Register for Selective Service (the draft) | USAGov (2024)

FAQs

Are you automatically registered for Selective Service when you turn 18? ›

The Agency holds their registration information and automatically enters their data into the system when they turn 18. Registering with Selective Service is your civic responsibility and keeps you eligible for student loans, job training, government jobs, and driver's licenses in most states.

Federal Law requires nearly all male US citizens and male immigrants, 18 through 25, register with Selective Service.

Penalties for not registering

It is a federal felony, punishable by fines or a prison sentence. And you may not be eligible for federal jobs, citizenship, or state-funded student financial aid.

Registration is a way our government keeps a list of names of men from which to draw in case of a national emergency requiring rapid expansion of our Armed Forces. By registering all young men, Selective Service ensures that a future draft will be fair and equitable.

States with optional DLL allow men 18-25 to opt in or out of having their information transferred to Selective Service for registration by checking a box when applying for a state learner's permit, driver's license or renewal, or I.D. card.

If required to register with Selective Service, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the registration requirement is subject to the same penalties.

That said, men are required to register for the Selective Service after they turn 18, regardless of their college plans. But if you're worried about getting drafted, keep in mind that the last draft happened during the Vietnam War in 1973.

Penalties for Non-Compliance. Refusing the draft carries severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Under the Military Selective Service Act, those who fail to register or refuse induction may face up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

Request a Status Information Letter: If you confirm that you were not registered, you can request a Status Information Letter from the Selective Service System. This letter will explain your registration status and provide details on whether you were required to register.

When did they stop making you register for the draft? ›

Registration was suspended April 1, 1975 by Presidential Proclamation 4360.

Conscripts could volunteer for military service in the regular United States Army for a term of four years or the Organized Reserves for a term of six years.

The criteria for exemption from registration are: A man is placed in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility, or mental institution on or before his 18th birthday, had no breaks of institutionalization of 30 days or longer, and remained institutionalized until his 26th birthday.

Who is exempt from registration? There are a few cases when a man is exempt from the registration requirement. Men who are exempt do not have a Selective Service registration number and are in compliance with federal law. The few individuals who are exempt from this requirement are those on current non-immigrant visas.

If you registered for the Selective Service with your Social Security number, you can verify your registration online at https://www.sss.gov/ verify/. You will need to provide your last name, Social Security Number, and date of birth. Acknowledgement Letter from the web site and include it with your application.

In the U.S., it's not specific states that automatically register you for selective service. Rather, all males nationwide are required by federal law to register when they turn 18 years old. This system is maintained by the Selective Service Act and is for potential military conscription.

Registration was suspended April 1, 1975 by Presidential Proclamation 4360.

USCIS will deny a naturalization application when the applicant refuses to register with Selective Service or has knowingly and willfully failed to register during the statutory period.