U.S. military to automatically register eligible men for draft by year’s end

Selective Service System to streamline process by December 2026, shifting responsibility from individuals to government.

The U.S. Selective Service System is set to automatically register eligible men for the military draft starting by December 2026, following changes approved under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

Under the new rule, most male U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 will no longer need to manually sign up for draft registration. Instead, the system will use existing federal data sources to enroll eligible individuals automatically, shifting the responsibility away from individuals and onto the government.

The change stems from an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act, which has long required men in that age group to register in case of a future military draft. The Selective Service submitted its proposal to federal regulators on March 30, marking a key step toward implementation.

Currently, eligible men must register themselves, either online or through other official channels, by providing personal information such as their name, address, date of birth and Social Security number. Failure to register can carry penalties and may affect eligibility for certain federal benefits.

Despite the update, there is no active military draft in the United States. The country has relied on an all-volunteer force since 1973, when the last draft ended following the Vietnam War era. Officials have emphasized that the shift to automatic registration does not mean a draft is imminent.

Still, global tensions, including ongoing concerns involving Iran, have renewed public discussion about whether conscription could return. The White House has said reinstating a draft is not currently planned, though any such move would require congressional approval.

If a draft were ever reinstated, not all registered individuals would be called to serve. Instead, the government would use a lottery system based on birth dates to determine the order of induction.

The Selective Service says the new system is intended to improve efficiency, ensure broader compliance and modernize a process that has remained largely unchanged for decades.