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

United States

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of draft registration cards for World War I. Three registrations were conducted between 1917 and 1918. The first was held on June 5,1917, for men between the ages of 21 and 31; the second was held on June 5,1918, for men who had turned 21 since the first registration, and the third was held on September 12, 1918, for men between the ages of 18 and 45.

The registration includes cards for 24,000,000 men. Approximately 2,800,000 men were inducted into military service.The cards are arranged by state, by city or county, by local draft board, and then alphabetically by surname. The draft registration cards are part of Record Group 163: Records of the Selective Service System (World War I),1917-1939, NARA microfilm publication M1509. '''Classifications lists, induction notices,docket books and other records of the local boards will be located at NARA Regional Archives in Boston,New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Fort worth, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. See the collection inventory tables below for more information.'''


 * Administrative History Note Office of the Provost Marshal General. 5.22.1917-7.15.1919

Related Collections

 * Maps of World War I Draft Boards


 * California: Draft Report:list of California men who enlisted or were inducted into the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, 1 roll
 * Illinois: Cleveland Card Indexes to Draft Registrants, Pre-September 1918, 59 rolls
 * Illinois: Cleveland draft board records 26 rolls
 * Illinois: Cleveland: Series V: Draft Board Records, Sheets, 5 rolls
 * Maine World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919
 * Massachusetts:Selective service records and exemptions as aliens for 1917-1918, Barnstable, Local Board for Division No. 43
 * New York, Albany County
 * North Carolina, Cabarrus County,1917-1919
 * Virginia: List of men registered and inducted in Tazewell County, 1917-1918
 * Virginia: Alphabetical list of registrants, Sept 12, 1918
 * Utah: Draft Board Registrations, Beaver - Weber Counties, 1917-1918
 * Virginia, Amelia County, Names of Registrants Inducted
 * Virginia, Page County Local Draft Board Minutes
 * Virginia, Tazewell County, List of Registrants
 * Virginia, Tazewell County, List of Men Registered
 * Wisconsin:Draft Registrations Sauk County, 1917

Related Publications

 * The World War. Selective Service in the County of Albany in the State of New York, April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918. Albany:J.B. Lyon, 1922 FHL fiche 6062149
 * Organization and the Execution of the Selective Service Act in the State of West Virginia. Charleston,W. Va.: Tribune Print Co., 1920?

National Archives Record Group 163

 * List of United States Residents Serving in the British Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1919 NAID 1157946
 * Lists of United States Residents Serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Australian Imperial Force, 1917-1918 NAID 1157734
 * Casualties American Expeditionary Forces by State NAID 1726747

National Archives

 * Enforcement of Draft Registration along the Canadian Border NAID 1112597
 * Discharge from the draft records, 11.10.1918 - 11.15.1918 NAID 5752997
 * Records Relating to the Draft Status and Military Service of Employees, 1917 - 1919. (Dept. of Agriculture. Bureau of Plant Industry) NAID 571711

Collection Inventory Tables
Additional records of the Selective Service will be found at the National Archives and the National Archives regional centers.


 * Inventory National Archives at College Park
 * Inventory, Regional Archives

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

Draft Registration

World War I had 3 different draft registrations. Each registration was slightly different.
 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Draft registration date
 * Sometimes, father’s birthplace
 * Name of nearest relative
 * Age in years
 * Sex is implied, since all registrants were males
 * Marital status
 * List of any dependents
 * Address

Sample Images

 * Sample Draft Registration Cards
 * Sample draft registration card for June 5, 1917
 * Sample draft registration card for July 5, 1918
 * Sample draft registration card for September 12, 1918

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the soldier
 * The county and state of residence for the soldier
 * The age of the soldier at the time of the draft:
 * 1st Registration (5 June 1917): men born 5 June 1886 to 5 June 1896
 * 2nd Registration (5 June 1918): men born 6 June 1896 to 5 June 1897
 * 3rd Registration (12 September 1918): for men born 12 September 1873 to 12 September 1900

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Local Draft Board 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 these records to learn the date and place of birth. The information could also be used to search for a birth record and for information on parents and siblings. This is the best source of birth information for men born in states where birth registration began late
 * Use the name of the nearest relative and residence to look for additional records about the registrant and his family such as census, and church records
 * You will want to determine if your ancestor or relative served in the military during the war. Obituaries, cemetery records, discharges, membership in the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars may identify the military unit or dates of service.The 1930 census may also identify veterans. Other records at the National Archives from the Selective Service include classification lists, and lists of men ordered to report to local boards for induction. Discharge  records may also be helpful


 *  Additional World War I State Collections Available on FamilySearch
 * United States Index to Naturalizations of World War I Soldiers,1918
 * Florida World War I Service Cards,1917-1919
 * Louisiana World War I Service Records,1917-1920
 * Maine World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919
 * North Carolina World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
 * Texas World War I Records, 1917-1920


 * Additional World War I State Collections Online
 * Alabama Archives World War I Gold Star Database
 * Alabama Archives World War I Service Cards
 * Connecticut State Library World War I Veterans Database
 * Florida State Library & Archives World War I Service Records
 * Hawaii State Archives World War I Service Records
 * New Jersey State Archives World War I Deaths
 * New York State Archives Abstracts of National Guard Service World War I
 * Rhode Island World War I Casualties
 * Washington State Archives Statement of Service Cards

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties and states
 * Check with the National Archives at St. Louis
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * US Military Record Finder

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 Email. 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.

Related Digital Books
Soldiers of the Great War Casualties. The volumes are arranged alphabetically by state. Within each state the entries are broken down in the following order. First are photographs of  soldiers averaging twenty per page. Next are the casualties arranged by Killed in Action; Died of Disease; Died of Wounds; Died of Accident; and Wounded in Action. For each soldier the volumes give name, rank and residence.


 * Soldiers of the Great War Volume 1 Alabama-Maryland
 * Soldiers of the Great War Volume 2 Massachusetts-Ohio
 * Soldiers of the Great War Volume 3 Oklahoma-Wyoming


 * Indiana Gold State Honor Roll
 * Kansas Casualties starting on page 26
 * Nevada's Golden Stars
 * New York Roll of Honor
 * Roster of North Dakota Soldiers 4 volumes
 * Roster of Ohio Soldiers 22 volumes
 * Army Register 1916

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.