Automatic Registration For Draft Begins In December; How To Resist

Above photo: Draft card burning in the Vietnam War. Go60s.

The Hill reports:

Eligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December as part of an effort to streamline the previous process of self-registration and save money.

The Selective Service System (SSS) — the government agency that maintains a database of men to be called up to serve in the case of a national emergency — submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30, according to the office’s website.

Most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service, but automatic registration was mandated in December 2025 as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

The change, which was meant to save money, “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” according to the website.

The proposed rule is currently under review by the regulatory affairs office and awaiting finalization.

The U.S. has not had a draft since the Vietnam War, with military service being voluntary since 1973.

But former President Jimmy Carter in 1980 reinstated the Selective Service in the event of a “national emergency,” where the registry could be used to “provide personnel to the Department of War and alternative service for conscientious objectors, if authorized by the President and Congress.”

Many have questioned whether a U.S. military draft could take place amid the war in Iran, which is currently in a tenuous two-week ceasefire.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in March said that while a draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”

Trump alone cannot bring back the draft through executive action, as Congress would need to pass legislation to amend the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the president to induct personnel into the military.

Still, failure to register in the draft is considered a crime and can prevent people from receiving state-funded financial aid and employment in numerous states, cause ineligibility for many federal employment opportunities and job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and can carry a fine of up to $250,000 and jail time for up to five years.

In addition, immigrants who don’t register may lose their U.S. citizenship.

Under the new rule, men will be registered automatically within 30 days of their 18th birthdays.

Women are still ineligible for the draft, even as lawmakers in the past few years have attempted to attach provisions adding women to the draft as part of the annual defense policy bill. The measures have all been stripped out before a final vote on the legislation.

Document your claim as a Conscientious Objector with the Selective Service

If you were assigned male at birth and are between the ages of 18-25, follow these three steps. (If you have already registered for the selective service, skip to Step 2.) 

1. Print this Selective Service Registration Form and fill it out. 
   • If just registering for Selective Service violates your conscience and beliefs, skip these steps and join our Draft Resistance Registry for support if a draft is enacted. 
2. Write a signed short letter clearly stating that you are a conscientious objector to war (with a header including your full name, address, DOB, and selective service number if you have one). Briefly explain all of the following three points:
   • Your moral or spiritual framework (non-religious moral beliefs are valid)
     • Ex: belief in sanctity of human life, religious teachings, philosophical commitments
   • How your beliefs developed
     • Ex: upbringing, religious study, moral reflection, experiences that shaped conscience
   • Why killing/participating in war violates those beliefs
     • COs must be opposed to war in any form
3. Mail two signed copies to the following addresses:
   • Selective Service System, P.O. Box 94739, Palatine, IL 60094-4739
     •  Send certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy so you can prove you did it.
   • Center on Conscience and War, 10940 SW Barnes Rd #261, Portland OR 97229
     • We will keep a copy on file for you in the event of a draft. 

*If you would like us to review your letter before sending, please email a copy to ccw@centeronconscience.org. You can also reference our Guide For COs in the Military for guidance on questions, but remember the Selective Service letter can be much more abbreviated than military CO applications.

You can also include letters of support from people in your community and family who can attest to the depth and sincerity of your beliefs. Keep copies of your letter, any letters of support you collect, as well as the confirmation letter you receive from Selective Service. 

NOTE: If the draft is enacted, and your number is called, you still must register again a Conscientious Objector within a small window (about 10 days). The above documentation will serve as evidence to your claim.

BE ADVISED, beginning December 2026 draft registration will be automatic and involuntary, and may change the way registrants must identify themselves as Conscientious Objectors. Join our Draft Resistance Registry to stay updated on all necessary changes. 

Support our efforts by making an urgently-needed donation here. 

You can reach us with questions at 1-800-379-2679 or ccw@centeronconscience.org