Legislation by States, Territories, and the District of Columbia

Maintaining a high compliance rate is of great importance because it means that any future draft instituted by Congress and the President in a national emergency would be fair and equitable. Also, men who fail to register with Selective Service are not eligible for certain programs and benefits that Congress and most states and territorial legislatures and the District of Columbia have linked to registration. They include student loans and grants for college, government jobs, and job training. Additionally, immigrant men residing in the U.S. who failed to register when they were at least 18 years old, but not yet 26 years old, may be denied U.S. citizenship by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Many states and territories have passed legislation that supports the federal Selective Service registration requirement. The most current legislation linked to Selective Service registration are driver’s license legislation (DLL) and Solomon- and Thurmond-like legislation.

Driver’s License: There are two forms of DLL, optional and automatic. States with optional DLL allow men 18-25 to opt in or out of having their information transferred to Selective Service for registration by checking a box when applying for a state learner’s permit, driver’s license or renewal, or I.D. card. States with automatic DLL process a man’s application for a state learner’s permit, driver’s license or renewal, or I.D. card as consent to have his information automatically transferred to Selective Service for registration if he is between the ages of 18-25. Education: The Solomon Amendment added Section 12(f) to the Military Selective Service Act in September 1982. Male students who have a requirement to register with Selective Service must satisfy that requirement as an eligibility precondition for receipt of Title 4 federal student financial aid. Title 4 aid includes such need-based programs as Guaranteed Student Loans and Pell Grants. Government Employment: In November 1985, the Thurmond Amendment to the Defense Authorization Act established Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 3328, which requires Selective Service registration (of men who are required to register) as a prerequisite for appointment to most federal jobs.

Each highlighted state or commonwealth has their own legislation.