U.S. Department of Justice

Ofce of Justice Programs

National Institute of Justice

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE

GUIDE

BODY ARMOR

Selection & 

Application Guide 

0101.06 

to Ballistic-Resistant 

Body Armor

DE

CEMBER 201

4
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20531

Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Attorney General

Karol V. Mason

Assistant Attorney General

William J. Sabol, Ph.D.

Acting Director, National Institute of Justice

This and other publications and products of the National Institute of 

Justice can be found at:

National Institute of Justice

Strengthen Science • Advance Justice

http://www.nij.gov

Office of Justice Programs

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov
December 2014 

NCJ 247281

Selection and Application Guide

to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor

For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06 

National Institute of Justice

William J. Sabol, Ph.D.

Acting Director

Chris Tillery

Office Director, Office of Science and Technology

Debra Stoe

Standards Policy Advisor

Michael O’Shea

Senior Law Enforcement Program Manager

v NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Foreword

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), has developed 

this document, NIJ Guide-0101.06, Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor for Law 

Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety, to provide guidance concerning the selection, procurement, use, 

care and maintenance, and other considerations related to ballistic-resistant body armor.

NIJ Guide-0101.06 is a companion document to NIJ Standard-0101.06, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor. 

The text of NIJ Standard-0101.06 is the authority in the event of any discrepancy with this guide.

Nothing in this document should be understood to be a legal mandate or policy directive, or to represent the 

only course of action. This guide is not all-inclusive. Any actions that may be informed by this guide should be 

taken, after careful consideration, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, policies 

and regulations, as well as local conditions and circumstances. Jurisdictional, logistical or legal conditions 

may preclude the implementation of particular recommendations contained herein. 

NIJ standards are subject to continued research, development and testing, review and modification as 

appropriate on an ongoing basis. Users of this guide are advised to consult the NIJ Standards and Testing 

Program webpage, accessed from http://www.nij.gov/standards, on a regular basis to determine whether this 

guide has been revised or superseded.

Technical comments and recommended revisions are welcome. Please send all written comments and 

suggestions to: Director, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 

Washington, DC, 20531, ATTN: NIJ Standards and Testing Program or via email to NIJStandards@usdoj.gov. 

______________

Nothing in this document is intended to create any legal or procedural rights enforceable against the United States. 

Moreover, nothing in this document is intended to constitute or imply any endorsement, recommendation or favoring by 

the United States of any specific commercial product, process or service. Finally, nothing in this document creates any 

obligation for manufacturers, suppliers, public safety agencies or others to follow or adopt any NIJ voluntary equipment 

standard.

vii NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Contents

Acronyms ...........................................................................................................................................................viii

Overview...............................................................................................................................................................1

Chapter 1. Why Wear Body Armor?.............................................................................................................3

Chapter 2. What Is Body Armor?.................................................................................................................5

Chapter 3. NIJ Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor Standards and 

Testing Program .........................................................................................................................9

Chapter 4. Selection Considerations .........................................................................................................21

Chapter 5. Measurement, Fit and Coverage..............................................................................................23

Chapter 6. Purchasing and Procurement Considerations .........................................................................27

Chapter 7. Development of Procurement Specifications...........................................................................29

Chapter 8. Inspection and Care.................................................................................................................33

Chapter 9. Training and Administration .....................................................................................................37

Chapter 10. What To Do When an Officer Wearing 

Body Armor Is Shot..................................................................................................................39

Definitions ..........................................................................................................................................................41

References.........................................................................................................................................................45

Appendix A. Contributors .............................................................................................................................47

Appendix B. Resources ................................................................................................................................49

Appendix C. Armor Sizing Templates ...........................................................................................................51

Appendix D. Body Armor Compliance Testing Program 

Body Armor Applicant Package...............................................................................................59

Appendix E. Example Procurement Specifications ......................................................................................89
viii Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Acronyms

ACP Automatic Colt pistol

AP Armor piercing

BFS Backface signature

BJA Bureau of Justice Assistance

BVP Bulletproof Vest Partnership

CPL Compliant Products List

CTP Compliance Testing Program

DHS U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security

DOJ U.S. Department of Justice

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

IC In Conjunction 

JAG Edward J. Byrne Justice Assistance 

Grant Program 

LEOKA Law Enforcement Officers Killed 

and Assaulted

LR Long rifle

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NIJ National Institute of Justice

NILECJ National Institute of Law 

Enforcement and Criminal Justice

NIST National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

NLECTC National Law Enforcement and 

Corrections Technology Center

OLES Law Enforcement Standards Office

TSWG Technical Support Working Group

TWG Technology Working Group

UCR Uniform Crime Reporting Program

U.S. United States
1 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Overview

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is pleased to release NIJ Guide-0101.06, Selection and Application 

Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor for Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety. The previous 

guide published by NIJ on body armor, NIJ Guide 100-01, Selection and Application Guide to Personal Body 

Armor, was released in 2001. NIJ Guide-0101.06 incorporates new knowledge about ballistic-resistant armor 

that has been gained in the intervening 13 years as the result of both NIJ-funded research and research 

funded by others. 

Whereas NIJ Guide 100-01 deals with both ballistic- and stab-resistant armor, this guide deals only with 

ballistic-resistant armor. It supersedes those portions of NIJ Guide 100-01 that deal with ballistic-resistant 

armor. It does not supersede those portions that deal with stab-resistant armor. A separate guide on stabresistant armor will be published when NIJ Standard-0115.00, Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor, is 

updated. 

This guide has two principal purposes. The first is to inform law enforcement, corrections and other public 

safety agencies in the development of sound policies and procedures concerning body armor from its 

procurement to its disposal. The second is to provide officers a better understanding of the importance of 

wearing body armor, wearing it correctly and caring for it properly. 

This guide is also intended to provide its readers a better understanding of body armor and how it works, 

explain NIJ Standard-0101.06 in nontechnical terms and provide an overview of the voluntary equipment 

compliance testing program established by NIJ to ensure the effectiveness of body armor sold to law 

enforcement, corrections and other public safety agencies. 

