Starting in December, all men aged 18-to-25 will be automatically registered for the military draft.
They’ll be added to the Selective Service System, an independent government agency that keeps a list of all eligible Americans. For decades, the majority of men would register themselves, or face a felony.
Congress tucked the rule change into a bipartisan defense bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in late 2025. It comes as enrollment has slipped in recent years, even as worries about conflicts with nations like China and Russia have grown.
There has not been a military draft since the Vietnam War.