United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This article describes multiple collections of the fourth World War II draft registration of men age 45-64 (born 1877-1897). The draft was conducted on April 27, 1942. This collection is part of National Archives Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, 1940-.

The collection United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Index) contains an index and images of the registration cards. The collection United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Image Browse) contains only images of the registration cards. The images are arranged by state, surname letter and the first name in the browse string. Index and images for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington are courtesy of Ancestry.com.

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

Draft Registration
 * Serial number
 * Name
 * Residence
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace (town or city, county, state or country)
 * Age
 * Mailing address
 * Name and address of person who will always know registrant’s address
 * Employer’s name and address
 * Race

Sample Image
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.

The draft registration cards are preprinted forms with information recorded on the front and back. Cards for the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were filmed with the front of one card on the same image as the back of the next card in the sequence. The cards for the following eight states were destroyed:


 * Alabama
 * Florida
 * Georgia
 * Kentucky
 * Mississippi
 * North Carolina
 * South Carolina
 * Tennessee

These records cover about 10 percent of the population.

The 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.

Information on the cards was supplied by the individual but recorded by a registrar. While there was a chance of a recording error, each individual signed his card to attest that the information was correct.

While the cards were created on April 27, 1942, they pertain to men born on or between April 27, 1877, and February 16, 1897.

Coverage Table
Links in the Locality field are to entries in the National Archives Catalog.

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 United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Digital Folder Number List. The table can be sorted by DGS number, GS number (microfilm number), the state where the registration took place, the title of the collection as it appears in the FamilySearch Catalog with a link to the record, a sequence number (SEQ) which represents the order in which the film note appears in the FamilySearch Catalog record, and the Film Note describing the contents of the DGS image folder.

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person registering for the draft
 * The birth date and birth place of the person
 * The state and county of residence for the registrant

View the Images
To view images in this collection:
 * 1) Look at the United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Digital Folder Number List article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
 * 2) Go to the Browse Page
 * 3) Select the Film number to view the images

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Surname Letter
 * 3) Select Name 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.

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

 * Use the birth date and place to obtain a birth certificate
 * Use the names and residences to find the registrant and his family in census, church, and land records
 * Continue to search the cards to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may also have registered
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * For details about another index to these records, see the wiki article United States, World War II Draft Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the cards of nearby states
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals with the same family number

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered..

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.