The heart of the guide – how to proceed to select and purchase body armor – begins with chapter 4 and 

includes chapters explaining how to assess the level of protection needed, things to think about when 

selecting armor and ways to keep it in proper working order. An extensive collection of appendixes is available 

for reference.

A team of active-duty law enforcement and corrections officers, technical experts and others with relevant 

knowledge and experience related to ballistic-resistant body armor, compliance testing and conformity 

assessment developed this guide. Appendix A provides a list of contributors and their organizations. 

3 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 1.

Why Wear Body Armor?

Wearing Body Armor Saves 

Lives 

Body armor is one of the most important pieces of 

safety equipment used by officers. Between 2002 

and 2011, the FBI reports that between 1,800 and 

2,300 officers were assaulted with firearms annually.1

Of the 543 officers feloniously killed during the same 

period, 498 were killed with firearms.2

 In 2011 alone, 

72 officers were feloniously killed; of those 63 were 

killed with firearms.3

Modern police body armor was introduced into 

practice in the 1970s as a result of NIJ-funded 

research. The International Association of Chiefs of 

Police (IACP)/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club® records 

more than 3,100 instances of officers being saved 

since then because they wore body armor.4

 

These include instances where wearing armor saved 

officers from assaults with and without weapons, 

and even in vehicular accidents. Here are two 

examples from the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors 

Club. In September 2001, Deputy Dewitt Carrithers 

with the Starkville (Miss.) Sheriff’s Department was 

■ Officers Killed by Firearms ■ Officers Killed by Other Means

5

7

3 5

2

2

6

3

1

9

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

51

45

54

50

46

56

35

45

55

63

EXHIBIT 1: OFFICERS FELONIOUSLY KILLED 2002 – 2011

1

 FBI Uniform Crime Reports. 2011. Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA), 2011, Table 70. Available on the web at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/

leoka/2011/.

2 LEOKA 2011, Tables 1 and 38.

3 LEOKA 2011, Table 38.

4

 These citations are used with the approval of the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club® http://www2.dupont.com/personal-protection/en-us/dpt/article/kevlar-survivors-club.

html .
4 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

assaulted with a roofer’s hammer. Because he 

was wearing body armor, he survived and, despite 

suffering multiple wounds, was able to stop the 

assailant. In July 2004, Deputy Larry Zydek with the 

Maple Valley (Wash.) Sheriff’s Department survived a 

violent car crash because the armor he was wearing 

protected his torso. Officer Zydek’s vehicle was so 

badly damaged that it took emergency personnel 

longer than an hour to extract him from it.5

5

 These citations are used with the approval of the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club® http://www2.dupont.com/personal-protection/en-us/dpt/article/kevlar-survivors-club.

html.

6

 LaTourrette, T. 2010. “The Life-Saving Effectiveness of Body Armor for Police Officers,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 7:10, 557-562. Available on the 

web at http://oeh.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15459624.2010.489798.

Armors only save lives when they are worn. Research 

published by RAND in 2010 indicates that an officer who is 

not wearing body armor is 3.4 times more likely to suffer 

a fatal injury if shot in the torso than an officer who is 

wearing body armor.6
5 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 2.

What Is Body Armor?

The term body armor is usually associated with vests 

designed to provide ballistic protection to the vital 

organs in the torso. Usually, a vest contains two 

armor panels held in place by a carrier. One panel 

protects the front of the torso, the other protects 

the rear. To protect the sides of the torso, the vest 

is worn with the front panel overlapping the rear 

panel. These panels can typically, but not always, be 

removed from the carrier.

The armor panels themselves consist of a ballistic 

panel with an integral cover that protects the ballistic 

materials in the panel from the environment. Panels 

come in multiple sizes and can be flat or curved 

to accommodate the different shapes and sizes 

of potential wearers. Typically, neither the panel 

cover nor the carrier is intended to provide ballistic 

protection. The principal purpose of the carrier is to 

support and secure the panels to the wearer’s body.

The term body armor may also refer to items of 

clothing such as jackets and coats that have armor 

panels inserted. In such a configuration, normalseeming items of clothing take on the role of armor 

carriers. It may also refer to accessory panels 

that are intended to provide ballistic protection to 

the groin, coccyx (aka tailbone), neck, sides and 

shoulders (see Exhibit 3.)

There are two basic kinds of body armor: soft armor 

and hard armor. Soft body armor consists of flexible 

panels of ballistic materials. Soft armor is designed 

to offer protection against assaults with handguns. It 

is intended to be used for extended daily wear. It is 

the type of body armor that officers would typically 

wear while executing their daily duties. It can be 

worn under an officer’s uniform or other clothing. It 

can also be worn over a uniform or clothing in an 

external carrier. If it is worn under a uniform, it is 

called concealable armor.

Hard armor consists of rigid panels, or plates, of 

ballistic-resistant materials. Hard armor is designed 

to offer greater protection against higher threats than 

soft armor. Hard armor plates are used in tactical 

armor. Tactical armor is typically a combination of 

a hard armor plate and soft armor panels, making 

it thicker and heavier than soft armor alone (see 

the discussion of in-conjunction armors later in this 

chapter). Tactical armor is not typically worn for 

EXHIBIT 2: BODY ARMOR WITH CARRIER

EXHIBIT 3: VEST, SHOULDER PROTECTION, 

GROIN PROTECTION
6 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

extended periods. It is donned for wear by officers 

entering high-risk situations.

It is important to note that different armor models are 

designed to protect against different specific types of 

ammunition. No body armor will stop every threat. No 

body armor is “bullet proof.” Agencies should purchase 

armor designed to protect against the threats most likely 

to be faced by their officers. At a minimum, agencies 

should consider purchasing armor that will protect their 

officers from assaults with their own handguns should the 

weapons be taken from them during a struggle. 

Because the performance of an armor is so closely 

tied to its design, the orientation in which the panel 

is worn in the carrier may affect its performance. 

NIJ-compliant armor panels are clearly marked so 

that the wearer knows which way they should be 

inserted into the carrier. The side of the panel that 

faces away from the body is referred to as the strike 

face because it is the side that is intended to be 

struck by the bullet. The side of the panel that is 

worn against the body is referred to as the wear face 

or body side.

