U.S. Embassy & Consulates
in Japan

Selective Service Registration is the process by which the U.S. government collects names and addresses of men age 18 through 25 to use in case a national emergency requires rapid expansion of the Armed Forces. It is a civic and legal responsibility.

With few exceptions, all male U.S. citizens, living in the United States or overseas, including male legal permanent residents residing in the United States and its territories, must register between their 18th and 26th birthdays.

Men who have registered remain eligible for federal student aid, most federal jobs, and federal job training. Non-citizen males living in the U.S. who are 18 through 25 and required to register must register to remain eligible for citizenship. For more information, please refer to SSS’s “Benefits and Penalties” page.

Registering with the Selective Service does not mean you are volunteering to join the military. No one has been drafted since 1973. No one can be ordered for induction by Selective Service unless ordered by Congress and the President.

You may register for the Selective Service online at: https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration/RegistrationFormForeign.  Within three weeks after being registered, the registrant will receive a Registration Acknowledgement by mail. He may verify his number online by clicking on the “To Check a Registration” icon on the Selective Service System webpage.

Any errors or corrections to your registration should be submitted to:

Selective Service System
P.O. Box 94638
Palatine, IL  60094-4638

If you need additional information, please visit the Selective Service website or contact Selective Service directly at:

Selective Service System
Registration Information Office
Post Office Box 94638
Palatine, IL 60094-4638
Phone: (847) 688-6888