World War I and II Draft Registration Cards
Nearly every American man born between about 1872 and 1900 filled out a WWI draft card, and millions more registered for WWII. What the cards say, who is in them, and how to find them free.
Draft registration cards are one of the most useful 20th-century records, and one of the most overlooked. Registering for the draft did not mean a man served; most never did. But nearly every man in a broad age range had to register, so the cards work almost like a census of American men, with details like an exact birth date, a description of the man, and his signature.
World War I draft registration (1917–1918)
About 24 million men registered for the World War I draft, close to every adult man in the country born between roughly 1872 and 1900. Non-citizens had to register too, so immigrant ancestors are included. There were three registrations:
- June 5, 1917: men ages 21 to 31
- June 5, 1918: men who had turned 21 since the first registration, plus a supplemental registration on August 24, 1918
- September 12, 1918: men ages 18 to 45
What the WWI cards tell you
The questions differed slightly among the three registrations, but cards typically give:
- Full name, home address and age
- Exact date of birth
- Place of birth (on the first registration), sometimes naming a town in another country
- Citizenship status: native-born, naturalized, or alien, and for some, which country
- Occupation and employer, with the employer's address
- Nearest relative and their address (on the third registration)
- Dependents, and any claim for exemption
- A physical description: height, build, eye and hair color, and any disability
- His signature
For immigrant ancestors, the first registration's birthplace question can be the record that finally names the town in the old country. And for men who left few other records, the physical description may be the only one you'll ever find.
World War II draft registration (1940–1947)
The U.S. began registering men for the World War II draft in October 1940, more than a year before Pearl Harbor. Over the course of the war there were several registrations, eventually covering men from 18 to 64.
The one genealogists talk about most is the fourth registration of April 27, 1942, often called the "Old Man's Draft." It registered men born between April 28, 1877 and February 16, 1897, who were 45 to 64 years old and not otherwise registered. These men were not intended for military service; the registration was a survey of the country's manpower. It's especially useful because it covers men born in the 1870s and 1880s, many of whom also registered for the WWI draft. Comparing the two cards can show you the same man 25 years apart. Be aware that the fourth-registration cards for several Southern states did not survive, so a missing card there may not mean a man failed to register.
Cards from the other WWII registrations, for younger men, have also been released and are widely available online.
What the WWII cards tell you
- Full name, address and telephone
- Age, date of birth and place of birth (town and state or country)
- Employer and place of employment
- The name and address of a "person who will always know your address," often a wife, parent or sibling
- A physical description and signature
Where to find them
- FamilySearch has both the WWI cards and the WWII cards free, with indexes and images.
- Ancestry and Fold3 have them by subscription, sometimes with different indexing that can help when a name was misread.
- The original WWI cards are held by the National Archives at Atlanta. Original WWII cards are held by the National Archives at St. Louis.
Search tips
- Search by birth date and place. Draft indexes include them, which is a great way to find a man with a common name.
- Browse by draft board. Cards were filed by local draft board, usually one per county or per part of a city. If a name was badly indexed, browse the cards for his board, which are roughly alphabetical.
- Check the back of the card. The back of WWI cards has the physical description and the registrar's notes. Make sure you save both sides.
- Remember the age range. A man born in 1865 was too old for WWI registration; a man born in 1902 was too young. For WWII, men born from 1877 on may appear.
- Watch for signature differences. Comparing his signature with others on deeds, naturalization papers or other cards can help you confirm you have the right man.
What the cards don't tell you
A draft card shows that a man registered, not that he served. If he did serve, look for his service record and other military records. Many World War I and earlier Army service records were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, so other sources become important: state veterans' records, discharge papers recorded at the county courthouse, newspaper articles, and unit histories. See Military Records from the Revolution to World War II.