No active military draft exists in the US today, but Selective Service registration sets the framework for potential future drafts. All male US citizens and certain male immigrants must register between ages 18 and 25.

Registration Rules

Males assigned male at birth must sign up within 30 days of turning 18, with the obligation lasting until age 25 (or December 18, 2026, per current law). This includes citizens abroad and non-citizens like permanent residents or refugees. Failure to register can block federal jobs, student aid, or citizenship.

Draft Priority Order

If a draft were activated, it wouldn't start with 18-year-olds. The order begins with 20-year-olds first, then 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, followed by 19, and finally 18-year-olds last. This "age cohort" system prioritizes those turning 20 in the draft year, shifting annually as groups age out by 26.

Priority Group| Age Group (First Called)
---|---
1| 20-year-olds
2| 21-year-olds
3| 19-year-olds
4| 18-year-olds
(Up to 25)| Subsequent years

Historical Context

The draft was last used in 1973 during the Vietnam War, ending with an all- volunteer force. The peculiar order (20 before 18) traces to 19th-century norms when physical maturity peaked around 20 due to nutrition differences—equivalent to drafting modern 14-year-olds at 18 back then.

Recent Discussions

Debates continue on including women (ruled unconstitutional for males-only in 2019, but unchanged) and extending to 26. A 2020 commission recommended women register; a 2021 House bill briefly did but was dropped. As of March 2026, it's males 18-25 only—no changes reported.

TL;DR: Register 18-25 (males); draft would call 20 first, up to 25.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.