Selective Service Registration: What Male Applicants Need to Know

Male naturalization applicants who lived in the US between ages 18 and 26 are generally required to have registered with the Selective Service. According to USCIS, failing to register may be considered evidence of lacking good moral character, which can affect your N-400 naturalization application. However, applicants over 31 are typically unaffected, and those still under 26 can register immediately.

What is Selective Service?

The Selective Service System is the agency that maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription (the draft). According to USCIS policy, males must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday but not after reaching 26 years of age.

Why Does This Matter for Citizenship?

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, an applicant who refused to or knowingly and willfully failed to register for Selective Service may be found to lack:

• Good moral character
• Attachment to the principles of the Constitution
• Disposition to the good order and happiness of the United States

Who is Required to Register?

Males who lived in the United States between ages 18 and 26 are generally required to have registered. However, the following males are NOT required to register:

• Males over the age of 26
• Males who did not live in the United States between ages 18 and 26
• Males who maintained lawful nonimmigrant status for the entire period between ages 18 and 26
• Males born after March 29, 1957 and before December 31, 1959

What If You Didn't Register?

The impact depends on your current age:

Under 26 Years Old

You can still register. Do so immediately at sss.gov or at your local post office. Once registered, you can proceed with your naturalization application.

Between 26 and 31 Years Old

You can no longer register, but you may still be eligible for naturalization. USCIS will allow you to show that your failure to register was not knowing or willful. You may need to obtain a Status Information Letter from the Selective Service System and provide evidence explaining why you didn't register.

Over 31 Years Old

Good news: even if you knowingly and willfully failed to register, you are likely eligible because the failure would be outside of the 5-year statutory period for good moral character.

How to Check Your Registration Status

You can verify your Selective Service registration by calling (847) 688-6888 or visiting sss.gov online. You can also request a Status Information Letter, which confirms whether you were required to register and whether you did so.

Prepare for Your Interview

Your citizenship interview will cover many topics beyond Selective Service. Practice with Citizenry's unlimited mock interviews to build confidence for the civics test, English test, and N-400 questions.