Men turning 18 will soon be drafted into the Selective Service database whether they remember to sign up or not. The Selective Service System says automatic registration for most males ages 18 to 25 is expected to be in place by December, reports Stars and Stripes, under a rule now under federal review and required by last year's defense policy law. The change shifts responsibility from individuals to the government, which will pull information from existing databases rather than rely on young men to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Failing to register remains a crime and can still block access to federal student loans, most federal jobs, and US citizenship for immigrants.
Supporters in Congress argue the move will cut bureaucracy and save money for an agency that spends millions nudging men to comply. Registration rates, already high due in part to automatic sign-ups tied to driver's licenses in most states, dipped slightly to 81% in 2024. Women, who have been eligible for all combat roles since 2016, are still not required to register, despite a congressional commission that called it a "necessary and fair step," as well as multiple failed efforts in recent years to expand the draft pool. The US has not actually drafted anyone since 1973, though the question of resurrecting it amid the Iran war was put to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt last month. A draft is "not part of the current plan right now," she said, per the Hill. But President Trump "wisely keeps his options on the table."
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