The federal government plans to automatically register eligible men for the military draft beginning in December, a change that would make the process less dependent on individual action. The Selective Service System submitted the rule change to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.
Congress approved automatic registration for the draft last December as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, clearing the way for the change now moving through the federal rulemaking process. The Selective Service System maintains the database of draft-eligible Americans, and under federal law most males between 18 and 25 years old are already required to register in case a military draft is authorized.
The shift matters because it changes how the government brings people into the draft registration system, not whether the system exists. Until now, eligible men have generally had to register themselves; beginning in December, the federal government plans to do it automatically for those covered by the rule.
That leaves one practical question with the most immediate consequences: whether the planned December rollout proceeds on schedule after the rule review now under way.
