When was selective service established

On May 18, , Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which authorized the Federal Government to temporarily expand the military through conscription. The act eventually required all men between the ages of 21 to 45 to register for military service. Under the act, approximately 24 million men registered for the draft. Of the total U. Carter resumed Selective Service registration in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The Selective Service System remains in place today. The first group contains records from the 4th Registration, known as the "Old Man's Registration" or the "Old Man's Draft," for those men whose year of birth was from April 28, to February 16, These nearly 38 million cards are available at Ancestry. Louis maintains Selective Service Records for this time period for all men born before Please note: Men born from March 29, - December 31, were not required to register with Selective Service because the registration program was suspended when they would have reached age The requirement to register with Selective Service was reinstated in but only for men born January 1, , or later.

Box St. The Selective Service System has changed a lot since the s. A series of reforms during the latter part of the Vietnam conflict changed the way the draft operated to make it more fair and equitable. Learn more about our fair and equitable system.

Most Americans born before remember the "draft card" which Selective Service issued to each man at the time he registered. For many years there were in fact two cards: the Registration Certificate and the Notice of Classification. Learn more about the history of the draft card and our modern practices. Learn about the numbers of men who entered military service through the Selective Service System during major 20th century conflicts in which the U. Thus, Selective Service can no longer access any of these records.

Box St. Louis, MO How to Obtain a Copy: The classification record is public information and is available to anyone who asks for it. You must submit your request using the Record Request Form to the address provided above.