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Read the Minutes from the July 25th New York Quarterly Meeting
NYC Quakers

Conscientious Objection

Soon all Americans ages 18-25 and assigned male at birth will be automatically added to the draft pool. Prepare your Conscientious Objector documentation now.

Conscientious Objection and Selective Service

No war conscientious objection collage 2
Quakers Say NO to all WAR poster, 1960, from the Quakers in Britain archives; photo of a March Against the Draft in Boston, 1980; and an illustration of the broken rifle logo for the War Resisters League

Registering with Selective Service

Starting at the end of 2026, anyone between ages 18-25 assigned male at birth* will be automatically registered with Selective Service. Registering with Selective Service will add them to the list of people who the government can force to join the armed forces (via a military draft, AKA conscription) if needed. There hasn’t been a military draft since 1973, and the idea of a draft is very unpopular with Americans. However, governments and situations change. A future military draft is possible.

Conscientious Objector Status

The US Military Selective Service Act states that no person who is “conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form” can be required to serve in the military. If you are against war and would refuse to fight in any war you can declare yourself a conscientious objector (CO).

Document your Beliefs

You can’t register as a conscientious objector (CO) in advance, but you can prepare to declare CO status in the future by gathering documentation of your beliefs now. Once a draft is instated you may only have 10 days to prove your claim, so preparing in advance is important. Documentation should include a personal statement of your beliefs and letters of support from other adults who know you. Receipts or other proof showing your participation in antiwar protests, workshops, etc. may help.

In your personal statement, you must show you are:

  1. Conscientiously opposed to participating in any and all war,
  2. Based on moral, ethical, and/or religious beliefs that are
  3. Sincerely and deeply held.

(See Curt Turrell’s Conscientious Objection: Is This for You?)

Resources for Writing your Statement

Center for Conscience and War has a step-by-step process for writing a statement that  documents your claim of conscientious objection

Friends Peace Teams has information on writing a statement of conscience, building a case file, and doing public witness, and includes sample statements of conscience.

Quaker Resources on Conscientious Objection to War

New York Yearly Meeting's Resources for Conscientious Objection to War, including a minute on objecting to paying for war.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Information and Resources Around Conscientious Objection

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* Transgender women and non-gender-conforming people with an "M" on their birth certificate will still be registered automatically, even though there is currently a ban on trans people serving in the military.