Selective Service System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:48, 11 July 2025

Revision as of 23:55, 22 July 2025

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==Who must register==

[[File:Selective service information.jpg|thumb|right|Selective service information available in a local post office in [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]]]

Under current{{When|date=June 2025}} law, all male U.S. citizens assigned male at birth between 18 and 25 (inclusive) years of age are required to register within 30 days of their 18th birthdays. In addition, certain categories of non-U.S. citizen men between 18 and 25 living in the United States must register, particularly [[Green card|permanent residents]], [[refugee]]s, [[asylum seeker]]s, and [[Illegal immigration to the United States|illegal immigrants]].<ref name="must"/> Foreign men lawfully present in the United States who are non-immigrants, such as [[international student]]s, [[B visa|visitors]], and diplomats, are not required to register, so long as they remain in that status.<ref name="must"/> If an alien's non-immigrant status lapses while he is in the United States and under the age of 26, he will be required to register.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.academia.edu/19773109 |title = Male Immigrants and Selective Service |last = Segal |first = Alexander }}</ref> Failure to register as required is grounds for denying a petition for U.S. citizenship. Currently, citizens who are at least 17 years and 3 months old can pre-register so when they are eligible for registration, their information will automatically be added into the system.

In the current{{When|date=June 2025}} registration system, a person cannot indicate that they are a conscientious objector (CO) to war when registering, but they can make such a claim when being drafted. Some people choose to write on the registration card "I am a conscientious objector to war" to document their conviction, even though the government will not have such a classification until there is a draft.<ref>Brethren Witness, Peace and Justice, {{cite web |url = http://www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/ConscientiousObjection/COinfo.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040815023253/http://www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/ConscientiousObjection/COinfo.htm |archive-date = 15 August 2004 |title = Conscientious Objection |publisher = brethren.org }}</ref> A number of private organizations have programs for conscientious objectors to file a written record stating their beliefs.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.centeronconscience.org/home.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610131539/http://www.centeronconscience.org/home.shtml |archive-date=10 June 2009 | title=(Home) | publisher=Center on Conscience & War | access-date=18 November 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.jewishpeacefellowship.org/index.php?p=the_draft |title = Jewish Peace Fellowship |publisher = Jewish Peace Fellowship |access-date = 8 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ohioyearlymeeting.org/conscientious_objectors.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111205000453/http://www.ohioyearlymeeting.org/conscientious_objectors.htm |archive-date = 5 December 2011 |title = Oym Generic Page |publisher = Ohioyearlymeeting.org |access-date = 8 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.objector.org/coclaim.html |title = objector.org }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.peaceabbey.org/confcenter/coregistry.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919181648/http://www.peaceabbey.org/confcenter/coregistry.htm|url-status=dead|title=The Registry for Conscientious Objection|archivedate=19 September 2008}}</ref>