BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

Federal law has required most U.S. men to register with the Selective Service System when they turn 18 for more than four decades. By the end of this year, however, the federal government is expected to begin handling that process automatically.

A provision in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act shifts responsibility for registration from individuals to the Selective Service System, which plans to implement automatic registration by December 2026 through integration with federal data sources.

The change does not activate a military draft.

The Selective Service System says there is no draft at present, and Congress would have to amend the Military Selective Service Act before conscription could resume.

For years, federal law has required nearly all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants living in the United States to register within 30 days of turning 18. Men who fail to register can still correct the oversight before age 26, but missing the deadline can carry consequences.

In some cases, failure to register has affected eligibility for state-based student financial aid and public employment in certain states, as well as federally funded job training programs and the naturalization process for some immigrant men.

The Selective Service System says Congress mandated the new automatic registration requirement in the fiscal year 2026 defense bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law Dec. 18, 2025. Once the change takes effect, the agency — rather than the individual — will complete registration for eligible men.

The shift comes as public concern about a possible military draft has grown online amid continued instability in the Middle East. Still, federal officials say automatic registration should not be confused with a return to conscription.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a recent press briefing that a draft was “not part of the current plan right now.” Her remarks circulated widely on social media as speculation mounted over whether the United States could reinstate mandatory military service.

Even if Congress authorized a draft, registration alone would not mean every eligible man would be called to serve.

Under the Selective Service system, if conscription were reinstated, officials would select registrants through a random lottery based on birth dates and Social Security numbers. Men turning 20 in the year of the lottery would be called first, followed by men ages 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and finally 19, according to the Selective Service System.

The United States has not used an active draft since 1973 during the Vietnam War. In 1980, former President Jimmy Carter reinstated draft registration after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, requiring young men to register even though no one was being called to active service.

If Congress authorized a future draft, some registrants could still qualify for deferments, postponements or exemptions, depending on the circumstances.

A registrant could file a conscientious objector claim based on sincere religious, moral or ethical opposition to participation in war. However, officials do not automatically grant such claims and would review them under the rules in place at the time.

Some people may also qualify for a temporary postponement. High school students who have not yet graduated, certain college students who have not reached the end of a semester or academic year, and those facing serious illness or hardship in their immediate family may qualify for a delay in reporting if a draft were reinstated.

The Selective Service System also notes that being an “only son” or the last son in a family line does not exempt someone from registration. In some cases, however, that status could qualify a person for a peacetime deferment.

Registration requirements also apply to many noncitizens living in the United States. However, eligibility for induction and possible exemptions can vary depending on immigration status and residency circumstances.

For now, the change remains administrative. By the end of 2026, eligible young men are expected to be automatically registered, ending a decades-old system that required individuals to sign up on their own.