Soft Armor 

Soft armor panels are typically constructed of 

multiple layers of ballistic-resistant materials (see 

Exhibit 4). The number of layers within the panel 

and the order in which these layers are placed 

influence its overall performance. Additional energy 

is absorbed by each successive layer of material. 

A soft armor panel works much like a baseball 

catcher’s mitt. When a handgun bullet strikes the 

panel, it is caught in a “web” of strong fibers. These 

fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is 

transmitted to the panel from the bullet. This process 

causes the bullet to deform or “mushroom.”

How well a panel absorbs and disperses the energy 

of the bullet is key to its ability to reduce blunt 

force injury to the body resulting from bullets that 

do not perforate an armor. As the fibers in a panel 

“catch” a bullet, they deform in the direction that 

the bullet was traveling into the body. That pushes 

panel material into the body of the wearer, resulting 

in injury to the torso. This type of nonpenetrating 

injury can cause severe contusions (bruises) and can 

cause damage to the internal structures of the body 

(musculature, bones, ligaments, organs, vascular 

system) that may result in death. 

Hard Armor 

Hard armor plates (see Exhibit 5) may be constructed 

from ceramics, compressed laminate sheets, metallic 

plates or composites that incorporate more than one 

material.

Generally speaking, hard armor plates work in one of 

two ways: They can capture and deform the bullet, 

or they can break up the bullet. In both instances, 

the armor then absorbs and distributes the force of 

the impact.

EXHIBIT 4: BALLISTIC MATERIAL AND COVER

EXHIBIT 5: HARD ARMOR PLATES
7 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Although some hard armor plates are designed to be 

used by themselves in a carrier, in most instances 

they are designed to be used in conjunction (IC) with 

a soft armor panel as described in the next section.

In-Conjunction (IC) Armors

Many hard armor plates are designed to be used 

with a specific soft armor panel to achieve a desired 

level of ballistic protection. They are not designed 

to be used alone. Such armors are called IC armors. 

They are constructed by adding pockets to the front 

and rear of a soft armor’s carrier (see Exhibit 6). The 

hard armor plates are inserted into these pockets 

over a portion of the underlying soft armor panel. 

Less common, but still occasionally available, is the 

combination of two soft armor panels as an IC armor 

designed to increase the level of ballistic protection.

Plates that are part of an IC armor must be used 

only with the designated soft armor panel. If not, 

the desired level of ballistic protection may not 

be achieved. Consequently, the hard armor plate 

component of the IC armor is labeled to identify the 

corresponding model of soft armor panel with which 

it is to be used.

Stab-resistant Armors

There are also armors designed to protect against 

edged (knives) or stabbing weapons. These are 

EXHIBIT 6: IC ARMOR

referred to as stab-resistant armor and are typically 

worn by correctional officers. Such armors are 

addressed in NIJ Standard-0115.00, Stab Resistance 

of Personal Body Armor (https://www.ncjrs.gov/

pdffiles1/nij/183652.pdf).

An armor designed to protect the wearer against firearms 

is not designed or tested to protect against edged or 

stabbing weapons. An armor designed to protect only 

against edged or stabbing weapons will not protect the 

wearer against firearms.

Combination Armors

Combination armors are those designed to protect 

against both firearms and edged or stabbing 

weapons. In these armors, the panels contain layers 

of materials that are stab resistant as well as layers 

of materials that are ballistic resistant. Such armors 

may also be called dual threat or multiple threat

armors. NIJ provides a list of those combination 

armors that have been tested and found to be 

compliant with both NIJ Standard-0101.06 and NIJ 

Standard-0115.00 on both its ballistic- and stabresistant Compliant Products Lists (CPLs). (For more 

information on the CPLs, see Chapter 3.)

■ Ballistic Armor Compliant Products List: https://

www.justnet.org/other/ballistic_cpl.html

■ Stab Armor Compliant Products List: https://

www.justnet.org/other/stab_cpl.html

Accessory Panels

Accessory panels, which are sometimes referred to 

as ballistic accessory panels, are typically worn with 

tactical armor. By convention, they are not called 

armor panels to differentiate them from the panels 

that are an integral component of a body armor.

NIJ Standard-0101.06 provides performance 

requirements and methods for their testing; however, 

accessory panels are not assessed as part of the 

NIJ Body Armor Compliance Test Program (CTP). 
8 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

(For more information on the NIJ CTP, see Chapter 

3.) Their manufacturers may have them tested at an 

NIJ-approved laboratory, but the test results stand 

on their own.

Trauma Packs or Trauma 

Plates

It is important not to confuse trauma packs or plates 

with soft armor panels or hard armor plates (see 

Exhibit 7). As with armor panels and plates, these 

items may be either flexible or rigid. Likewise, they 

may be constructed from layers of ballistic-resistant 

fabrics, metals, laminate sheets or other materials. 

They are referred to as trauma packs or plates

because they are intended to reduce blunt force 

trauma injury to the torso resulting from a bullet’s 

striking an armor. Although using them may provide 

some additional ballistic protection, this is not their 

principal purpose. They can be distinguished from 

hard armor plates because they are typically smaller 

and thinner. 

EXHIBIT 7: TRAUMA PLATE

Trauma plates or packs are most commonly 

positioned in the center of the chest in pockets in 

front of (or, less commonly, behind) the front soft 

armor panel. As is the case with armor panels, the 

orientation of trauma plates and packs matters. They 

are marked using the same convention as is used 

for armor panels. Some armors incorporate multiple 

trauma packs.

Because they are not primarily intended to provide 

ballistic protection, trauma packs and plates are not 

addressed in NIJ Standard-0101.06 and are not part 

of the NIJ CTP.
9 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 3.

NIJ Ballistic-Resistant 

Body Armor Standards and Testing

There are two components to the National 

Institute of Justice (NIJ) Ballistic-Resistant Body 

Armor Standards and Testing Program. The first 

is the performance standard. The second is the 

accompanying Compliance Testing Program (CTP). 

NIJ published the first version of the standard in 

1972. It has been updated five times since then 

to address the evolution of body armor and test 

methods. In 2008, NIJ published the current version 

of the standard, NIJ Standard-0101.06, Ballistic 

Resistance of Body Armor.

