Back to Normal? Once They Leave Office, There Are Many Things a Former President Cannot Do

Once they leave office, our former American Presidents often establish their presidential library, do charitable work, write memoirs, and try to live the quiet life, most often out of the “spotlight.” Some former presidents, like Bill Clinton, made millions on the speaking circuit after leaving the White House, which was apparently necessary to pay legal fees incurred in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and his predecessor, President Trump, will officially exit the White House and turn over the keys to Joe Biden, who along with his wife, will take up residency in the “People’s House.” For Trump and other former presidents, the January 20th transition is more than just about moving out of the White House, but once again, becoming a private citizen.

However, even after leaving office, former presidents continue to be public figures. Although they may no longer be making the big decisions, they still possess confidential information and national secrets about the country and the government from the time they did spend in office, and they are, of course, obligated to maintain state secrets and keep them strictly confidential. However, as former Presidents, the United States Government continues to impose various rules on these former leaders of the Free World until the time of death. From January 20th at 12:01 p.m. up to and including their funeral arrangements, former presidents are required to follow plenty of rules, including these six:

1. May Not Violate the Law. While a sitting president can argue he (or she) is immune from prosecution for acts committed while a sitting president, as a private citizen, a former president is just like everyone else without legal protection. No former president may not violate the law nor is he or she above the law.
2. May Not Sell or Share Classified Information. Selling government secrets would be a major breach of national security, and no former president may sell or share classified information he or she obtained as president. Former presidents have traditionally been invited to continue to attend certain intelligence briefings, although it is probably unlikely that President Biden would invite former President Trump back into the White House.
3. Amazon Delivery? Forget It! Former Presidents are not allowed to receive mail. The Secret Service inspects all mail for former Presidents before it is delivered to their homes. Screening of their takes place at a separate, off-site facility to keep potential threats as far away from the former President as possible. In 2018, the Secret Service intercepted “suspicious packages” that were sent to former Presidents Clinton and Obama.
4. No More Than Two Full Terms. Following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been elected to an unprecedented fourth term as President, lawmakers passed the 22nd Amendment, which limits an individual to being elected as President only twice, or only if someone has served less than two years as President after ascending to the office following the death or resignation of a President, he or she could still be elected to two full terms serving nearly 10 years as President. That leaves just Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump, both who served just one term in office, as being former Presidents who are eligible to be elected again.
5. No Technology Purchases. Former Presidents just cannot go into a Best Buy for the latest mobile phone or laptop computer. Any technology like that must first be approved by the Secret Service – all former Presidents are required to communicate to the Secret Service to purchase an approved device. Apparently, President Trump had ignored this rule and his device was often hacked. Additionally, the Secret Service is also permitted to track the location of all Presidential cell phones and other electronic devices. While in office, Presidents cannot just pick up the phone and speak to friends – all telephone or video conferences must take place on a secured line.
6. Driving Privileges, No More. Despite a burning desire to get behind the wheel, former presidents are prohibited from driving themselves around, which is a rule created after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Former Presidents are not permitted to drive themselves on open streets or roads— they may only drive on private property, Former Presidents (and current Presidents) are required to be driven only by Secret Service personnel who are trained in evasive driving maneuvers. President Lyndon B. Johnson was the last who drove on and open road. Former President Bill Clinton particularly misses driving, which is why he often requests to drive a golf cart when playing 18 holes. Former President, Donald Trump, though, had been driven exclusively by limousine long before becoming President and will not likely miss driving the open road. After leaving office, former President Harry S. Truman stopped the car he was driving along the side of a rural Missouri road to assist a woman farmer corral her escaped pigs – as a farmer himself, apparently President Truman could not resist the urge to help. Former President Ronald Reagan enjoyed driving around his expansive ranch in Santa Barbara County (private property).

After leaving office, by law, former Presidents are entitled to a pension, staff and office expenses, medical care or health insurance for the rest of their lives, and Secret Service protection for 10-years after leaving office or for the rest of the lives of former Presidents that had left office before 1998. The annual pension amount is currently $219,200 per year and it begins immediately after a president’s departure from office. A former president’s spouse may also be paid a lifetime annual pension of $20,000 if they relinquish any other statutory pension. Transition funding is also provided for the expenses of leaving office, is available for seven months, and covers office space, staff compensation (up to $150,000 for 30 months and $96,000 thereafter), communications services, and printing and postage associated with the transition.