Selective Service System

The emblem of the Selective Service System featuring an eagle, stars, and the letters 'SSS' within a shield, surrounded by the text 'SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM'.

(Click this picture to be directed to the Selective Service System website.)

Almost all male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., 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. In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces.