Starting in December, the US government will register eligible men for the military draft automatically, instead of waiting for them to sign up. It doesn’t, however, bring back the draft, which hasn’t been used since 1973.
The US military is currently made up of volunteers. But as a backup, every young man has to put his name on the Selective Service. Right now, men must sign up themselves within 30 days of turning 18.
Being on the list doesn’t mean you’ll serve. It just means the government knows who could be called up if a draft were ever brought back.
Under the National Defense Authorization Act, signed in December 2025, the Selective Service must register eligible men automatically using federal data, such as Social Security records.
It replaces the self-registration system in place since 1980, when President Jimmy Carter brought registration back. The law gives the agency until December 18, 2026 to have it running.
The agency submitted its plan in March. It says moving responsibility from individual men to the agency will create a “streamlined process.”
Why Congress wants the change
Only 81% of eligible men were registered in 2024, which leaves roughly one in five outside the system. Supporters say automatic registration will also save the millions of dollars spent on reminder campaigns.
Representative Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat who sponsored the language, said the money could go “towards readiness and towards mobilization” instead of advertising. About 46 states and territories already have similar systems at the state level, usually through driver’s license records.
Registration is still required, and failing to register is a federal crime that can carry up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Men who were institutionalized, homebound or incarcerated from age 18 to 26 can prove it and contest their registration.
Is a draft coming?
Not under this law. To bring back a draft, Congress would have to amend the Military Selective Service Act to let the president induct people into the armed forces. The last draft ended in 1973.
Fears grew after the US and Israel struck Iran at the end of February. In March, then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that a draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” but that President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.” The Hill reported that the registration change isn’t tied to the Iran operations. The idea had bipartisan support, and it predates the conflict.
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