Index: django/forms/extras/widgets.py
===================================================================
--- django/forms/extras/widgets.py	(revision 9076)
+++ django/forms/extras/widgets.py	(working copy)
@@ -20,13 +20,15 @@
     This also serves as an example of a Widget that has more than one HTML
     element and hence implements value_from_datadict.
     """
+    none_value = (0, '---')
     month_field = '%s_month'
     day_field = '%s_day'
     year_field = '%s_year'
 
-    def __init__(self, attrs=None, years=None):
+    def __init__(self, attrs=None, years=None, required=True):
         # years is an optional list/tuple of years to use in the "year" select box.
         self.attrs = attrs or {}
+        self.required= required
         if years:
             self.years = years
         else:
@@ -51,17 +53,23 @@
             id_ = 'id_%s' % name
 
         month_choices = MONTHS.items()
+        if not self.required or not value:
+            month_choices.append(self.none_value)
         month_choices.sort()
         local_attrs = self.build_attrs(id=self.month_field % id_)
         select_html = Select(choices=month_choices).render(self.month_field % name, month_val, local_attrs)
         output.append(select_html)
 
         day_choices = [(i, i) for i in range(1, 32)]
+        if not self.required or not value:
+            day_choices.insert(0, self.none_value)
         local_attrs['id'] = self.day_field % id_
         select_html = Select(choices=day_choices).render(self.day_field % name, day_val, local_attrs)
         output.append(select_html)
 
         year_choices = [(i, i) for i in self.years]
+        if not self.required or not value:
+            year_choices.insert(0, self.none_value)
         local_attrs['id'] = self.year_field % id_
         select_html = Select(choices=year_choices).render(self.year_field % name, year_val, local_attrs)
         output.append(select_html)
@@ -74,6 +82,8 @@
 
     def value_from_datadict(self, data, files, name):
         y, m, d = data.get(self.year_field % name), data.get(self.month_field % name), data.get(self.day_field % name)
+        if y == m == d == "0":
+            return None
         if y and m and d:
             return '%s-%s-%s' % (y, m, d)
         return data.get(name, None)
Index: tests/regressiontests/forms/extra.py
===================================================================
--- tests/regressiontests/forms/extra.py	(revision 9076)
+++ tests/regressiontests/forms/extra.py	(working copy)
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 >>> w = SelectDateWidget(years=('2007','2008','2009','2010','2011','2012','2013','2014','2015','2016'))
 >>> print w.render('mydate', '')
 <select name="mydate_month" id="id_mydate_month">
+<option value="0">---</option>
 <option value="1">January</option>
 <option value="2">February</option>
 <option value="3">March</option>
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
 <option value="12">December</option>
 </select>
 <select name="mydate_day" id="id_mydate_day">
+<option value="0">---</option>
 <option value="1">1</option>
 <option value="2">2</option>
 <option value="3">3</option>
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@
 <option value="31">31</option>
 </select>
 <select name="mydate_year" id="id_mydate_year">
+<option value="0">---</option>
 <option value="2007">2007</option>
 <option value="2008">2008</option>
 <option value="2009">2009</option>
@@ -213,6 +216,133 @@
 
 Using a SelectDateWidget in a form:
 
+>>> w = SelectDateWidget(years=('2007','2008','2009','2010','2011','2012','2013','2014','2015','2016'), required=False)
+>>> print w.render('mydate', '')
+<select name="mydate_month" id="id_mydate_month">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="1">January</option>
+<option value="2">February</option>
+<option value="3">March</option>
+<option value="4">April</option>
+<option value="5">May</option>
+<option value="6">June</option>
+<option value="7">July</option>
+<option value="8">August</option>
+<option value="9">September</option>
+<option value="10">October</option>
+<option value="11">November</option>
+<option value="12">December</option>
+</select>
+<select name="mydate_day" id="id_mydate_day">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="1">1</option>
+<option value="2">2</option>
+<option value="3">3</option>
+<option value="4">4</option>
+<option value="5">5</option>
+<option value="6">6</option>
+<option value="7">7</option>
+<option value="8">8</option>
+<option value="9">9</option>
+<option value="10">10</option>
+<option value="11">11</option>
+<option value="12">12</option>
+<option value="13">13</option>
+<option value="14">14</option>
+<option value="15">15</option>
+<option value="16">16</option>
+<option value="17">17</option>
+<option value="18">18</option>
+<option value="19">19</option>
+<option value="20">20</option>
+<option value="21">21</option>
+<option value="22">22</option>
+<option value="23">23</option>
+<option value="24">24</option>
+<option value="25">25</option>
+<option value="26">26</option>
+<option value="27">27</option>
+<option value="28">28</option>
+<option value="29">29</option>
+<option value="30">30</option>
+<option value="31">31</option>
+</select>
+<select name="mydate_year" id="id_mydate_year">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="2007">2007</option>
+<option value="2008">2008</option>
+<option value="2009">2009</option>
+<option value="2010">2010</option>
+<option value="2011">2011</option>
+<option value="2012">2012</option>
+<option value="2013">2013</option>
+<option value="2014">2014</option>
+<option value="2015">2015</option>
+<option value="2016">2016</option>
+</select>
+>>> print w.render('mydate', '2010-04-15')
+<select name="mydate_month" id="id_mydate_month">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="1">January</option>
+<option value="2">February</option>
+<option value="3">March</option>
+<option value="4" selected="selected">April</option>
+<option value="5">May</option>
+<option value="6">June</option>
+<option value="7">July</option>
+<option value="8">August</option>
+<option value="9">September</option>
+<option value="10">October</option>
+<option value="11">November</option>
+<option value="12">December</option>
+</select>
+<select name="mydate_day" id="id_mydate_day">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="1">1</option>
+<option value="2">2</option>
+<option value="3">3</option>
+<option value="4">4</option>
+<option value="5">5</option>
+<option value="6">6</option>
+<option value="7">7</option>
+<option value="8">8</option>
+<option value="9">9</option>
+<option value="10">10</option>
+<option value="11">11</option>
+<option value="12">12</option>
+<option value="13">13</option>
+<option value="14">14</option>
+<option value="15" selected="selected">15</option>
+<option value="16">16</option>
+<option value="17">17</option>
+<option value="18">18</option>
+<option value="19">19</option>
+<option value="20">20</option>
+<option value="21">21</option>
+<option value="22">22</option>
+<option value="23">23</option>
+<option value="24">24</option>
+<option value="25">25</option>
+<option value="26">26</option>
+<option value="27">27</option>
+<option value="28">28</option>
+<option value="29">29</option>
+<option value="30">30</option>
+<option value="31">31</option>
+</select>
+<select name="mydate_year" id="id_mydate_year">
+<option value="0">---</option>
+<option value="2007">2007</option>
+<option value="2008">2008</option>
+<option value="2009">2009</option>
+<option value="2010" selected="selected">2010</option>
+<option value="2011">2011</option>
+<option value="2012">2012</option>
+<option value="2013">2013</option>
+<option value="2014">2014</option>
+<option value="2015">2015</option>
+<option value="2016">2016</option>
+</select>
 >>> class GetDate(Form):
 ...     mydate = DateField(widget=SelectDateWidget)
 >>> a = GetDate({'mydate_month':'4', 'mydate_day':'1', 'mydate_year':'2008'})
