Selective Service System Proposes Automatic Draft Registration for U.S. Males Aged 18-25

Registration Currently, males must register with the SSS within 30 days of turning 18, with late registration permitted until age 26.

Failure to register constitutes a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment for up to five years. Non-registration can also disqualify individuals from federal student aid, government jobs, and other federal benefits. If a draft were activated, the SSS would use a national lottery system based on randomly drawn birthdates, similar to the Vietnam War era.

Induction priority would follow this order: 20-year-olds first, then 21-year-olds, 22- to 25-year-olds, and finally 18- and 19-year-olds. Selected individuals would undergo medical and administrative screening before any service induction.

Context and Statements The Pentagon has reported strong recruiting numbers across all military services in recent years. The proposed automatic system aims to address gaps in voluntary registration, though no draft is currently in effect.

U.S. military has operated on an all-volunteer basis since the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s, with draft registration reinstated in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter.

U.S. Selective Service System (SSS) has proposed a rule to automate the registration process for the military draft. The SSS maintains the database of draft-eligible individuals.

The process targets American males aged 18-25 and is scheduled to go into effect by December 2026. Congress passed the relevant provision in the previous year's defense bill, which authorizes the automatic registration.