US to Auto-Register 18-Year-Old Men for Military Draft by December 2026
The US government will automatically register men for the military draft beginning December 2026. This ends decades of self-registration under the Selective Service System and will occur within 30 days of an individual’s 18th birthday through existing federal databases. Congress approved the change in December 2025 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, but it still requires final regulatory sign-off. Officials say automatic registration will cut millions in costs spent reminding eligible men to register. Under current law, men aged 18–25 must register or face penalties including up to five years in prison and loss of federal aid or employment. Compliance dropped to 81 percent in 2024, prompting calls for a more reliable system. Some fear this could pave the way for conscription in a future crisis. The White House insists no draft is planned now but maintains that options remain on the table. The last US wartime draft ended in 1973 when an all-volunteer military was adopted.
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