The seal has limited use that is guarded by law. The seal is attached to Presidential proclamations and used for international affairs. The seal is used for the Department of State and for the President. It is displayed in color over the entrance of embassies, legations, consulates, vice-consulates, and consular agencies.

During the creating on the seal, Benjamin Franklin wanted to use a turkey, rather than an eagle. The turkey was native and unique to America.

The bald eagle became endangered due to hunting and DDT (a pesticide) use. Endangered species acts and programs were enacted to help protect the American Bald Eagle. In 1976 the Wildlife Service officially listed the bald eagle as a national endangered species. Only a handful of species have fought their way back from the endangered species list. The California gray whale, the American alligator, and the bald eagle are a few. At its lowest point, the population of the bald eagle numbed only 1000. Once endangered in all of the lower 48 states, the bald eagle's status was upgraded to "threatened" in 1994. There are now more than 70,000 bald eagles.