Selective Service
Why Register? It's the Law!
Virtually all male U.S. citizens, regarless of where they live, & male immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, residing in the United States, who are 18 through 25 are required to register with Selective Service.
The law says men must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. That means registration must be done sometime within the 30 days before their 18th birthday, their 18th birthday and the following 29 days after their 18th birthday - that is a 60-day registration period.
It's important to know that even though a man is registered, he will not automatically be inducted into the military. Registering with Selective Service does not mean you are joining the military.
In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in a sequence determined by random lottery number & year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical & moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or indiction into the Armed Forces.
Virtually all male U.S. citizens, regarless of where they live, & male immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, residing in the United States, who are 18 through 25 are required to register with Selective Service.
The law says men must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. That means registration must be done sometime within the 30 days before their 18th birthday, their 18th birthday and the following 29 days after their 18th birthday - that is a 60-day registration period.
It's important to know that even though a man is registered, he will not automatically be inducted into the military. Registering with Selective Service does not mean you are joining the military.
In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in a sequence determined by random lottery number & year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical & moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or indiction into the Armed Forces.
Penalties For Failing To Register:
*Missouri: On July 11, 2002, Gov. Bob Holden signed a law giving Missouri men under the age of 26 the option to be registered with Selective Service when they apply to obtain a state driver’s license or renewal, or instruction permit application. This law became effective on August 28, 2002, and the start date when Selective Service began receiving electronic data transmissions for those who opted-in for Selective Service registration on their application was July 1, 2003.
- Men, born after December 31, 1959, who aren't registered with Selective Service won't qualify for federal student loans or grant programs. This includes Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Direct Stafford Loans/Plus Loans, National Direct Student Loans, and College Work Study.
- Failing to register or comply with the Military Selective Service Act is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison term of up to five years, or a combination of both. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the Act is subject to the same penalties.
- If a man fails to register, or provides Selective Service with evidence that he is exempt from the registration requirement, after receiving Selective Service reminder and/or compliance mailings, his name is referred to the Department of Justice for possible investigation and prosecution for his failure to register as required by the Act. For clarification, if a man is exempt from registering with the Selective Service System, his name is not forwarded to the Department of Justice. The federal law stipulates that names are to be submitted to the Department of Justice annually.
*Missouri: On July 11, 2002, Gov. Bob Holden signed a law giving Missouri men under the age of 26 the option to be registered with Selective Service when they apply to obtain a state driver’s license or renewal, or instruction permit application. This law became effective on August 28, 2002, and the start date when Selective Service began receiving electronic data transmissions for those who opted-in for Selective Service registration on their application was July 1, 2003.