The US move to change military draft registration would shift responsibility from individuals to the Selective Service System, the agency said, with the proposal placing eligible men into the registry by federal data integration.
The Selective Service System submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30, the agency said, and the change would take effect by December 2026 if finalized.
The measure was approved by Congress as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and the SSS said the statutory change "transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources."
Under current law most males aged 18 to 25 must register within 30 days of turning 18 and the agency accepts late registrations up to age 26, the records say, while failure to register can draw fines up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison.
Registration already occurs automatically in many parts of the country, the SSS noted, with 46 states and territories linking registration to driver license or state ID applications and the proposed rule extending that principle nationwide.
The SSS reported to Congress that the share of eligible men who registered fell from 84 percent in 2023 to 81 percent the following year, and the agency said the change will result in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.
The United States has used conscription in six conflicts, including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, when an estimated 1.8 million Americans were called up.
Reactions Context And Implications
Officials and political figures have framed the move against the backdrop of the Iran conflict, in which 13 US service members have been killed, according to reporting in the sources.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to rule out ground operations in Iran when asked, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president "wisely does not remove options off of the table," remarks that prompted strong reaction from some lawmakers.
Mr Trump used the draft as a campaign talking point during his 2024 presidential run, accusing rivals of wanting to "bring back the draft" and warning supporters their children could be drafted, comments cited in the reporting.
Advocates for the rule emphasize administrative modernization while critics cite political and social concerns; the proposed automatic registration does not itself trigger a draft, and changing from voluntary service to conscription would require an act of Congress amending the Military Selective Service Act.
