Automatic U.S. military draft registration by December 2026 planned

There has not been a military draft since 1973, when U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam was winding down.

But in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed a law requiring men between the ages of 18 to 25 to register for military conscription. Since then, the federal government has relied on voluntary compliance with that law, not automatic enrollment. Men who are 26 are allowed to enroll late to comply with the law.

The agency’s proposal to automatically enroll men in the draft was submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.

The proposal was made about a month after the U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran.

There are currently no formal plans to reinstate a draft.