North Carolina, First Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to the fourth registration draft cards for North Carolina for the years 1940 to 1945. The index is courtesy of Ancestry.com.

After the United States entered World War II, a new Selective Service Act required that all men between the ages of 18 and 64 register for the draft. The fourth draft registration covered males ages 45 to 64. The local draft board of the Selective Service System conducted the registration. The original registration cards were later sent to the regional branch of the National Archives responsible for receiving records from that state. Draft registration cards exist for 40 states and for Puerto Rico. For New York, cards exist only for the boroughs of New York City.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Draft registrations may contain the following information:
 * Name, Serial Number, and Order Number
 * Address
 * Telephone
 * Age and date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Country of citizenship
 * Name of person who will always know the address
 * Relationship of that person
 * Address of that person
 * Employer’s name
 * Place of employment or business
 * Race
 * Height, weight, and complexion
 * Obvious identifying physical characteristics

Sample Images
Click on the image for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The birth date of your ancestor.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Surname Letter
 * 2) Select Surname Range to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given.
 * Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section. It's always a good idea to keep your citation on a Research Log.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the person's name and place of birth to find a birth certificate which should list the names of the parents.
 * Use the country of citizenship to lead you to immigration or naturalization records.
 * Use the person’s age and residence to find family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the marital information to find marriage records. Witnesses were often family members.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify siblings and other relatives who may also have registered for the draft.
 * Census, military service, military pension, immigration, naturalization, and land records can be very useful.
 * Use employment information to lead you to trade, business, land, property, or education records.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation.


 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Immigrant first names may be in their native language.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.
 * Look at the 1930 and 1940 censuses to identify names and ages of additional family members.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of North Carolina.
 * North Carolina Guided Research
 * North Carolina Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

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