Eligible men in the United States will be automatically registered for the military draft beginning in December, following a change approved by Congress as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. On March 30, the Selective Service System, responsible for maintaining the registry of draft-eligible Americans, submitted a proposed rule for automatic registration to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, where it is currently under review.
Most men between 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service, but the new process shifts responsibility from individuals to the agency, integrating federal data sources to identify eligible men more efficiently. The change “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources” and is set to take effect by December 2026, simplifying the registration process and allowing for a realignment of workforce resources. Men who miss the initial registration window can still register late until age 26.
Failure to register remains a serious offense. Non-registrants face penalties including fines up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to five years, and potential ineligibility for federal employment, student loans, and job training programs. Immigrants who do not register may also risk losing U.S. citizenship. Currently, 46 states and territories already link draft registration to applications for driver’s licenses or state identification cards.
While the U.S. has not conducted a draft since the Vietnam War, federal law allows conscription in emergencies for men between 17 and 45 and, in certain cases, for women in the National Guard or healthcare occupations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified in March that a draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” though she noted that President Donald Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”
Lawmakers supporting the change have emphasized its cost-saving potential. Representative Chrissy Houlahan, who sponsored the automatic registration language, highlighted that the measure would redirect resources toward military readiness and mobilization rather than public education campaigns to encourage registration.
