Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes card indexes to draft registrations in Maine during World War I acquired from the Maine State Archives. The index includes name, age, place and date of birth, marital status, residence, nationality, race, occupation, local board, relatives’ names and residence. The collection includes records from 1917 to 1919.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Draft Registration
 * Name
 * Age
 * Marital Status (M or S)
 * Residence
 * Place of Birth
 * Date of Birth
 * Nationality and race


 * Occupation
 * Local (Selective Service) Board
 * Classification (Classes I- V)
 * Serial No.(Assigned by the Local Board)
 * Order No. (From the Selective Service Lottery)
 * Relatives’ names
 * Relationship
 * Address

Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index,1917-1919 Digital Folder Number List

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * Some other identifying information such as birth date or residence

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. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the residence to search for the soldier’s family in census, church, and land records
 * Use the information on the card to obtain the full military record
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may also have served in World War I
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Maine.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * Maine Guided Research
 * Maine Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Soldiers index by Town; Draft Registration Index
 * Maine, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, deaths, 1917-1919
 * Maine, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Maine Adjutant General. Roster of Maine in the military service of the United States and allies in the World War, 1917-1919.Augusta, Maine : Adjutant General of Maine, 1929. 2 volumes.
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986

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.