The federal government plans to automatically register eligible men for the military draft beginning in December, according to a proposed rule published last week.
The Selective Service System (SSS), the government agency that maintains the database of draft-eligible Americans, submitted the “automatic registration” rule change to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.
Congress approved automatic registration for the draft last December as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, must-pass legislation that authorizes funding for military personnel and operations.
“This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” the agency notes on its website. “SSS will implement the change by December 2026, resulting in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.”
Under federal law, most males between 18 and 25 years old are already required to register with the Selective Service System in case a military draft is authorized.
Men are expected to self-register within 30 days of their 18th birthdays, but the agency accepts late registrations until age 26.
Failing to register with the Selective Service System is a felony.
Non-registrants face a fine up to $250,000 or five years imprisonment and could also be denied student loans, government jobs (including federal, state and local) and US citizenship, if they are immigrants.
Currently, 46 states and territories have laws in place to automatically register eligible men when they apply for drivers licenses or IDs, according to the Selective Service System.
In 2024, the Selective Service System reported to Congress that “registration rates … declined in recent years,” dropping from 84% of eligible men in 2023 to 81%.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), who sponsored automatic draft registration language in the 2026 defense policy bill, argued that it would save taxpayer money.
“This will also allow us to rededicate resources — basically that means money — towards [readiness] and towards mobilization … rather than towards education and advertising campaigns driven to register people,” Houlahan said at the time, according to Military Times.
The US has not had a draft since the Vietnam War, but the Iran conflict has fueled concerns that one could take place.
“It’s not part of the current plan right now,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked last month about the possibility of a draft.
Leavitt, however, added that President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”
