Selective Service System - It’s Your Country. Protect it. (2024)

FAQs

Can I say no to Selective Service? ›

Failure to register with Selective Service is a violation of the Military Selective Service Act. Conviction for such a violation may result in imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of not more than $250,000.

Every man who is registered with the Selective Service System will receive a registration acknowledgement letter with a registration card in the mail from Selective Service within 90 days of registering. This is proof of your registration and can be used when applying for: state-based aid in 31 states. federal jobs.

Almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It's important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military.

According to law, a man must register with Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday. Selective Service accepts late registrations up until a man reaches his 26^th birthday.

There are consequences if you fail to register with Selective Service. It is a federal felony, punishable by fines or a prison sentence. And you may not be eligible for federal jobs, citizenship, or state-funded student financial aid.

Any violation of the law carries a potential penalty if one is convicted. As mentioned earlier, the government has prosecuted no one for violating Selective Service law since 1986, yet hundreds of thousands of US citizens have been penalized since that time.

A status information letter from the Selective Service System states the facts: Whether or not a man is registered; whether or not the man should have registered; or if he is exempt from registering.

Federal Law requires nearly all male US citizens and male immigrants, 18 through 25, register with Selective Service.

The Selective Service System and the registration requirement for America's young men provide our Nation with a structure and a system of guidelines which will provide the most prompt, efficient, and equitable draft possible, if the country should need it.

Veterans discharged before their 26th birthday. Non-U.S. citizens, including undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, and refugees, who take up residency in the U.S. prior to their 26th birthday.

Can I go to college without Selective Service? ›

Until recently, male students were also required to register for the Selective Service—the government agency that organizes U.S. military drafts—to receive financial aid for higher education. The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020, however, removed this prerequisite.

Summary of state laws that encourage or compel registration

Alaska, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Dakota. States that have not currently passed legislation linking benefits to registration: Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wyoming.

It's every man's duty under the Military Selective Service Act to register at age 18 and keep your registration up to date until you turn 26.

Under the current guidelines of the U.S. Selective Service System, eligibility for military conscription in the event of a draft would remain up to, and including age 25. Once you hit 26, you would no longer be eligible to be drafted.

Claiming conscientious objector status on the basis of sincerely held religious or ethical beliefs. Claiming a student deferment, when one is in school primarily in order to study and learn. Claiming a medical or psychological problem, if the purported health issue is genuine and serious.

Certain elected officials, exempt so long as they continue to hold office. Veterans, generally exempt from service in peacetime draft. Immigrants and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt from U.S. military service depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship.

Can You Get Financial Aid Without Signing Up for Selective Service? You don't need to sign up for the Selective Service to receive financial aid, but registering for it is still required for men between the ages of 18 and 25.