Every citizen who could be drafted if the US goes to war

According to the official SSS website, failing to register when required is a federal felony punishable by fines of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to five years.

Beginning in late 2026, registration is expected to become automatic through federal databases, marking the most significant change to draft law in decades.

If a draft were activated, the system would rely on a random lottery to determine the order in which individuals could be called for service.

Who will be drafted first

Under the current Selective Service system, men who have a 20th birthday during the year of the draft lottery will be called first.

If the military needed additional personnel after that group was exhausted, the lottery would expand to include men aged 21, then 22, 23, 24 and 25. Only after those age groups were used would the system move to younger registrants.

That means 19-year-olds would be next, followed by men who are 18 and a half.