Selective Service System facts for kids

The Selective Service System is a special office of the United States government. Its main job is to keep a list of people who might be called upon to serve in the military if there's ever a national emergency. This is sometimes called a "draft."

By law, all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants living in the U.S. must sign up. They need to do this within 30 days of turning 18. They also have to tell the Selective Service if their address or other information changes. Girls and women do not need to register.

Signing up for the Selective Service is important for many things. It's often required if you want to get federal jobs, job training, or even some types of financial help for college, like Pell grants and student loans. It's also needed for naturalization, which is the process of becoming a U.S. citizen.

Why Did Registration Start Again?

The Selective Service registration requirement was stopped for a while. But it started again on July 2, 1980. This happened because then-President Jimmy Carter signed a special order. He did this after the Soviet war in Afghanistan began in 1979.

The new rule meant that all men born on or after January 1, 1960, had to register. This included men aged 18 to 26.

When Did People Start Registering?

The first new registrations began on July 21, 1980. Men born in 1960 were the first to sign up. They registered at post offices all over the United States. After that, men born in 1963 or later had to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

Could Girls Have to Register Too?

In 2016, there was a discussion about whether young women should also have to register. On April 27, 2016, a committee in Congress voted on a change. This change would have allowed then-President Barack Obama to order young women to register, just like men. However, this bill did not pass, so the rule did not change.

Images for kids

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  A draft card from World War I. Part of the card could be removed by men of African ancestry to keep the military segregated.

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  Information about the Selective Service is available at a post office in Boston, Massachusetts.