The standard sets minimum performance 

requirements for body armor. It also prescribes test 

methods for determining if those requirements are 

met. The standard does not dictate how armor must 

be designed; rather, it prescribes what it must be 

able to do. This ensures that body armor meets 

officers’ needs, yet leaves manufacturers free to 

innovate.

NIJ Standard-0101.06 supersedes all prior 

versions. However, its publication does not 

invalidate or render unsuitable any armor models 

previously determined to be compliant with a 

superseded version of the standard and that were 

purchased, or contracted for, while that standard 

was in effect. Body armor purchased under those 

conditions need not be discarded solely because 

a more current version of the standard is now in 

effect. However, armors tested to previous iterations 

of the NIJ standard are not compliant with NIJ 

Standard-0101.06 unless they have been submitted 

to the NIJ CTP and found to meet the 0101.06 

requirements. Such armors would be listed on the 

current ballistic-resistant body armor Compliant 

Products List (CPL). 

Serviceable armor should never be removed from service 

until and unless a replacement armor is available for 

immediate wear. Agencies are urged to purchase armor 

that is compliant with the most current version of the 

standard because each subsequent version incorporates 

new understanding of body armor performance. 

Body armor is tested to the NIJ body armor 

standard at approved, accredited test laboratories 

through the NIJ CTP. The NIJ CTP was established 

in 1978 to facilitate the testing of body armor to 

the NIJ standard. The NIJ CTP covers body armor 

systems designed to protect against firearms as 

well as those designed to protect against edged 

(knives) or stabbing (spike) weapons. Body armor 

tested and found to meet the requirements of NIJ 

Standard-0101.06 or NIJ Standard-0115.00, and 

whose suppliers agree to participate in the NIJ CTP, 

is listed on the Ballistic-resistant Body Armor CPL or 

the Stab-resistant Body Armor CPL, as appropriate.

■ Ballistic Armor Compliant Products List: https://

www.justnet.org/other/ballistic_cpl.html

■ Stab Armor Compliant Products List: https://

www.justnet.org/other/stab_cpl.html

The NIJ CTP includes additional measures beyond 

testing that are intended to increase confidence in 

the armor models listed on the CPLs. One of those 

measures is participation in the Follow-up Inspection 

and Testing (FIT) program, which is discussed in 

detail later in this guide. If an armor supplier does 

not agree to these additional measures, its armor will 

not be listed, even if it was tested and found to meet 

the requirements of the standard.
10 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

The use of NIJ Standard-0101.06 or any other NIJ 

standard is voluntary. Public safety agencies can 

choose whether to purchase body armor that is 

found to be compliant with the standard. Similarly, 

participation in the NIJ CTP on the part of body 

armor manufacturers is also voluntary. 

Participation offers advantages to both public safety 

agencies and body armor manufacturers. Because 

the standard was developed with input from law 

enforcement and correctional officers, it informs 

manufacturers of their requirements – of what their 

customers need. Purchasing armor listed on the 

CPL provides agencies confidence that an armor will 

meet their needs. It also provides them a resource to 

allow them to see a full list of compliant models that 

may meet their needs. In turn, the knowledge that 

agencies are likely to buy armor listed on the CPL 

provides suppliers with an incentive to have their 

armors listed.

Overview of Standard-0101.06 

NIJ Standard-0101.06 not only specifies test 

methods to determine if the armor panels in a body 

armor model will stop the threats they are designed 

to stop, but also to measure how well they protect 

the wearer from blunt force injury resulting from a 

bullet’s striking a panel.

NIJ Standard-0101.06 uses two types of ballistic 

tests: 

1. Perforation and BackFace Signature (P-BFS).

2. Ballistic Limit (BL).

The combined results from these two tests are 

intended to determine if the armor model is suitable 

for use.

Perforation refers to an instance where a projectile 

passes through an armor. Backface signature refers 

to the indentation made by the test sample in the 

clay backing material that is used during testing 

when a projectile penetrates (enters the armor) 

but does not perforate the sample. The depth of 

the indentation is used as a reasonable analog of 

the potential for the wearer to sustain significant, 

potentially lethal, blunt force injury. The P-BFS test is 

used to determine if the armor stops the test round 

and the deformation in the clay backing material is 

within the specified parameters.

NIJ Standard-0101.01, published in 1978, was the 

first version of the standard to incorporate a 44 mm 

(1.73 inch) BFS limit as the minimum performance 

threshold for blunt force injury. It was derived from 

NIJ-funded research conducted by U.S. Army 

researchers in the 1970s that investigated the upper 

tolerable limits of blunt force injury. 

The ballistic limit is the velocity at which there is an 

equal chance of an armor’s stopping a given bullet or 

of being perforated. The test method that is used to 

determine the BL is typically known as the “V50” test 

method. BL test data are used to develop a profile 

of the probability of an armor’s being perforated 

over a range of velocities. Exhibit 8 presents a 

representative BL graph.

BL testing provides an additional level of confidence 

in the performance of the armor. Appendix E of 

the NIJ 0101.06 standard provides a detailed 

explanation of BL data and its meaning.

How NIJ Standard-0101.06 Differs From Previous 

Versions of the Standard. NIJ Standard-0101.06 

incorporates major changes from previous versions 

that are intended to accomplish three major goals:

■ To improve the level of protection afforded by 

body armor.

■ To provide greater confidence in its continuing 

performance while in service.

■ To ensure that the requirements contained in the 

standard are relevant to the needs of officers in 

the field.

Both the threats (i.e., the ammunition used to test 

armor samples) and test methodologies were 

updated. The ammunition selected was identified 
11 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

by the officers who were members of the technical 

committee that assisted in the development of the 

standard, and reflects the changing threats officers 

face. 

The standard increases the number of test samples 

significantly for both P-BFS and BL testing. The 

increase in sample testing improves statistical 

confidence in the test results. 

In part, this increase in test samples results from 

a second round of P-BFS and BL testing, wherein 

additional armor samples are tested after they are 

first subjected to controlled levels of heat, moisture 

and mechanical wear for a specified number of days. 

This is intended to provide some indication of the 

armor’s ability to maintain ballistic performance in 

the field. This protocol will not predict the service life 

of the vest nor does it simulate an exact period of 

time in the field.

