Auto-Registration For Military Draft Goes In Effect December 2026 For Eligible Men

There hasn’t been a military draft since 1973 but that is changing as the SSS agency is streamlining the registration process for young men.

As part of an effort to streamline the self-registration process and to save money, eligible men from the United States will automatically be registered into the military draft pool, The Hill reports.

The Selective Service System (SSS), the agency designed to keep a database of eligible men to be called to serve in the U.S. military in the case of a national emergency, issued a proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30 as a way to save money since it “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources.”

Most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register with SSS; however, automatic registration was mandated in December 2025 as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, after it was signed by President Donald Trump.

According to USA Today, there hasn’t been an active military draft since 1973. And while the new rule isn’t set to take place until December 2026, many speculate whether it will be used for the current conflict in Iran. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” but Trump is keeping “his options on the table.”

To fill out the form, eligible men are required to give their full name, home address, date of birth and Social Security number. Men already serving in the military on full-time active duty don’t have to register. Those hospitalized or incarcerated during ages 18-25 are exempt.

Immigrants who fail to register are at risk of losing their U.S. citizenship.

While Trump doesn’t have the authority to bring back the draft through executive action, making it so that Congress would need to pass legislation to edit the Military Selective Service Act to give him authorization, failure to register in the draft is labeled as a crime. Not registering can prevent people from receiving state-funded financial aid and employment in several states.

There is also a risk of being labeled ineligible for federal employment opportunities and job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, as well as a hefty fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years in jail.

Despite Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth embracing the old motto of “no man left behind,” women have been a pivotal addition to military service; however, they remain ineligible for the draft, despite past efforts by lawmakers to add provisions to include them.

On social media, users gave their opinion on the narrative, saying there are better things that 18-year-olds should be automatically registered.

“At 18, you have automatic military draft registration but NO automatic voter registration. It is nice to see that this administration has its priorities in order,” @legallyminded wrote on X.