Every man in California must register for the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. This is a form that you fill out to be eligible to be drafted into compulsory military service if a war breaks out or if you are needed to help protect against an enemy attack.
The process for registering can be complicated, especially when considering all of your different options. In this article, I will walk you through the process of registering for the selective service in California.
What is the Selective Service?
A Selective Service is a form that you fill out to be eligible to be drafted into compulsory military service if a war breaks out or if you are needed to help protect against an enemy attack. To register, every male in the United States is required to provide their name, birthdate, social security number, and address.
How to register for the selective service in California
There are three ways to register for the selective service in California. You can choose to do it online, by mail, or in person.
1. Registering Online
Step 1. Go to the Selective Service website up to 30 days after you turn 18 – To get your SSB form, visit https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Register-Now/. You only have time between the 18th to 25th birthdays for registering.
Step 2. Fill out the online form completely. Please provide your sex, full name, suffix (such as Jr., III., etc.), address, and date of birth. Your Social Security number is required for the online form to process correctly. There are several drop-down options on this page too so you can specify how you learned about registration in general or specific types of forms that may be available in your state (for example – guidance counselor, parent/relative, classroom, friend, USCIS, high school registrar, other, military rep, drivers licensing, etc.
Step 3. When you finish your form, press ”Submit Registration”. This process does not take more than 5 minutes when you finish all of the necessary information and submit the application.
To verify your registration status, visit https://www.sss.gov/Home/Verification and click “Verify Now.” Enter your last name, Social Security number, and date of birth to confirm the verification.
2. Filling out and mailing the registration form
Step 1. To download and print the form, visit the Selective Service’s website. To obtain the form, visit https://www.sss.gov/Portals/0/PDFs/regform_copyINT_1.pdf.
If you don’t already have a Social Security number, you can choose to send a hard copy.
If you don’t have an internet connection, you go to your local area post office and can demand a mail-back registration. These forms are always available in post offices.
Step 2. Fill up the form with all the necessary information. You fill up this form with your date of birth, sex, Social Security Number (if you have one), name, date, email address, mailing address, and signature.
Step 3. Mail the form to Selective Services. You submit this form to the SSS Registration Information Office, PO, and put it in an envelope addressed to Box 94739, Palatine, IL 60094-4739. Don’t forget to write your return address in the top left corner. Then submit your letter to your local post office.
Step 4. If you do not receive your confirmation within 90 days, call 847-688-6888. If you do not receive mail for registration information within 1-3 months, you can call the Selective Services number to obtain documentation information.
Visit https://www.sss.gov/Home/Verification to check your registration process online. But wait for 2-5 weeks after your mail was sent. Because it may take time to verify your information.
3. Using Other Registration Options
Step 1. If you receive a mail-back card, complete and return it. You can get a mail-back form from Selective Service in the Mail, around your 18th birthday. You can fill out this form at home and send it back to Selective Service with proper mailing.
This form includes your name, Social Security number, birthday, email, gender, and address.
Step 2. If you are filling out the FAFSA form, check the registration box. If you are going to college and filling out the FAFSA, simply check the box in Box 22. The Department of Education then provides your information to register for Selective Service.
Step 3. If you are in high school, ask your school’s Selective Service Registrar. If you are not sure who your Selective Service Registrar is, ask your school principal or guidance counselor. They can help you locate them and the registrar helps you fill up the form for registration and solve your problems.
Notifying Selective Service of Change
- As a member of the Selective Service System, you must inform them within ten days if any changes have occurred in your information.
- Change your address online for an easier option. To do this, visit https://www.sss.gov/Home/Address-Change. go to
- To change your information over the phone, call 847-688-6888.
- Complete a form and mail it back for any changes.
Who can register with the selective service?
If you are a man in California, you must register for the selective service. This applies to all men between 18 to 25 years old.
When do you have to register with the selective service?
Every man in the state of California must register with the selective service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. This is a form that you fill out to be eligible to be drafted into compulsory military service if a war breaks out or if you are needed to help protect against an enemy attack.
What happens after your registration?
Once you have registered for the selective service, you will receive an official registration card. This must be kept in case you are ever called to serve. You will also get a letter telling you that your application is approved and that your registration is complete.
When all of these steps are completed, your application is complete and the Commission cannot refuse to register you because of any reason.
