It’s happening! Eligible men will be automatically registered for the U.S. military draft beginning in December 2026. The move — which will reportedly save money and boost sign-ups — arrives after President Donald Trump signed the change into law in December 2025.
RELATED: House Passes Defense Bill That Will Automatically Register Men 18-26 For United States Draft
President Donald Trump Signed 2026 National Defense Authorization Act In December 2025
Before 2025 ended, automatic registration into the Selective Service System (SSS) — the government agency that maintains a database of men to be called upon to serve in the military in case of a national emergency — was mandated by President Trump. The order was listed for fiscal year 2026 and called the “National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).”
On the SSS website‘s Selective Service about page, and under “Strategic Initiatives,” lies a blurb about “Automatic Registration.” It reads:
“On December 18, 2025, the President signed the FY 2026 NDAA into law, mandating automatic Selective Service registration. 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.”
Under the SSS’s “Vision and Mission,” it reads:
“Vision: To be a trusted, actively engaged national defense partner, and the sole source of conscripted talent for national security in the event of a national emergency.
Mission: To register men and maintain a system that, when authorized by the President and Congress, rapidly provides manpower in a fair and just manner while managing an alternative service program for conscientious objectors.”
Currently, almost all male U.S. citizens and immigrants ages 18 through 25 are required to self-register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Late registration is also available until an individual turns 26. However, men who fail to register are considered to be in violation of the Military Selective Service Act.
Individuals can face penalties, including ineligibility for federal programs, a fine up to $250,000, or five years imprisonment. Furthermore, women are still exempt from registration, despite some attempts from lawmakers.
The SSS was first established in 1917 by President Woodrow Wilson after the U.S. entered World War I. President Gerald Ford then suspended the draft in 1975. However, it was reinstated just five years later in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The U.S. hasn’t activated the draft since 1973 during the Vietnam War and has relied on volunteers ever since.
The Selective Service System (SSS) Submits Proposed Rule To Automatically Register Eligible Men To U.S. Military Draft
According to legislature, the move to automatically register eligible men for the U.S. draft is meant to streamline the previous self-registration process. Following Trump’s December 2025 order, the SSS submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.
The proposal is currently under review by the regulatory affairs office, awaiting finalization, per the office’s dashboard. Before the latest steps in the 2026 NDAA process, lawmakers worked to place verbiage about the automatic registration into the annual defense authorization bill in may 2024. They cited money and legal challenges, noting the SSS costs around $30,000 a year.
It’s noted that registration for the U.S. military draft has dwindled in recent years. It’s noted that this is partly due to the registration option being removed from federal student loan forms in 2022. This change accounted for a drop in nearly a quarter of all previous registrations.
At the time, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, D-PA., who sponsored the language, said:
“This will also allow us to rededicate resources — basically that means money — towards [readiness] and towards mobilization … rather than towards education and advertising campaigns driven to register people.”
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