Daily AncestorLocal board
A local board, or draft board, was the county or city panel that registered men for the 20th-century draft, classified them and called them for induction.
In World War I a local board was set up for each county or similar area, and for about every 30,000 people in larger places. Boards registered men, fixed their order and serial numbers, decided classifications and claims for exemption, and put draftees on trains to camp. New York City alone had 189 boards, and district boards heard appeals.
World War II boards did the same work. The board named on a draft card tells you where related lists were kept, such as World War I classification docket books and lists of men ordered to report, which NARA holds in its regional archives.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Local board." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/local-board. Last checked 2026-10-12.