The Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Rhineland-Palatinate is a department of the Ministry of the Interior and Sport of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and has the legal mandate to protect the free democratic basic order as well as the existence and security of the federal government and the states. Its headquarters are in Mainz. Since the beginning of 2017, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Rhineland-Palatinate has been headed by Elmar May.