US plans to automatically register men for military draft eligibility

Young American men could be automatically registered for eligibility for the military draft as soon as December, ending decades of self-registration.

The new rule, proposed by a government agency, would see men being registered automatically rather than being asked to do so themselves within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

Proponents of the plan say that automatic registrations will save the government millions of dollars that are spent every year reminding those eligible that registration is required by law for men between 18 and 25.

The rule is still being reviewed and must be approved before implementation, though has prompted fears of mandatory US conscription in the event of a crisis.

The last US military draft took place in 1973 after years of massive public opposition during the Vietnam War.

The government agency, the Selective Service System (SSS), submitted the proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on 30 March, according to the office's website.

The SSS website notes that the change "transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS" through integration with other federal data sources, which it believes will result in a "streamlined" process.

In the US, most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register. Failing to do so is a crime, and can theoretically lead to five years in federal prison.

While prison sentences are virtually non-existent, failing to do so can also lead to an individual being made ineligible for federal student financial aid and federal jobs. Non-citizens who do not register can also be denied US citizenship.

A vast majority of US states and territories also automatically register men for selective service when driver's licenses are issued.

Despite those rules, compliance fell to 81% in 2024, according to government data.

The new change in favour of automatic registration was approved by Congress in December as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorises funding for the US military and its operations around the globe.

Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Chrissy Houlahan, who sponsored the language, was quoted as saying at the time that the move would allow the government to "rededicate resources".

"Basically that means money, towards readiness and towards mobilisation," Houlahan was quoted as saying by Military Times. "Rather than towards education and advertising campaigns driven to register people."

The change, however, prompted fears among some Americans that the US is moving towards a military draft if the war with Iran escalates or a crisis breaks out in the future.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt directly addressed a question on the draft and the possibility of US troops on the ground in Iran during an interview with Fox News in early March.

"It's not part of the current plan right now, but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on table," Leavitt responded. "There's no greater priority or responsibility to this president than, of course, protecting the American people and protecting our troops."

A wartime draft has been implemented by the US government six times in the country's history, most recently during the Vietnam War.

Approximately 1.8 million Americans were drafted during the war, which ultimately led to the creation of an all-volunteer military in 1973. Selective service registration was reinstated by then-President Jimmy Carter in 1980.