office of Physical Security Programs, Physical Security Division (DS/PSP/PSD) ensures that all new construction and major renovation design plans comply with SECCA requirements and OSPB physical security standards when applicable.
c. The Office of Physical Security Programs, Project Coordination Division (DS/PSP/PCD) ensures that all existing and newly acquired facilities comply with SECCA requirements and OSPB physical security standards when applicable.
d. Where applicable, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) incorporates SECCA requirements and OSPB security standards and policies into building projects (1 FAM 281).
12 FAM 313 SECURE EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION AND COUNTERTERRORISM ACT (SECCA)
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. SECCA establishes statutory collocation and setback requirements for U.S. diplomatic facilities abroad:
(1) Collocation: In selecting a site for any new United States diplomatic facility abroad, the Secretary shall ensure that all United States Government personnel at the post (except those under the command of an area military commander, personnel of the Peace Corps, or American Spaces or other entity dedicated to public engagement) will be located on the site; and
(2) Setback: Each newly acquired United States diplomatic facility in a location that has certain minimum ratings under the Security Environment Threat List (SETL) as determined by the discretion of the Secretary of State shall either:
(I) be constructed or modified to meet the measured building blast performance standard applicable to a diplomatic facility sited not less than 100 feet from the perimeter of the property on which the facility is situated; or
(II) fulfill such other criteria as the Secretary is authorized to employ to achieve an engineering standard of security and degree of protection equivalent to that which the numerical perimeter distance setback described in item (I) above seeks to achieve.
b. For purposes of the application of SECCA, a U.S. diplomatic facility is any chancery, consulate, or other office notified to the receiving government as diplomatic or consular premises in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, or otherwise subject to a publicly available bilateral agreement with the host government (contained in the records of the United States Department of State) that recognizes the official status of U.S. Government personnel present at the facility. U.S. Government executive branch employees include U.S. citizens and Locally Employed Staff (LE Staff) employed via direct-hire appointments, Personal Services Contracts (PSCs), or Personal Services Agreements (PSAs) (2 FAH-2 H-112.2).
c. Normally, under the parameters of this definition, certain types of facilities are excluded from SECCA collocation and setback requirements.
(1) Collocation exemptions:
(a) Construction facilities on areas of new construction, unless and until the site is notified to the receiving country government as diplomatic or consular premises in accordance with the Vienna Conventions;
(b) Non-U.S. Governmental organizations leasing U.S. Government facilities;
(c) Warehouses (storage only), garages, guard booths, Compound Access Control (CAC) buildings, and other non-office facilities;
(d) Residential facilities or spaces;
(e) U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance centers (CBP) and Open Source Centers (OSC);
(f) Consular agencies and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research laboratory facilities operating from non-U.S. Government-leased spaces;
(g) Facilities occupied by Peace Corps volunteers, country directors, and staff;
(h) Voice of America (VOA) relay stations;
(i) VOA Correspondents on official assignment;
(j) Public Diplomacy Facilities defined as American Centers in 10 FAH-1 H-013. See 12 FAH-5 H-314.6 for more information;
(k) Facilities for personnel for whom operational control of overseas security functions has been delegated to the head of another agency consistent with section 106(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4805(a)).
(2) Setback exemptions:
(a) Contact DS/C/PSP for criteria and the list of posts exempted from SECCA’s setback requirement by SETL ratings as designated by the Secretary.
(b) Construction facilities on areas of new construction, unless and until the site is notified to the receiving government as diplomatic or consular premises in accordance with the Vienna Conventions;
(c) Non-U.S. Governmental organizations leasing U.S. Government facilities;
(d) Warehouses (storage only), garages, guard booths, Compound Access Control (CAC) buildings, and other non-office facilities;
(e) Residential facilities or spaces;
(f) U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance centers (CBP) and Open Source Centers (OSC);
(g) Consular agencies and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research laboratory facilities operating from non-U.S. Government-leased spaces;
(h) Facilities occupied by Peace Corps volunteers, but not country directors, and staff;
(i) Offices occupied by U.S. Government personnel at facilities owned and operated by the receiving -country government to accomplish their mission, e.g., U.S. military training, anti-terrorism assistance training; sales support and liaison offices collocated with receiving-country ministries or military units; protective service missions for foreign government heads of state; and U.S. Treasury personnel working in a receiving nation Ministry of Finance;
(j) Commercial office space or hotel rooms rented for temporarily assigned U.S. Government personnel supporting a short-term international conference or meeting.
