Selective service should i register

There is a difference between exemption from registration and classification in the event of a national emergency. Selective Service does not have authority to pre-classify men for service if there is not an active draft. All men, or their parent or legal guardian, are able to submit a claim for exemption from service in the event of a draft.

The criteria for exemption from registration are:. Men serving in the military on full-time active duty do not have to register if serving continuously from age 18 to age Those attending the service academies do not have to register. However, if a man joins the military after turning 18 or leaves the military before turning 26, he must register.

As long as the man has proof of his active duty military service, such as his DD , or current military ID card if still on active duty or a member of the National Guard or Reserves, his subsequent failure to register should not be a bar to any benefits or programs, contingent upon registration compliance, for which he is otherwise qualified.

Men who would be classified as Conscientious Objectors if they were drafted must register with Selective Service. If a draft is authorized and they are called, they would have the opportunity to file a claim for exemption from military service based upon their religious or moral objection to war.

US citizens or immigrants who are born male and changed their gender to female are still required to register. Individuals who are born female and changed their gender to male are not required to register. NOTE : Transgender students are welcome to call us at regarding their registration requirements if they need a status information letter from Selective Service that clarifies whether or not they are exempt from the registration requirement.

Individuals who have changed their gender to male will be asked to complete a Status Information Letter SIL request form and provide a copy of their birth certificate. Keep your original SIL and send copies to state-based financial aid institutions if needed. Currently, more than 90 percent of eligible young men are registered. Men who fail to register with Selective Service may be ineligible for opportunities that may be important to their future.

View more information on the benefits linked to registration, as well as what the penalties are for failing to register with the Selective Service System. Benefits and Penalties. The fact that a man is required to register does not mean that he will be drafted. No one has been drafted since No one can be drafted into the military unless ordered by Congress and the president. A draft would most likely occur only in the event of war or national emergency.

In addition to being subject to prosecution, failure to register may cause you to permanently forfeit eligibility for certain benefits.