Men ages 18 through 25 in the U.S. are required to register with the Selective Service. However, many are unaware of the serious repercussions for failing to fulfill this civic duty. Not registering before turning 26 can lead to significant challenges in accessing various federal and state benefits.
Over a million men have faced difficulties receiving government benefits due to non-registration. The most common consequences include losing eligibility for federal student financial aid, ineligibility for U.S. citizenship, and being barred from federal employment.
Man contemplating Selective Service registration and its consequences
For the past 39 years, registering for the Selective Service has become a significant rite of passage for American men. Within 30 days of their 18th birthday, every male citizen and legal permanent resident must register with the Selective Service System, either by filling out a paper form or registering online.
However, less understood is what transpires on a man’s 26th birthday. Those who haven’t registered by then permanently lose the opportunity to do so – effectively closing the door to government benefits like student financial aid, government jobs, or even U.S. citizenship.
Men under 26 can still receive these benefits by taking advantage of an eight-year grace period and registering immediately. After that, appealing a denial can be costly and time-consuming.
Selective Service statistics reveal that over one million men have been denied some form of government benefit due to their failure to register. With the male-only registration requirement now declared unconstitutional, Congress will need to decide whether to eliminate Selective Service registration altogether or expand it to include women.
Congress established the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service in 2016 to study the future of Selective Service registration. The commission is examining issues such as: Should Selective Service registration be required? If so, what’s the fairest way to enforce it? Should the consequences that have applied to men for nearly four decades also apply to women?
Men who have fallen into the over-26 “trap” argue that the system is inherently unfair. Since 1993, more than one million American men have requested an official copy of their Selective Service registration status from the agency. These status information letters are the first step in trying to appeal a benefit denial and are the clearest indication of how many men have been affected by the legal consequences of not registering.
On paper, “willful failure to register” with the Selective Service is a felony. Penalties can include up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, the current system relies primarily on voluntary compliance, a patchwork of state laws, and the threat of lost federal benefits.
Congress passed two provisions to tighten enforcement in the 1980s. The 1982 Solomon Amendment made Selective Service registration a prerequisite for receiving federal student financial aid. The 1985 Thurmond Amendment did the same for federal employment.
Federal student financial aid is the most common issue for men who haven’t registered. Forty states and the District of Columbia link Selective Service registration to driver’s licenses. But some states allow men to opt out of registering, and roughly one-quarter of Americans in their early 20s don’t have a driver’s license.
Some states go even further: In eight states, men aren’t allowed to enroll in state colleges or universities – even without financial aid – if they haven’t registered for the Selective Service. In Ohio, men who live in the state but haven’t registered must pay out-of-state tuition. In Alaska, men who don’t register can’t receive annual dividends from the Alaska Permanent Fund.
As a result, registration rates fluctuate from 100% in New Hampshire to 63% in North Dakota – and just 51% in the District of Columbia. Like the Vietnam War draft, the current registration requirement places a disproportionate burden on lower-income Americans. They’re more likely to postpone college until they’re older – and need financial aid when they do enroll.
