Especially when trying to search the content-rich documents, such as World War I and World War II draft cards, it is often puzzling why a specific person cannot be found. Beyond tricky names and such, it is often difficult because the rules for who needed to register changed several times during each of those wartime periods. Depending on the age of the man, he may or may not have needed to register.
These rules are included below. Also included are the rules used for drafting young men to serve in the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
| Year | Description |
| Pre-1861 | No federal system, state militias, most with different rules |
| 1863 | Enrollment Act of 1863; involuntarily called men to service |
| 1917 | May 18; Selective Service Act of 1917 passed by Congress |
| 1917 | 1st registration – June 5; men aged 21 to 31 |
| 1918 | 2nd registration – June 5; men turning 21 after 1st registration; supplemental on August 24 for men turning 21 after June 5 |
| 1918 | 3rd registration – September 12; all men aged 18 to 45 |
| 1940 | September 16; President Roosevelt signs peacetime Selective Service Act |
| 1940 | 1st registration – October 16; For men born between 17 October 1904 and 16 October 1919 (ages 21-35) living within the continental United States. |
| 1940 | Initial draft – October 29; A man had to be between 21 and 45, at least 5’ tall and no taller than 6’6”, weigh at least 105 lbs., have vision correctable with glasses, and have at least half his teeth. He had to be able to read and write, and not have been convicted of a crime. |
| 1941 | 2nd registration – July 1; For men born between 17 October 1919 and 12 July 1920 who had turned 21 since the first registration & men from the first draft who did not register. The prefix “S” preceded the serial #. |
| 1942 | 3rd registration – February 16; For men born between 17 February 1897 and 31 December 1921 (ages 20-45) who had not previously registered. The prefix “T” preceded the serial #. |
| 1942 | 4th registration – April 27 (Old Man’s Draft); born between 27 April 1877 and 16 February 1890. The prefix “U” preceded the serial number. |
| 1942 | 5th registration – June 30; For men born between 1 January 1922 and 30 June 1924 (ages 18-20). – The prefix “N” preceded the serial #. |
| 1942 | 6th registration – December 10-31; For men born between 1 July and 31 December 1924 (men who had turned 18 after 12 November 1942.) The prefix “W” preceded the serial #. |
| 1943 | Additional registration – November 16-December 31; For American citizens living abroad between the ages of 18 and 45. |
| 1947-49 | Men aged 18 to 26 were required to register. |
| 1950-53 | Men aged 18 to 26 were required to register. Deferments were available for students, some fathers, farmers and other occupations which supported the national interest. |
| 1953-71 | Men aged 18 to 26 were required to register. Student, fatherhood, occupational and agricultural deferments |
| 1970 | Vietnam Lottery; December 1, 1969; applied to year of birth 1944-50 |
| 1971 | Vietnam Lottery; July 1, 1970; applied to year of birth 1951 |
| 1971 | Deferments were phased out. |
| 1972 | Vietnam Lottery; August 5, 1971; applied to year of birth 1952 |
| 1973 | Vietnam Lottery; February 2, 1972; applied to year of birth 1953 |
| 1974 | Vietnam Lottery; March 8, 1973; applied to year of birth 1954 |
| 1975 | Vietnam Lottery; March 20, 1974; applied to year of birth 1955 |
| 1976 | Vietnam Lottery; March 12, 1975; applied to year of birth 1956 |
| 1975 | Registration was suspended April 1, 1975 by Presidential Proclamation |
| 1980- | Men are required to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday |
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Genealogy QuickSheets – Frequently Asked Questions
Quicksheets are also known as Quick Reference Guides. They are generally a one or two page PDF that is downloadable. A few QuickSheets are as large as a five page PDF.
Every QuickSheet is in a specific post on The Ancestor Hunt website. Just bring up the post, and at the bottom of the page is a big brown Download button that allows you to view and/or download the PDF when clicked.
There are over 80 QuickSheets.
Here are links to the 10 Most Popular:
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Yes! You can view or download as many as you wish.