A soldier from the 1st Infantry Division is seen with a ‘US Army’ sticker on his uniform during a military training at the Nowa Dęba training ground in Nowa Dęba, Poland, on April 12, 2023.
Artur Vidak Nurfoto | getty images
selective service system The U.S. plans to automatically register eligible American men between the ages of 18 and 26 for the U.S. military draft by December, nearly half a century after that group became law to mandate mandatory registration for the draft, a government filing shows.
The SSS proposal would implement a requirement in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress in December that would include automatic registration for “every male citizen of the United States” between those ages.
There has been no military draft since 1973, when America’s involvement in the war in Vietnam was winding down.
But in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signs a law Men aged 18 to 25 are required to register for military conscription. Since then, the federal government has relied on voluntary compliance with that law, not automatic enrollment. Men aged 26 are allowed to enroll late to comply with the law.
The SSS said that in 2024, 81% of all eligible men registered, three percentage points less than the previous year.
A proposal to automatically enroll men in the draft was submitted by the SSS. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs On 30 March.
The proposal was made about a month after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. A two-week ceasefire in that conflict took effect on Tuesday evening.
There are currently no plans to reinstate the draft.
But on March 8, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said President Donald Trump “has put 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 misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $250,000 or up to 5 years in prison.
Registration for Selective Service is required for employment and student financial aid in some states.
SSS registration was a requirement earlier for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, but was removed as part of the 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act.