Can A 26-Year-Old Still Get Drafted? Exploring Eligibility In 2023

The draft process considers the age of individuals when determining their priority for selection. Specifically, men who turn 21 in the year of the draft are given second priority, while those turning 22 are classified as third priority, and so forth, until a man reaches 26 years of age, after which he is no longer eligible for the draft. It’s important to note that individuals younger than 21 would not be called for the draft in a given year until all eligible men within the 20-25 age range have been considered. This ensures that older individuals are assessed first before younger candidates are potentially selected.

The Selective Service mandates that all men between the ages of 18 and 64 must register for potential military drafting. This registration process involves filling out a D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card provided by the Director of Selective Service. This requirement led to the completion of over 49 million draft cards, including those for the “Old Man’s Draft,” which was a provision for men in the higher age brackets to be potentially drafted if necessary. This ensures that a wide demographic range is considered in the event of a draft.