In the United States postPearl Harbor , it was made mandatory for every male aged 18 to 64 from the 18 th birthday to the last day of the 64 th year of life to register for the draft through the Selective Service , with men ages 18 to 37 being subject to it . Draft R e g i s t r a t ionsRegistrationDateBirth datesNote 1 Oct . 16 , 1940 Oct . 17 , 1904 Oct . 16 , 1919 Men 2135 years old 2 Jul . 1 , 1941 Oct . 17 , 1919 Jul . 1 , 1920 Men who had turned 21 since the last registration , and men who were of age but had failed to register in the first registration 3 Feb . 16 , 1942 Feb . 17 , 1897 Oct . 16 , 1904 and Jul . 2 , 1920 Dec . 31 , 1921 Men 2021 and 3744 years old 4 Apr . 27 , 1942 Apr . 28 , 1877 Feb . 16 , 1897 Men 4564 years old not liable for military service 5 Jun . 30 , 1942 Jan . 1 , 1922 Jun . 30 , 1924 Applicable 18 year old men 6 IDec . 1117 , 1942 Jul . 1 Aug . 31 , 1924 Applicable 18 year old men 6 IDec . 1824 , 1942 Sept . 1 Oct . 31 , 1924 Applicable 18 year old men 6 IDec . 2631 , 1942 Nov . 1 Dec . 31 , 1924 Applicable 18 year old men 6 IIJan . 1 , 1943 Mar . 31 , 1947 Jan . 1 , 1925 Mar . 31 , 1929 Men were to register as they turned 18 years oldExtraNov . 16 Dec . 31 , 1943 Jan . 1 , 1899 Dec . 31 , 1925 Men 1844 years old living abroad . Beginning Jan . 1 , 1944 , men were to register as they turned 18 years oldSpecialOct . 2331 , 1944 Nov . 1 , 1899 Oct . 31 , 1926 Men 1844 years old living in the US Virgin Islands . Beginning Nov . 1 , 1944 , men were to register as they turned 18 years oldThat does not mean that every registered male would have served , however . Men who were morally , physically , or mentally incapable of service as decided by doctors and psychiatrists , or held important positions in wartime society such as farming , working at defense plants , or officiating religion , were exempt from service . Initially , men who had children were exempt , but this provision was eliminated on October 1 , 1943 after this date , men whose children were born before December 7 , 1941 were drafted like anyone else , unless they were the sole caregiver in the household . On December 5 , 1942 , President Franklin D . Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9279 , which among other things , barred men who were 18 to 37 from voluntarily enlisting in the military men of these ages could now only join the military by being drafted . The order was repealed on September 7 , 1945 . Men who were 38 to 44 years old also had to register for the draft , but would not actually be drafted due to their age they could still join the military voluntarily if they met the standards for enlistment . If an emergency situation arose , such as a war for national survival , these men were the next in line to be drafted you will notice that in the crisis years of the war , 19411942 the age requirement for an age deferment was quite high , and was lowered as the war went on . A similar situation existed for 17 year olds they , in particular , did not have to register for the draft , but could join the military at their own volition . Those men from 45 to 64 years old were exempt entirely from any kind of military service , but were registered in order to get a rough idea of how many war industry workers the United States had their registration card included a section for employment and personal skills . During WWII , women could also serve in the US military but in noncombat positions such as nurses or ferry pilots but they had to enlist voluntarily they were not drafted , nor compelled to register for it . Selective Service Classifications 19401947 C l a ssificationInfoIAvailable for military serviceIAAvailable for military serviceIA BAcceptable for military service , below standards for general military serviceIA LAvailable for limited military serviceIAOAvailable for noncombatant military service conscientious objectorIAO BAcceptable for noncombatant military service , below standards for general military service IAO LAvailable for noncombatant limited military service IA remandedAvailable for military service after correction of medical defectsIAO rem . Available for noncombatant military service after correction of medical defectsIBAvailable for limited military serviceIBOAvailable for noncombatant limited military serviceIB rem . Available for limited military service after correction of medical defects IBO rem . Available for noncombatant limited military service after correction of medical defectsIC Ind . Inducted member of armed forcesIC Enl . Enlisted member of armed forcesIC Disc . Discharged honorably from the armed forcesIC Dec . Deceased while in Class ICIDDeferred student , fit for general military serviceIDODeferred student , fit for general noncombatant military serviceIEDeferred student , fit for limited military serviceIEODeferred student , fit for limited noncombatant military serviceIGMember of or honorably separated from armed forces of cobelligerent nation later extended to include registrants separated from American Field Service or Merchant Marine , and persons interned by an enemy nationIHAvailable for military service but deferred due to age 111842 age 45 and over 1051944 age 38 and over 8311945 age 26 and over 7171946 age 30 and overIIDeferred from military service because of occupationIIADeferred in support of national health , safety , or interestIIA LAs IIA , but found to be qualified for potential limited military serviceIIA FAs IIA , but rejected for potential military serviceIIBDeferred in support of war productionIIB LAs IIB , but found qualified for potential limited military serviceIIB FAs IIB , but rejected for potential military serviceIICDeferred in agricultureIIC LAs IIC , but found qualified for potential limited military serviceIIC FAs IIC , but rejected for potential military serviceIIIDeferred from military service because of dependencyIIIADeferred for dependency reasons eliminated 10143 reestablished 111545 IIIBDeferred both by reason of dependency and occupation essential to the war effortIIICDeferred both by reason of dependency and agricultural occupationIIIDDeferred by reason of extreme hardship and privation to wife , child , or parentIVDeferred from military service because unacceptable or exemptIVAMan who has completed service applicable in time of peace onlyIVA HMan found unfit for military service , later deferred by reason of age 111842 age 45 and over 10544 age 38 and over 83145 age 26 and over this version of the classification was used in wartimeIVBOfficial deferred by lawIVCAlien not acceptable to armed forces and certain neutral aliensIVDMinister of religion or divinity studentIVEConscientious objector , available for or assigned to work of national importanceIVE BConscientious objector , under 26 years of age , acceptable under lowered physical standards for work of national importanceIVE HConscientious objector deferred by reason of age over age 27 IVE LConscientious objector qualified for limited serviceIVE LSConscientious objector who would otherwise be in Class ID or IE available for limited service in civilian work of national importanceIVE SConscientious objector who would otherwise be in Class ID or IEIVE Disc . Conscientious objector separated from work of national importance by issuance of a Certificate of DischargeIVE Sep . Conscientious objector separated from work of national importance other than by issuance of a Certificate of Discharge or of DeathIVE Dec . Deceased while in Class IVEIVFRejected for military service because of physical , mental , or moral reasonsIVHMan found unfit for military service , later deferred by reason of age 7171946 age 30 and over this version of the classification was used in peacetime