The World War I draft consisted of three separate registrations.
First Registration. The registration on 5 June 1917, was for men aged twenty-one to thirty-one – men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896.
Second Registration. The registration on 5 June 1918, was for men who had turned twenty-one years of age since the previous registration – men born between 6 June 1896 and 5 June 1897. Men who had not previously registered and were not already in the military also registered. In addition, a supplemental registration on 24 August 1918, was for men who turned twenty-one years of age since 5 June 1918.
Third Registration. The registration on 12 Sept 1918, was for men aged eighteen to twenty-one and thirty-one to forty-five—men born between 11 Sept 1872 and 12 Sept 1900.
The complete registration included men between the ages of 18 and 45—males born between 1873 and 1900—who were not already in the military.
Each of the three separate registrations used a slightly different version of the draft registration card. Because different cards were used, the information included in each varies.
Additional Draft Card Registration Information
In general, the registration cards included the following information.
- Full name
- Home address
- Date and place of birth
- Age, race, and country of citizenship
- Occupation and employer
- Physical description (hair and eye color, height, disabilities)
- Additional information such as address of nearest relative, dependent relatives, marital status, father’s birthplace, or previous exemption from service
- Signature
Twelve-Question Draft Card
The card used for the first registration includes this information: name, age, address, date and place of birth, citizenship status, employer’s name and address, dependent information, marital status, race, military service, and physical appearance.
Ten-Question Draft Card
The card used for the second registration includes this information: name, age, address, date and place of birth, father’s birthplace, citizenship status, occupation, employer’s name and address, dependent information, name and address of nearest relative, and physical appearance.
Twenty-Question draft card
The card used for the third registration includes the name, address, age, date of birth, race, citizenship status, occupation, employer’s name and address, name and address of nearest relative, and physical appearance.
The WWI Draft Registration Cards Today
The original records are kept at the National Archives’ Southeast Region in East Point, Georgia. Microfilm copies are at the National Archives regions that serve their respective states. In addition, some large libraries have the film of these cards for their own state. You may want to inquire on state or county message boards (worldwar boards.ancestry.com) about the potential availability of some records in your own area.