BL testing now incorporates a pass/fail criterion. 

Previous versions of the standard did not. The 

number of shots taken to generate the BL curve 

have been increased. This results in a more refined 

BL profile that is used to calculate a probability of 

perforation at the relevant test velocity. The armor 

passes if the probability of perforation is less than 

5% at that velocity.

For P-BFS testing, the standard changed the 

shot pattern for some test samples. This includes 

decreasing the distance from the edge of a sample 

to the point where a bullet strike can be considered 

a fair hit for testing purposes. Prior versions of 

the standard set 3 inches (76mm) as the minimum 

distance from the edge for all test samples. NIJ 

Standard-0101.06 has decreased that to 2 inches 

(51mm) for armor panels designed to defeat rifle 

threats and some, but not all, handgun threats. 

For the affected armors, this change effectively 

increases the area over which a body armor model is 

expected to protect its wearer. The new shot pattern 

also includes a requirement for more closely spaced 

shot grouping to ensure that the armor continues to 

perform as intended in the event of multiple rounds 

striking the armor. 

A fair hit indicates that the shot hit the intended 

area of the armor and the velocity of the bullet was 

within the specified limits for that threat. The angle at 

which the bullet strikes the armor is also important. 

It is checked to ensure that the bullet did not skew 

during flight. To be considered a fair hit, the angle 

of incidence at which the bullet strikes the sample 

cannot be greater than ± 5° from the intended angle 

of incidence.

Threats. The degree to which a firearm poses a 

threat depends in large measure on the nature of 

the ammunition it fires. The performance of a given 

round depends on the velocity of the bullet and on 

the bullet’s design characteristics. These include the 

size and weight of the bullet. It is typically measured 

in millimeters (mm) or caliber (cal). The weight of a 

bullet is usually measured in grains (gr) or grams (g).

EXHIBIT 8: REPRESENTATIVE BALLISTIC LIMIT GRAPH
12 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Even bullets of the same caliber and weight can 

vary in how they penetrate a given body armor 

because of differences in their other design 

characteristics, such as the materials from which 

they are constructed. Bullets are usually constructed 

from lead, copper, brass, steel, tungsten or alloys 

of these materials. The harder and denser a bullet 

is, the less deformation is likely when striking a soft 

armor panel, but it would be more likely to break 

up on impact when striking a hard armor plate that 

incorporates ceramic, ceramic composite or metallic 

elements. 

The tip of the bullet may be round nose (RN), have 

a hollow point (HP) or be pointed. RN bullets tend 

to expand on impact. HP bullets also expand to a 

greater extent and “mushroom” on impact. Rifle 

caliber bullets with pointed tips tend to punch 

through soft armor panels. Hard armor plates are 

required to defeat them.

Bullets may be unjacketed, have a full metal jacket 

(FMJ) or be semi-jacketed (SMJ). Jacketing usually 

involves wrapping a harder metal shell, such as 

copper, around a softer metal core, such as lead, 

allowing the bullet to be launched at a faster velocity. 

0101.04 0101.06 0101.04 0101.06 0101.04 0101.06

0101.06

(Conditioned)

Armor Type Test Bullet Test Bullet

Bullet Weight

(grains)

Bullet Weight

(grains)

Reference 

Velocity

(ft/s)

Reference 

Velocity

(ft/s)

Reference 

Velocity

(ft/s)

I .22 caliber LR 

LRN N/A 30 N/A 1080 N/A N/A

.380 ACP FMJ 

RN N/A 95 N/A 1055 N/A N/A

IIA 9 mm

FMJ RN

9 mm

FMJ RN 124 124 1120 1225 1165

40 S&W

FMJ

40 S&W

FMJ 180 180 1055 1155 1065

II 9mm

FMJ RN

9mm

FMJ RN 124 124 1205 1305 1245

.357 Mag

JSP

.357 Mag

JSP 158 158 1430 – 1340

IIIA 9 mm

FMJ RN

.357 SIG 

FMJ FN 127 125 1430 1470 1410

.44 Mag

JHP .44 Mag SJHP 240 240 1430 1430 1340

III 7.62 mm NATO 

FMJ (M80)

7.62mm NATO 

FMJ (M80) 148 147 2780 – 2780

IV .30 Caliber 

M2 AP

.30 Caliber M2 

AP 166 166 2880 – 2880

Acronyms / Abbreviations

AP Armor Piercing LR Long Rifle

FMJ Full Metal Jacket LRN Lead Round Nose

FN Flat Nose NATO North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization

JHP Jacketed Hollow Point RN Round Nose

JSP Jacketed Soft Point SIG Sig Sauer

EXHIBIT 9: ARMOR LEVEL AND THREAT COMPARISON
13 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

It also inhibits deformation of the bullet on impact. 

A lead, round nose, semi-jacketed bullet is referred 

to as a jacketed soft-point (JSP) bullet. Modern 

bullets that are designed to pierce armor (AP) are 

usually jacketed and have dense, tough metal cores, 

typically constructed from tungsten or a hardened 

steel. Whether a bullet’s core is bonded to its shell 

also matters. Bonding prevents – or at least retards – 

core and jacket separation. 

NIJ Standard-0101.06 specifies five levels of ballistic 

performance for body armor. The first three levels 

– IIA, II and IIIA – are typically soft armors. The two 

remaining levels, III and IV, are typically hard armor 

designed to protect officers against rifle threats. The 

standard threat bullets associated with these five 

levels are listed below: 

■ Type IIA. 9mm FMJ RN; .40 Smith and Wesson 

(S&W) FMJ.

■ Type II. 9mm FMJ RN; .357Magnum JSP.

■ Type IIIA. .357 SIGFMJ FN; .44 Magnum SJHP.

■ Type III. 7.62mm FMJ (M80) (Rifle).

■ Type IV. .30 Cal AP (M2 AP) (Rifle).

