I am 26 or older and never registered with the Selective Service — and I don’t fall into any of the legal exceptions. What are some possible consequences?

If you are age 26 or older, failed to register with the Selective Service, and don’t fall into any of the legal exceptions to the registration requirement — then, by law, you could face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of up to 5 years.[286] Even if you don’t face charges, you may be disqualified from certain government programs and benefits — including federal student financial aid, naturalized citizenship, federal job training, and federal jobs.[287] In California, failure to register with the Selective Service also means you can’t get STATE-funded student financial aid.[288] In some cases, if you can prove that your failure to register was unintentional, you might still be eligible for certain government benefits and programs. See the next question and the chart on PG. 74 to learn more.

  1. 286

    Benefits and Programs Linked to Registration, Selective Serv. Sys., https://www.sss.gov/FSbenefits.htm. ↑

  2. 287

    See Benefits and Penalties, Selective Serv. Sys., https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Why-Register/Benefits-and-Penalties. ↑

  3. 288

    34 C.F.R. § 668.37(d)(2)(i), (e). ↑