Eligible men will soon be automatically registered for military draft

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

April 9, 2026, 9:42 a.m. ET


Eligible men will be automatically registered into the U.S. military draft pool by December in an effort to streamline the existing self-registration process, according to the agency that oversees the system.

On March 30, the Selective Service System – the federal agency which oversees the database of men eligible for service in the event of a military draft – submitted a proposed rule for automatic registration to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, according to its website.

The new automatic registration process was approved by Congress under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December 2025.

According to SSS website, the agency will implement the switch to automatic registration by December, creating a "streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/09/automatic-registration-military-draft-december-2026/89530527007/

---

This was something that was inserted into the latest annual National Defense Authorization Act and enacted back on 12/18/25 -

S.1071 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

(snip)

SEC. 535. SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM: AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.

(a) Automatic Registration.--The Military Selective Service Act (50
U.S.C. 3801 et seq.) is amended by striking section 3 (50 U.S.C. 3802)
and inserting the following new section 3:
``Sec. 3. (a)(1) Except as otherwise
provided in this title, every male citizen of the United States, and
every other male person residing in the United States, between the ages
of eighteen and twenty-six, shall be automatically registered under this
Act by the Director of the Selective Service System.

``(2) This section shall not apply to any alien lawfully admitted to
the United States as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) for so long as such
alien continues to maintain a lawful nonimmigrant status in the United
States.
``(b) Regulations prescribed pursuant to this section (a) may
require--
``(1) a person subject to registration under this section to
provide, to the Director, information (including date of birth,
address, social security account number, phone number, and email
address) regarding such person;
``(2) a Federal entity to provide, to the Director,
information described in paragraph (1) that the Director
determines necessary to identify or register a person subject to
registration under this section; and
``(3) the Director to provide, to a person registered under
this section, written notification that--
``(A) such person has been so registered; and
``(B) if such person is not required to be so
registered, the procedure by which such person may
correct such registration.''.

(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--The Military Selective
Service Act is further amended--
(1) in section 4 (50 U.S.C. 3803)--

[[Page 139 STAT. 872]]

(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ``required to register'' each
place it appears and inserting ``registered'';
(ii) by striking ``at the time fixed for his
registration,''; and
(iii) by striking ``who is required to
register'' and inserting ``registered'';
(B) in subsection (k)(2), in the matter following
subparagraph(B), by striking ``liable for registration''
and inserting ``registered'';
(2) in section 6(a) (50 U.S.C. 3806(a))--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``required to be'';
(ii) by striking ``subject to registration''
and inserting ``registered''; and
(iii) by striking ``liable for registration
and training'' and inserting ``registered and
liable for training'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``required to be''
each place it appears;
(3) in section 10(b)(3) (50 U.S.C. 3809(b)(3)) by striking
``registration,'';
(4) in section 12 (50 U.S.C. 3811)--
(A) in subsection (d)--
(i) by striking ``, neglecting, or refusing to
perform the duty of registering imposed by'' and
inserting ``registration under''; and
(ii) by striking ``, or within five years next
after the last day before such person does perform
his duty to register, whichever shall first
occur'';
(B) in subsection (e)--
(i) by striking ``the Secretary of Health and
Human Services'' and inserting ``Federal
agencies'';
(ii) by striking ``by a proclamation of the
President'' and inserting ``to be registered'';
(iii) by striking ``to present themselves for
and submit to registration under such section'';
and
(iv) by striking ``by the Secretary''; and
(C) by striking subsection (g) (50 U.S.C. 3811(g));
and
(5) in section 15(a) (50 U.S.C. 3813(a)), by striking ``upon
publication by the President of a proclamation or other public
notice fixing a time for any registration under section 3''.

(c) Effective Date.--The amendments
made by this section shall take effect one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act.

(snip)