The superseded NIJ Standard-0101.04 included 

a sixth protection level, Type I. The threats 

associated with that level were .22 Cal LR (Long 

Rifle) and .380 Cal ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). The 

addition of the .357 SIG and the elimination of the 

.380 ACP reflect changes in the handguns used 

by law enforcement officers between when NIJ 

Standard-0101.04 and NIJ Standard-0101.06 were 

published. Exhibit 9 compares the five levels and 

the threats against which they are tested between 

NIJ Standard-0101.04 and NIJ Standard-0101.06. 

In most instances, the reference velocities at which 

they are tested in NIJ Standard-0101.06 exceed 

those specified in NIJ Standard-0101.04 for the 

same round for testing conditioned (as well as 

nonconditioned or new) armor. 

Testing, or reference, velocities in NIJ 

Standard-0101.06, both for conditioned and 

unconditioned armor, are both greater than what 

is expected on the street. Armor is tested at 

these higher velocities to account for variations in 

bore type, barrel length, propellant loads, bullet 

construction and other variables seen in commercial 

firearms and ammunition. Testing at higher velocities 

is also meant to instill greater confidence levels in 

the ability of the armor to continue performing while 

in service. The standard allows a tolerance of plus or 

minus 9.1 meters/second (30 feet/second) from the 

reference velocity during ballistic testing.

The threats used in NIJ Standard-0101.06 (see 

Exhibit 10) are not all inclusive. The standard enables 

agencies to further test the performance of a body 

armor model against additional nonstandard threats. 

The same test protocols are used, only the threat 

is changed. Appendix B of the standard provides a 

table with some of the more common nonstandard 

threats such as the .45 ACP with recommended 

reference velocities for testing. 

Number of Samples. The number of test samples 

varies. For soft armor panels, NIJ Standard-0101.06 

requires 28 samples, 14 for each threat. Six of these 

samples will represent the smallest size the supplier 

proposes to produce and 22, the largest. Exhibit 11 

shows how those test samples will be apportioned 

between P-BFS and BL testing, and how many will 

be tested after being subjected to environmental 

conditioning. Two of the larger test samples are kept 

as spares.

EXHIBIT 10: THREAT ROUNDS IN NIJ 0101.06
14 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

For hard armor plates intended to provide Type III 

protection, nine test samples are required, four each 

for P-BFS testing and BL testing, with one spare 

sample.

The number of test samples of hard armor plates 

intended to provide Type IV protection depends on 

the construction of the panel. The supplier must 

provide sufficient test samples to allow a 24-shot 

P-BFS test and a 12-shot BL test, with at least 

one spare. For plates capable of withstanding only 

a single ballistic impact, the supplier provides 37 

samples. Armors designed to stop an AP bullet tend 

to incorporate very hard materials that can be brittle 

and shatter after the first hit. For plates capable of 

withstanding multiple impacts, the supplier is asked 

to specify the number of shots to be fired at each 

panel. The number of test samples may be reduced 

accordingly, but must include one spare.

Sample Size. The standard requires that a supplier 

submit test samples that represent the smallest and 

largest sizes of the armor that will to be produced. 

To provide for uniformity in testing, the standard 

provides five template sizes for soft armor panel 

samples (C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5). These templates 

are designed to represent 95% of officers, although 

they are not indicative of service armor design and 

are required for testing purposes only. Appendix C 

provides more information on these five templates. 

The specified size templates are for testing purposes 

only and do not represent the actual shapes and 

sizes of production armor models. The templates 

that are used for testing are dependent on the 

range of sizes over which the armor model will be 

 A Armor 

Template Size

Number 

Required

Armor Condition Ballistic Tests

New Conditioned P-BFS BL Spare

Larger

11 8 New 2 5 1

3 Cond. 1 1 1

Smaller

3 2 New 2

1 Cond. 1

Total 14 10 4 6 6 2

EXHIBIT 11: ARMOR SAMPLES REQUIRED FOR EACH THREAT TEST 

commercially produced. For a compliant model, the 

minimum and maximum allowable sizes that can be 

produced are defined in NIJ Standard-0101.06.

Hard armor plates may be no larger than 254 mm x 

305 mm (10.0 inches x 12.0 inches).

Test Configuration. Test samples include the armor 

panel and a carrier. For purposes of consistency, 

removable armor panels are tested with generic 

lightweight cotton or poly-cotton carriers to ensure 

the performance of the armor is not enhanced by 

carriers that may not always be used. The test is 

designed to assess the performance of the armor 

panel in its minimum protective configuration. 

For the same reasons, test carriers do not generally 

have strapping, strapping attachment points, 

pockets for accessory ballistic panels or trauma 

packs/plates, or any accessory mounting points. 

There are three exceptions to this rule. 

1. IC armor carriers will have the pockets necessary 

to mount the hard armor plates with which they 

will be tested.

2. Some armors require their own strapping for 

mounting and support during the tests.

3. An armor model may be tested in a carrier that is 

intended to provide additional ballistic protection. 

The carrier is then considered a component of the 

armor system.

Environmental Conditioning. Carriers for test 

samples that will undergo the conditioning protocol 

will not have strapping, strapping attachment points 
15 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

or any accessory mounting points. Separate specific 

carriers are provided by the applicant for use in 

the conditioning protocol. Additional carriers with 

strapping are supplied for the ballistic testing of 

armor samples, as these require their own strapping 

for mounting and support during testing. 

Test samples of soft armor panels are first stored at 

a temperature of 25°C (77° F) with a relative humidity 

of 20% to 50% for at least 24 hours prior to starting 

the armor conditioning protocol. This is done to 

bring all test samples to the same starting point 

prior to conditioning. They are then tumbled at 65°C 

(149°F) at 80% relative humidity for 10 days prior 

to testing. The conditioning chamber resembles a 

clothes dryer, as Exhibit 12 illustrates.

Hard armor test samples are stored at a temperature 

of 25°C (77° F) and relative humidity of 20% to 50% 

for at least 24 hours prior to starting the conditioning 

protocol. Then, as with soft armor panel test 

samples, they are stored at 65°C (149°F) at 80% 

relative humidity for 10 days. They then undergo a 

24-hour conditioning protocol during which they are 

subjected to temperatures varying between -15°C 

(5°F) and 90°C (194°F).

Finally, they are subjected to a drop test designed 

to ensure that the plate can withstand low-level 

impacts. Some armor plates are by their very nature 

brittle and susceptible to fracture if dropped or 

mistreated. 

