Military draft registration could become automatic in December

The U.S. military draft pool for eligible men might transfer to automatic registration from the Selective Service System’s self-registration process in December, following a congressional initiative to save money.

The proposed rule is under review and pending finalization.

This possible move is part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

In turn, the Selective Service, which maintains a database of men — including citizens and immigrants — for potential military conscription during a national emergency, submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30, according to the office’s website.

Citing the Selective Service’s $30 million annual cost and legal challenges, Congress worked to include automated registration in the annual defense authorization bill.

Nearly all male residents ages 18 to 25 are required to register, and this step alleviates the need to do it themselves, as the Selective Service aims to identify eligible young men more efficiently, according to the website.

Despite lawmakers’ efforts, women are still exempt from registration.

“This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” the website reads.

Automated registration would also address recent declines in registration rates, in part due to the removal of the option to register from federal student loan forms in 2022.

Amid the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, questions about using the draft have surfaced. But only Congress can authorize the president to enlist people into the military.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that while a draft is “not part of the current plan right now,” President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News that “we’re willing to go as far as we need to in order to be successful.”

The U.S. has not activated the draft since the Vietnam War, relying on volunteers from 1973 onward.