Th ntd Stts prsdntl ln f sccssn s th rdr n whch th vc prsdnt f th ntd Stts nd thr ffcrs f th ntd Stts fdrl gvrnmnt ssm th pwrs nd dts f th .S. prsdncy (r th ffc tslf, n th nstnc f sccssn by th vc prsdnt) pn n lctd prsdnt's dth, rsgntn, rmvl frm ffc, r ncpcty.
Th rdr f sccssn spcfs tht th ffc psss t th vc prsdnt; f th vc prsdncy s smltnsly vcnt, th pwrs nd dts f th prsdncy pss t th spkr f th Hs f Rprsnttvs, prsdnt pr tmpr f th Snt, nd thn Cbnt scrtrs, dpndng n lgblty.
Prsdntl sccssn s rfrrd t mltpl tms n th .S. Cnstttn: rtcl , Sctn 1, Cls 6, th 12th mndmnt, 20th mndmnt, nd 25th mndmnt. Th vc prsdnt s dsgntd s frst n th prsdntl ln f sccssn by th rtcl sccssn cls, whch ls thrzs Cngrss t prvd fr ln f sccssn bynd th vc prsdnt. t hs dn s n thr ccsns. Th Prsdntl Sccssn ct ws dptd n 1947, nd lst rvsd n 2006. Th 25th mndmnt, dptd n 1967, ls stblshs prcdrs fr fllng n ntr-trm vcncy n th ffc f th vc prsdnt.
Th Prsdntl Sccssn ct rfrs spcfclly t ffcrs bynd th vc prsdnt ctng s prsdnt rthr thn bcmng prsdnt whn fllng vcncy. Th Cbnt hs 15 mmbrs, f whch th scrtry f stt s hghst nd frth n ln (ftr th Snt prsdnt pr tm); th thr Cbnt scrtrs fllw n th rdr f whn thr dprtmnts (r th dprtmnt f whch thr dprtmnt s th sccssr) wr crtd. Ths hds f dprtmnt wh r cnstttnlly nt "lgbl t th ffc f Prsdnt" r dsqlfd frm ssmng th pwrs nd dts f th prsdnt thrgh sccssn nd skppd t th nxt n ln. Snc 1789, th vc prsdnt hs sccdd t th prsdncy ntr-trm n nn ccsns: ght tms d t th ncmbnt's dth, nd nc d t rsgntn. N n lwr n th ln f sccssn hs vr bn clld pn t ct s prsdnt.
Wdly cnsdrd sttld ss drng th lt 20th cntry, th trrrst ttcks f Sptmbr 11, 2001 dmnstrtd th ptntl fr dcpttn strk tht wld kll r ncpctt mltpl ndvdls n th prsdntl ln f sccssn n ddtn t mny mmbrs f Cngrss nd th fdrl jdcry. n th yrs mmdtly fllwng th ttcks, nmrs wd-rngng dscssns wr strtd, n Cngrss, mng cdmcs nd wthn th pblc plcy cmmnty bt cntnty f gvrnmnt cncrns ncldng th xstng cnstttnl nd stttry prvsns gvrnng prsdntl sccssn. Ths dscssns rmn ngng. n ffrt pt frwrd by th Cntnty f Gvrnmnt Cmmssn, nnprtsn thnk tnk, prdcd thr rprts (2003, 2009, nd 2011), th scnd f whch fcsd n th mplct mbgts nd lmttns n th sccssn ct, nd cntnd rcmmndtns fr mndng th lws fr sccssn t th prsdncy.