In the U.S., men generally have to register for the Selective Service from age 18 through 25, and if a draft were reinstated, that registration system would be used to call people up. The draft liability age is commonly described as ending at 25, so 26 is the usual cutoff for Selective Service registration.

What that means

  • Ages 18 to 25: registration is required for most men.
  • Age 26 and older: you are generally beyond the age used for draft registration.
  • In a real national emergency, Congress could change the rules, so the age limit is not permanently fixed.

A small nuance

Some discussions online point to broader federal militia language that mentions men up to under 45, but that is not the same as the modern Selective Service draft registration rule people usually mean. For practical purposes, the current U.S. draft-related age is 18 to 25.

If you want, I can also explain how the draft order would work by age if a draft were actually activated.