12 FAM 314 OSPB SECURITY STANDARDS
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. The Office of Physical Security Programs (DS/C/PSP), in concert with OSPB working groups, developed and manages security standards, as approved by the OSPB, for four of five threat categories – terrorism, political violence, technical, and crime. (Those involving technical threat are a shared responsibility with the Office of Security Technology (DS/C/ST). These standards cover Residential Security, Armored Vehicles; Classified Facility Lock and Leave; Construction Security; Construction Materials and Transit Security; Design and Construction of Controlled Access Areas (CAAs); Physical Security of Unclassified Warehouses; Post Communications Centers; Physical Security of Public Office Facilities; On-compound residences; Secure Procurement for CAAs; and Special Protective Equipment. OSPB security standards for Local Guard Force (LGF) programs are the responsibility of the International Programs Directorate (DS/IP). OSPB security standards for Emergency Plans and Exercises are the responsibility of the Directorate for High Threat Programs (DS/HTP). OSPB security standards involving technical measures to counter human intelligence and other technical threats are the responsibility of DS/C/ST. All OSPB standards are covered in 12 FAH-6.
b. The Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis (DS/TIA/ITA) reviews and updates the SETL every six months and publishes updates on at least an annual basis to reflect the level of threat in each of the five threat categories (12 FAH-6 H-012).
12 FAM 315 WAIVERS AND EXCEPTIONS
12 FAM 315.1 SECCA – Waiver Authority
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. The Secretary may waive the statutory collocation requirement only if the Secretary, together with the head of each agency employing personnel that would not be located at the site, determine that security considerations permit separate locations and it is in the national interest of the United States.
b. The Secretary may waive the setback requirement if the Secretary determines that security considerations permit and it is in the national interest of the United States.
c. The Secretary may delegate the waiver authority for the collocation and setback requirements.
d. The Secretary has delegated waiver authority of the collocation and setback requirements with respect to chanceries and consulates (except for those at High Threat/High Risk posts consistent with 22 U.S.C. 4803) to the Under Secretary for Management (M).
e. The Secretary has delegated the waiver authority of the collocation and setback requirements with respect to U.S. diplomatic facilities other than chancery or consulate buildings (as those terms are defined for SECCA purposes) to the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security (A/S DS), in consultation with the OBO Director.
f. Applications for waivers of collocation and setback requirements should be made to DS/PSP/PSD or DS/PSP/PCD for processing and evaluation, prior to being forwarded to the A/S DS for approval or recommendation to M or the Secretary, as required. Waiver requests must contain all of the information stipulated in 12 FAH-5 H-300. When bureaus do not reach consensus on a waiver, a split decision memo may be used. Contact DS/C/PSP for a split decision memo template.
12 FAM 315.2 OSPB Security Standards – Exception Authority
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. New facilities must meet all OSPB security standards whether constructed or acquired by purchase or lease. Every attempt must be made to acquire sites or new facilities that meet, or can be upgraded to meet, physical security standards. With the exception of facilities meeting the Tenant of Commercial Office Space standard, facilities should be noncontiguous with adjacent buildings and have sufficient floor loading capacity to support security upgrades. If compliance with one or more standards of those identified in 12 FAM 314(a) is not possible for a specific building, the post, agency, or Department organization must apply for an exception to the standard(s). Direct applications for exceptions to DS/PSP/PSD or DS/PSP/PCD for processing and evaluation prior to being forwarded to the A/S DS. Exception requests must contain all of the information stipulated in 12 FAH-5 H-200.
b. Regional security officers (RSOs) must ensure that EOBs meet physical security standards to the maximum extent practicable or feasible. Feasibility is determined by physical limitations, legal constraints, and practicality (see 12 FAH-5 H-121.1). This includes agency-specific applications of those standards as defined by agreements approved by the A/S DS. Although exception requests are not required when physical security standards cannot be met due to physical limitations, legal constraints, or practicality, the RSO must obtain documentation pertaining to the inability to institute a particular standard and furnish copies to the Office of International Programs and the Physical Security Division, DS/IP or DS/HTP, and DS/PSP/PSD, and DS/PSP/PCD.
c. At least once every three years or upon the acquisition of a new facility, major renovation, or major security upgrade, RSOs must conduct physical security surveys of their post facilities to determine if such facilities within their regions meet the standards as required, and identify deficiencies requiring correction.
12 FAM 315.3 Compliance Prior to Occupancy
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. If the applicable requirements and standards cannot be met at a facility, occupancy of the facility is prohibited until appropriate waivers and exceptions are requested and approved by the A/S DS, M, and/or the Secretary, as required (12 FAM 315).
b. New chancery and consulate offices within commercial and other facilities must meet collocation and setback statutory requirements and OSPB physical security standards for a chancery or consulate in accordance with 12 FAH-6.
c. American Presence Posts do not perform the same tasks as chanceries or consulates and are intended to operate with one or two American employees with very few associated local employees (2 FAM 133.2). These facilities are best suited for location in a commercial building as a “Tenant of Commercial Office Space” for OSPB physical security standards purposes. These facilities must meet SECCA setback requirements unless an applicable waiver applies.
