The federal government plans to automatically register young men between the ages of 18 and 25 for the military draft starting in December, according to a proposed rule published last week obtained by the New York Post.
The “automatic registration” rule change was submitted by the Selective Service System, which maintains the database of all draft-eligible people among the U.S. population, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30. Automatic registration for the draft was approved by Congress as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act for military personnel and operations funding in December.
“On December 18, 2025, the President signed the FY 2026 NDAA into law, mandating automatic Selective Service registration,” the Selective Service System wrote on its website. “The Agency engaged with Congress throughout the NDAA process regarding the automated legislative proposal. This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources. SSS will implement the change by December 2026, resulting in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.”
Most males between ages 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service System in case the United States authorizes a military draft in adherence with federal law. Men are expected to self-register within 30 days of their 18th birthdays, however, the agency also accepts late registration until age 26 and failure to register is a felony.
Non-registrants can face up to $250,000 or five years’ imprisonment, as well as being denied student loans, government jobs and citizenship in the case of immigrants.
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