The federal government will extend automatic registration to the Selective Service nationwide after President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in December. The change requires that all men between 18 and 26 years old be registered in the draft system without needing to complete any paperwork. Until now, automatic registration was already in effect in 46 states and territories, but men in the rest of the country had to register manually within 30 days of their 18th birthday. The new federal rule standardizes that system across the entire country. The requirement applies to all men ages 18 to 26 present in the country, regardless of immigration status. According to the NDAA, included are: The only ones exempt are those who have a nonimmigrant visa. In states where registration was not yet automatic, enrollment will be triggered when applying for a driver’s license or other state ID document. Failing to register is a federal crime. Consequences include loss of access to student loans, federal jobs, and in extreme cases: up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Being in the registry does not mean being drafted. Congress must approve a formal call-up before any induction can occur — something that has not happened since February 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War. If a draft were activated, the system would work by birthdate lottery. The first called would be the men who turn 20 in the year of the call-up, followed in order by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19, and older than 18 years and six months. Each selected person could request exemption or deferment, and everyone would go through a physical, mental, and moral evaluation before being inducted.