Automatic U.S. military draft registration by December 2026 planned
“U.S. Army” label seen on the uniform of a soldier of the 1st Infantry Division during military training at the Nowa Deba training range in Nowa Deba, Poland, April 12, 2023.
Arthur Widak | Nurfoto | Getty Images
Selective Service System A government filing shows plans to automatically enroll eligible American men ages 18 to 26 in the U.S. military draft by December; Almost half a century after mandatory draft registration was enacted by this group, government filings show.
SSS’s proposal would implement a requirement passed by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act in December that included automatic enrollment of “every male citizen of the United States” between those ages.
There has been no military draft since 1973, when U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam ended.
But in 1980 President Jimmy Carter signs the law It requires men between the ages of 18 and 25 to register for military service. Since then, the federal government has relied on voluntary compliance with this law, not automatic enrollment. In order to comply with the law, men over the age of 26 are allowed to register late.
The FAQ said 81 percent of all eligible men were enrolled in 2024, a three percentage point decrease from the previous year.
SSS’s proposal for the automatic inclusion of men in the draft was presented to the Parliament Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs On March 30.
The offer was made about a month after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. A two-week ceasefire in that conflict came into effect on Tuesday evening.
There are currently no plans to reinstate the draft.
But on March 8, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was “keeping his options on the table” when Fox News Sunday host Maria Bartiromo asked her about the possibility of the draft returning.
Failure to comply with SSS registration is considered a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 or up to 5 years in prison.
Some states require registration with Selective Service for employment and student financial aid.
Previously FAQ registration was mandatory for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, but was abolished under the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020.
