The United States will begin automatically registering young men for the military draft as of December 2026.
The Selective Service System (SSS) submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Automatic registration is part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The shift “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” The Hill reports.
According to the report, the proposed rule is “currently under review by the regulatory affairs office and awaiting finalization.” It comes as some speculate if a draft could occur amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The U.S. last enacted a military draft during the Vietnam War.
Under current law, most U.S. males are required to register with the Selective Service after turning 18.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answered a question about the possibility of a draft during a recent interview with Fox News. “It’s not part of the current plan right now, but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on table,” Leavitt said. “There’s no greater priority or responsibility to this president than, of course, protecting the American people and protecting our troops.”
In 2023, the question, “Will I get drafted to war?” surged to its greatest level since 2007, when former President George W. Bush announced U.S. troop growth in Iraq. The search term previously jumped in February 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Another search term seeing growth was “How old do you have to be to get drafted to war?”
