With new US law young people will automatically be placed on the list for military service

Young, qualified men will automatically be registered to the military recruiting list starting in December, as part of a move included in the annual defence policy bill Congress signed in law late last year.

Males between the ages of 18 and 26 should now be registered for prime service in case a military recruit is required. The last time such a recruit was in effect was in February 1973 during the Vietnam War.

Automatic registration is already in effect in 46 states and territories, according to the 2024 report of the Selective Service System (SSS). The SSS proposed a rule in the Bureau for Information and Regulatory Affairs late last month to implement this practice throughout the country.

The nationwide move has nothing to do with the ongoing fight with Iran and was approved with two-party support months before the current conflict with the country. But the Trump administration has refused to rule out the possibility of placing American troops on the ground, and the war has brought new attention to the military recruiting policy.

CNN has contacted the Command Service System for more information about the proposed rule, the Periscope broadcast.

Here's what you need to know about automatic registration in the Selestive Service.

Who will be registered and how will it work?

According to the National Defence Authorisation Act, which President Donald Trump signed in law in December, automatic registration will apply to male American citizens and “any other male person” in the country between the ages of 18 and 26.

Compulsory registration applies to green card holders, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented males. Those with unimminable visas are excluded.

Currently, in countries that have not approved automatic registration, men must register “within 30 days of their 18th birthday day”, according to the SSS website. The agency “accepts delayed records up to” on a man's 26th birthday.

It is a criminal crime not to register for the selective service, and this could lead to the loss of certain benefits, such as some student loans and federal jobs. It is also a violation of the Military Command Service Act, which could lead to imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Several countries, such as Arizona and Delaware, as well as Washington, DC, automatically register qualified males when they apply for a driver's license or another form of state identification. Meanwhile, in New York City, the driver's license application includes a section that allows qualified males to register for primary service.

According to the SS report for 2023, over 60% of the records have come from state automotive departments.

Democrat MP Chrissy Houlahan, who sponsored the formulation for automatic registration in the mobile service, told CNN in a statement: “Absorption of automatic registration not only saves money for taxpayers by eliminating the need for advertising, but finally ensuring that young people are not punished without knowledge. ”

In the statement, Houlahan stressed that the move has two-party support.

The NDA passed by two-party votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What happens in a military recruit?

Congress would have to approve a military recruit before it ever happened. And not all registered males would be recruited to serve. There would be a lot in which birthdays and numbers would be chosen by chance.

The people who turn 20 in the year when the recruit is announced will be the first to receive orders to submit for service, followed, in order by the following age groups: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19 and those who are more than six months after their 18th birthday.

Individuals selected will be allowed to apply for exemption or postponement. All the remaining males will then go through “physical, mental and moral appreciation” and those who show they are capable of serving will be selected for service, according to the SSS.