12 FAM 315.4 Chief of Mission/Principal Officer Approval
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
Unless an agreement between the Secretary of State and the head of another agency provides otherwise, the COM or a designated principal officer (PO) is responsible for the security of U.S. Government personnel in a country (except those under the command of a U.S. combatant commander who has been designated with a physical area of responsibility, officially on the staff of an international organization and performing the functions of that organization, or VOA correspondents on official assignment) and their accompanying eligible family members, and must approve SECCA waiver or OSPB exception requests for facilities under their responsibility. (see 2 FAH-2 H-116 for an overview of COM security responsibility.)
12 FAM 315.5 Congressional Notification and Reporting Requirements
(CT:DS-452; 11-14-2025)
a. The Under Secretary for Management (M) must notify the appropriate congressional committees in writing of any waiver with respect to a chancery or consulate building and the reasons for the determination, not less than two (2) days prior to implementing a statutory collocation or setback waiver.
b. By March 15 of each year, the Department must submit to Congress the annual report of all collocation waivers granted under SECCA. The Department must submit to Congress a quarterly report of all setback requirement waivers granted under SECCA. The Secretary has delegated the responsibility for preparing and submitting the annual and quarterly reports of waivers to the A/S DS. DS must submit this report, including transmittal letters to Congress, to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs (P), who has been delegated the function to approve submission of reports to the Congress by the Secretary (Delegation of Authority No. 280-2).
12 FAM 316 NEC/NCC SECURITY site selection CRITERIA
12 FAM 316.1 Policy
(CT:DS-223; 11-25-2014)
a. The site selection effort for a new embassy or consulate compound is a critical element in establishing a successful security program for the facility. Evaluation teams must determine whether certain physical features or conditions exist at a site that impacts its viability as an NEC/NCC site.
b. Timely selection of sites is vital to improving the security of our missions. Security site selection criteria assist evaluation teams in evaluating new NEC/NCC sites. Therefore, excluding all sites, based on the criteria, is not a desirable option and it is the team’s task to identify at least one site for recommendation as a preferred site, and one as a back-up site with proposed mitigation solutions if necessary.
c. The site selection for a new embassy or consulate has practical and symbolic implications. The Department is committed to selecting sites that ensure the safety of the mission, enhance the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, and best represent the U.S. Government and American values. See 15 FAM 470 for a list of the Department’s goals in the site selection process, as well as the multi-step process to ensure compliance of selected sites.
12 FAM 316.2 Security Site Selection Criteria
(CT:DS-223; 11-25-2014)
a. Security criteria:
(1) Access: To enhance emergency response, life safety and procedural security, a minimum of two noncontiguous access points for entry/exit to streets for vehicles as they enter or exit the embassy or consulate compound is required. Both streets should allow bi-directional options for vehicles. However, at least one street must provide bi-directional travel. Each access point must be capable of serving as an alternate route to/from the embassy or consulate compound. The secondary access point can be an existing roadway, or an ingress/egress path obtained through a lease, easement, or right-of-way under U.S. Government control. Sites that cannot be served by at least two suitable routes for ingress/egress by the completion of the new embassy or consulate project will generally not be considered for acquisition. Proposed remedies must be documented and approved by DS prior to site acquisition;
(2) Transportation adjacencies: Sites adjacent to elevated roadways, waterways with active watercraft traffic, active rail lines, or sites within one mile of an airport's property boundary, will generally not be considered for acquisition;
(3) Neighborhood risks: Sites in proximity to areas with high crime, gang activity, terrorist activity, military, or similar activity that pose high levels of risk for mission personnel, will generally not be considered for acquisition;
(4) Unacceptable neighbors: Adjacent properties occupied by unacceptable neighbors defined as state security, intelligence, police, shooting ranges, large commercial shopping, heavy industrial processing and storage facilities, or similar facilities, will generally not be considered for acquisition; and
(5) Crowd potential: Sites in proximity to facilities designed for use by very large crowds (sports stadiums, entertainment arenas, or public parks known for their potential to attract large crowds), will generally not be considered for acquisition.
b. Opportunities for mitigation: To the extent security criteria cannot be met, mitigating solutions must be developed prior to site acquisition. These solutions must respond to the unique security and functional requirements of each site. They may include increased setback, enhanced physical security features, additional egress, visual screens or other site specific measures. The proposed mitigation program must be in writing and approved by DS prior to site acquisition.
12 FAM 317 THROUGH 319 UNASSIGNED