Ballistic Testing Requirements

Before testing, armor samples — including the 

carrier, cover and ballistic panel — are inspected 

for consistency of manufacture and various defects. 

In addition, after every test, each sample’s ballistic 

components are inspected immediately to verify 

their construction details (layers, weave, stitching, 

material, etc.).

Perforation and Backface Signature Testing 

Requirements. Except for some accessory ballistic 

EXHIBIT 12: CONDITIONING CHAMBER

panels and panels intended to provide level IV 

protection, each sample will be shot six times with 

the first three being near the edges and the second 

three close together, unless the armor does not have 

uniform thickness. In that case, the latter three shots 

will be aimed at the weakest spots in the armor (see 

Exhibit 13). 

Before the start of the ballistic portion of the test, 

soft armor panels that have not been conditioned 

are submerged in a water bath to check the integrity 

of the ballistic panel covers. This is done because 

ballistic performance may be degraded if the panel is 

exposed to moisture. 

Removable inserts such as trauma packs and plates 

or armor plates are not included as part of the 

armor sample used for P-BFS testing of soft armor 

panels. For armor models containing integral inserts, 

manufacturers must submit a detailed diagram of 

the location of each insert. During the P-BFS test, 

the shot locations will be adjusted so that areas 

other than those containing these inserts are tested 

to ensure that the whole armor offers suitable 

protection in all areas, not just those reinforced by 

inserts.

For IC armor, the specified soft armor panel is first 

tested in accordance with NIJ Standard-0101.06 

and found compliant as a stand-alone armor at its 

specified threat level. The soft armor panel and hard 

armor plate are then tested together as a system. 
16 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

No armor test sample — conditioned or 

unconditioned — can be perforated by a fair hit 

during testing. 

Testing must provide a high degree of confidence 

that the armor will protect its wearer from potentially 

lethal blunt force injury. Testing of unconditioned 

test samples must provide at least 95% confidence 

that the depth of the indentations in the clay backing 

from fair hits that do not perforate the armor will 

be no more than 44 mm (1.73 inches). In no case 

may the depth of deformation exceed 50 mm (1.97 

inches).

Although BFS measurements are taken for 

conditioned armors, there is no pass/fail criterion 

associated with these values. The only requirement 

for a conditioned armor sample is that it cannot be 

perforated. 

Ballistic Limit Determination. For the armor 

to meet the requirements of the standard, 

no perforations can occur at or below the 

corresponding maximum P-BFS reference velocity. 

If there is no perforation, the BL test data must 

demonstrate that the probability of a perforation 

is less than 5% for new, unconditioned armors at 

the acceptable reference velocity. BL testing is 

performed on the largest size armor template panel 

that the applicant selects to submit. Research has 

shown that the size of the armor has only a small 

impact on the penetrability of the armor and that the 

larger armors tend to be slightly easier to perforate. 

Therefore, the larger armors are expected to perform 

slightly worse than the smaller armors. 

As with P-BFS testing, removable inserts are not 

included as part of the armor sample used for BL 

determination. During the BL testing, shot locations 

EXHIBIT 13: SHOT PATTERN

Acceptable zone for shots #1, 

#2 and #3 (minimum shot-to-edge 

distance to minimum shot-to-edge 

distance + 19 mm from edge of 

panel)

Circle defining the maximum 

spread of shots #4, #5 and #6 

(100 mm [3.94 in] diameter)

Indicates zone where no 

additional shots shall be taken

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6
17 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

will be adjusted so that areas other than those with 

integral inserts are tested.

NIJ Compliance Testing 

Program 

There are four elements to the NIJ CTP. These are:

■ Type testing. This is the initial testing of an 

armor model by an accredited, NIJ-approved test 

laboratory in accordance with the requirements 

of either NIJ Standard-0101.06 or NIJ 

Standard-0115.00.

■ Compliance decision. Determination by NIJ 

that a body armor model meets the requirements 

of the NIJ CTP based on test data and other 

requirements.

■ Attestation of conformity. Listing of the armor 

on the NIJ CTP.

■ Follow-up conformity assessment inspection 

and testing (FIT). Periodic testing of samples of 

listed armor models taken from the production 

line.

The process of listing a body armor model on the 

NIJ CTP begins with the supplier’s submitting an 

application package for that armor. That package 

includes its agreement to measures intended to 

strengthen confidence in the armors listed on 

the CPL. A copy of the Body Armor Compliance 

Testing Program Body Armor Application Package is 

provided in Appendix D.

There are three confidence-building measures of 

particular note:

■ Applicants must establish a warranty period for 

the ballistic performance of listed models.

■ Applicants must also agree to follow-up 

inspection and testing of listed models.

■ Finally, applicants must agree to a specific way of 

labeling listed models.

On review of the application, the NIJ CTP assigns 

a test identification number. The applicant then 

submits armor for testing to an approved test 

laboratory. NIJ CTP laboratories are accredited 

through the National Voluntary Laboratory 

Accreditation Program (NVLAP). A list of NIJapproved laboratories can be found at https://www.

justnet.org/body_armor/ballistic_lab.html.

The test laboratory provides the test data to the NIJ 

CTP along with the test samples. NIJ evaluates the 

test data and examines the test samples to ensure 

that they meet the design specifications provided 

by the applicant. If a determination is made to list a 

model, NIJ issues a Compliance Statement Letter to 

that effect to the successful applicant. Both the test 

sample and the design specifications are retained by 

the NIJ CTP.

FIT is conducted for NIJ by independent inspectors. 

Its purpose is to ensure that recently produced 

examples of listed armors continue to meet the 

requirements of NIJ Standard-0101.06. FIT involves 

ballistic testing of production samples of the listed 

armor model as well as a physical examination to 

ensure that there are no significant deviations in its 

construction from the original design specifications. 

Through June 2014, inspectors had completed 

180 inspections of locations in 10 countries, and 

FIT testing of 444 different body armor models 

had taken place. At present, stab-resistant armors 

are not included in the FIT process; the upcoming 

revision of the stab-resistant armor standard will 

address FIT testing of those armors. 

