A male applicant born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26 to be eligible for any US government employment, including selection as a paid VA trainee. Male applicants must sign a pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they can be processed into a training program.
It's the law, but as far as I know, it isn't necessarily actively enforced (i.e., odds are the govt. won't show up at your door and cart you off to jail if you didn't register for selective service). That being said, it's a decision that can follow you indefinitely, such as via being banned from federal employment.
i just looked it up via "le google", and it appears in WV, it is a law.
In my home state (the one and only republic of Texas ) it appears to be that when you're 18 and do something in the DMV office, they register you for Selective Service unless you object, and if you object, you're given alternatives.
I've heard from a lawyer and a military officer who are both fully convinced that when/if another draft starts up, females will quickly be compelled to register too.