Registration Requirements and Penalties
Registration is straightforward. The Selective Service operates an online website that would serve as the primary portal for WW3 conscription. It also maintains forms at about 35,000 U.S. Post Offices nationwide. The law requires sign-up within 30 days of a person’s 18th birthday. Nearly all eligible people comply with this requirement. However, failure to register breaks federal statute and carries serious penalties. Not registering can result in felony charges with maximum penalties totaling $250,000 in fines and five years in prison. As legal experts note, such a felony conviction carries additional consequences. These include the loss of voting rights and firearm ownership privileges. Beyond criminal consequences, other sanctions involve losing eligibility for federal student financial aid and government jobs. Additionally, in 31 states, non-registrants also lose eligibility for state student assistance programs. These requirements create the administrative foundation for potential draft activation during national emergencies that Congress declares.
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