District of Columbia World War II Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index and images of draft registration cards of men who registered during World War II with the exception of the Fourth Registration (see General Information below). It covers the years 1940 to 1945 and includes information of young men aged 18-44. The event place is the home of the registrant. This collection is part of the National Archives Records Administration’s (NARA) [https://www.archives.gov/san-francisco/finding-aids/holdings-guide-05.html#147 Records of the Selective Service System. 1940– Record Group 147]: Records of the Selective Service. Images are courtesy of Ancestry.com($).

The Selective Service Act of 1940 required that men between the ages of 21–36 register for the draft. This was the United States' first peacetime draft. The draft was run like a lottery with those chosen required to serve for 12 months. During the summer of 1941, the draft was extended for all men who had reached their 18th birthday up to those who had not yet reached the 45th birthday—up until the day before their 45th birthday. The length of service was also extended to 18 months, but could be extended further if national security required.

In December of 1941, after the United States had entered World War II, the draft was again extended. All men ages 22–44 became responsible for service in the military and all men ages 18–64 were required to register for the draft. Time of service was extended to six months after the war ended. This draft registration, called the Fourth Registration, or Old Man’s Registration, was held on April 27, 1942. The purpose of this registration was to collect information on industrial capacity and skills of men who were born between April 27, 1877 and February 16, 1897 (ages 45 to 64). This draft registration was not intended to be used for military service but to provide a complete inventory of manpower resources in the United States that could be utilized for national service during World War II. Draft registration cards were filled out at the registrant’s home and then mailed to the Selective Service Board.


 * Classification Records for District of Columbia, 10.16.1940 - 3.31.1947. NAID 3615007
 * Forms 301 (Applications for Relief from Military Service) and 304 (Alien Personal History Statement) for the District of Columbia Headquarters, ca. 1940-1947. NAID 301657

World War II Registration Dates

 * First Registration October 16, 1940: males ages 21 to 35 "within the continental United States"
 * Second Registration July 1, 1941: males "who had reached 21 sine the first registration"
 * Third Registration February 16, 1942: between the ages of 20 and 45 "who had not previously registered"
 * Fourth Registration April 27, 1942: between the ages of 45 and 65 "not eligible for military service" This registration is not included in this collection.
 * Fifth Registration June 30, 1942: between the ages of 18 and 20
 * Sixth Registration December 10-31, 1942: "those who reached the age of 18 after November 12, 1942"
 * Additional Registration between November 16 and December 31, 1943: "citizens living abroad between the ages of 18 and 45"

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records 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

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The age or birth date of the individual

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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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 the Person 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 District of Columbia.
 * District of Columbia Guided Research
 * District of Columbia Record Finder
 * District of Columbia Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Family History Library Holdings

 * District of Columbia, World War II draft registration cards, 1940-1945
 * District of Columbia, military records : World War II 4th draft registration cards, 1942
 * Richard G. Wood, comp, Records of the Selective Service System, 1940-47.Washington : The National Archives, 1951
 * Jonathan Gawne. Finding your father's war : a practical guide to researching and understanding service in the World War II US Army. Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania : Casemate, c2006 FHL 973 M27g
 * Debra Johnson Knox. World War II military records : a family historian's guide. Spartanburg, South Carolina : MIE Publishing, c2003 FHL 973 M27kw - Chapter 3 - WWII Draft Records, pp. 47-58

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * World War II Fourth Registration
 * United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
 * United States World War II Prisoners of War of the Japanese, 1941-1945
 * United States, World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1945

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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