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



This wiki article describes a collection that is available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. To access the collection, see United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942

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

Collection History
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 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.

Why This Collection Was Created
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.

Collection Reliability
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.

Collection Description
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.

Collection Content
Genealogical information on the registration cards includes:


 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace (lists town or county and state or country)
 * Age
 * Residence
 * Mailing address
 * Name and address of the person who will always know the registrant’s address
 * Place of employment or business
 * Employer’s name and address
 * Race

How To Use The Collection
Use draft registration cards to learn an exact birth date and birthplace for a male ancestor. Use this information to then locate other record types, such as vital records.

Bibliographic Information
United States. Selective Service System. [State] Selective Service registration cards (World War II). Downloaded from URL, date downloaded. Digital identification number if any, county or draft board if filed in this way, name. Example: United States. Selective Service System. Ohio Selective Service Registration Cards (World War II). From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org), December 11, 2006. Nick Abramovitz. United States. Selective Service System. [State] Selective Service registration cards (World War II). Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, [year]. Microform number, item number, country or draft board if filed if this way, name.

Related Article
United States, World War II Military Records