The United States is making its biggest change to military registration in decades Under the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act; the government will now automatically register all eligible men for the draft.
For years, men aged 18 to 25 had to sign up themselves through the Selective Service System (SSS).
Starting December 18, 2026, the government will handle it instead. The agency will use federal records like Social Security and driver’s licenses to enroll men directly into the database.
Officials say this “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources” to save money and increase accuracy.
Despite the update, there is no active draft. The US has used an all-volunteer military since 1973. A draft can only be triggered if the President and Congress declare a national emergency.
While tensions in the Middle East have caused concern, experts say a draft is “not likely” because the military currently has enough specialized troops.
Failing to be in the system remains a serious issue. Current laws state that ignoring the requirement is a felony that “carries heavy penalties including a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years in jail.”
