Where to get draft card

Learn how a military draft works and find out if and how you need to register for Selective Service. A draft is the mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces. The United States military has been all-volunteer since But an act of Congress could still reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency.

The Selective Service System is the agency that registers men and is responsible for running a draft. Almost all men age who are U. Citizens must register within 30 days of turning Immigrants must register within 30 days of arriving in the U. Men in the U. For other exemptions and for transgender people, see the Who Must Register chart. Get a printed registration form at the post office or download the registration form.

If you registered by mail, you should receive the letter in about 30 to 90 days. If you registered online, you should receive it within three weeks. The letter and card are your Selective Service proof of registration.

Choose the option for receiving your own Selective Service number. You are required to keep your registration information up-to-date until you turn Contact the Selective Service System if:. It became evident that many registrants might need proof of registration in a form which was convenient to carry once certain benefits were linked to registration.

This included:. Therefore, the Registration Acknowledgment was modified in so that all personal information about the registrant would be printed in a wallet-size box. Registrants may detach and carry it in their wallet if they wish, but they are not required to do so.

When the new version of the Registration Acknowledgment came into use, there were some allegations that the issuance of cards was the first step toward a resumption of the draft. That is not so. The card is simply for the convenience of the registrant. It is important to keep in mind that only Congress can authorize a draft — regardless of whether or not some form of card is being issued. Nothing in the law, regulations or operating procedures makes the issuance of cards a preliminary step in the resumption of induction authority.

Draft Cards. Are Draft Cards Being Issued?