Each CPL listing includes:

■ Listed Company. The Listed Company is the 

name that appears above the table and is also 

found on the label of the ballistic panels. It is the 

entity listed on the CPL associated with specific 

listed body armor models. The Listed Company 

is just a brand name on the label and could 

be completely independent of the Applicant/

Manufacturer except through an agreement to 

brand label armors. 
18 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

■ Contact Information. The information shown 

below the Listed Company name is provided 

by the company. It generally refers to the 

headquarters or sales office. The address is not 

necessarily the location of manufacture of the 

armor. 

■ Threat Level. Prior to testing, applicants specify 

the threat level for which the armor is designed. 

All models listed on the CPL are tested to one or 

more of the five defined threat types.

■ Model Designation. The Model Designation is 

the name or alphanumeric code that an Applicant 

uses to uniquely identify a particular model. 

An Applicant may sometimes also use more 

recognizable product or marketing names to sell 

the armor after testing. The label should also state 

the NIJ Model Designation so that a user can 

reference back to the CPL. Ensuring the correct 

model designation is especially important when 

purchasing IC armors.

■ Gender. The standard does not specifically 

address male, female or gender-neutral armor. 

Instead, the standard addresses flat vs. 

curved panels. Male armor panels are typically 

considered to be flat and female armors are 

typically considered to be curved due to shaping 

to conform to the female physique. Genderneutral armor panels are typically tested as 

flat armor. All hard armor plates are typically 

considered to be gender neutral. 

■ Opening. Armors that are designed to be front 

opening, with an overlap in the center of the 

chest area of the armor (as opposed to the 

more common style two-piece armors that are 

designed to overlap at the sides only) must be 

tested separately to ensure this area fully meets 

the requirements of the standard. 

■ Size Range. The sizes of the armor samples 

will depend on the range of the sizes over 

which the armor model will be produced. Sizes 

are determined by the total surface area of the 

panel. After testing, the minimum and maximum 

allowable sizes that can be produced are defined 

in NIJ Standard-0101.06, Appendix C, Tables 

13 and 14. For example, a model that is tested 

through the NIJ CTP using C-2 as the smaller 

template size and C-4 as the larger one must not 

produce an armor below 152 square inches (Table 

13) or greater than 381 square inches (Table 14). 

Armor tested as C-1 and C-5 is not bounded on 

either end by a production size limit.

■ Warranty. As specified by the manufacturer, 

this is a period of time the NIJ CTP requires 

a manufacturer to self-declare for the ballistic 

performance of its armor, which is specified on 

the armor label. As a minimum, the NIJ CTP 

requires the warranty period stated on the label 

to represent the length of the manufacturer’s 

warranty period for ballistic performance of the 

model for the originally declared threat level. The 

warranty should also include workmanship and 

nonballistic materials. The warranty is declared 

and determined by the Body Armor Manufacturer 

(not by the Listed Company) as described above.

■ CPL Comment. In certain situations, the NIJ 

CTP may need to provide additional information 

regarding a model’s status, such as “Active, 

Inactive, Withdrawn, Suspended, Under Review 

or Pending.” 

The NIJ CTP publishes notices regarding any 

potential or confirmed issues regarding the 

performance of models listed on the CPL. These 

include safety notices and notification of the removal 

of an armor model from the CPL.

Suppliers must label units of compliant models per 

specific NIJ CTP requirements. Stand-alone soft 

armor panels and stand-alone hard armor plates will 

have the NIJ Compliance Statement. Hard armor 

plates intended to be part of an IC armor system will 

include a warning label stating that the plate does 
19 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

not provide protection unless used as part of the IC 

armor system. As an example, an IC label statement 

may say, “This hard armor panel only provides level 

III protection when used with IC body armor model 

XYZ123.” Chapter 7 contains more information 

about body armor labels and the information they 

are required to contain.

Suppliers, officers, testing laboratories and other 

stakeholders may raise questions, issues or 

concerns regarding the testing process. When 

warranted, the NIJ CTP issues administrative 

clarifications informing stakeholders of any changes 

to the requirements of the program or the standard. 

NIJ will consider these clarifications for inclusion 

in future revisions of the standard. Administrative 

clarifications are posted on: https://www.justnet.org/

body_armor/CTPAdminClarifications.html

21 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 4.

Selection Considerations

There are a number of different considerations that 

come into play in deciding which model of body 

armor best fits an agency’s or an officer’s needs. 

The anticipated threats that officers are expected to 

face, their body shapes and their (or their agency’s) 

preferences with regard to specific design features 

of a body armor are all considerations that should 

be taken into account. So are the services that a 

supplier offers as well as cost and the availability of 

grant funds to offset agency costs. 

Selecting the Appropriate 

Level of Protection

The threats that the officer is most likely to face 

are the most important consideration in selecting 

body armor. No body armor will stop every threat. 

Protection of 100% in all circumstances is not 

possible. 

Body armor selection is to some extent a tradeoff 

between ballistic protection and wearability. The 

weight and bulk of body armor are generally 

proportional to the level of ballistic protection it 

provides; therefore, comfort generally decreases 

as the protection level increases. All agencies 

should strive to select body armor that their 

officers will wear and that is consistent with their 

ballistic protection requirements. Agencies should 

ensure that each officer knows and understands 

the protection that the armor affords as well as its 

limitations. 

NIJ urges proper attention to those factors that 

affect the wearability of armor in order to encourage 

routine, full-time use by all on-duty officers. The 

temptation to order armor that provides more 

protection than realistically needed should be 

resisted, because doing so may increase the 

likelihood that the armor will not be worn routinely.

Law Enforcement Officers. The operational 

scenario will dictate the threat(s) that an officer is 

most likely to encounter. For armor intended for 

everyday wear, agencies should, at a minimum, 

consider purchasing soft body armor that will protect 

their officers from assaults with their own handguns 

should they be taken from them during a struggle; 

Level IIA, II or IIIA as appropriate.

Hard armor – level III or IV – is more suitable 

for officers who are anticipated to operate in a 

heightened threat environment. It should be kept 

in mind that hard armor is typically not easily 

concealable. It therefore may not be suitable for all 

heightened threat scenarios. 

Correctional Officers. Typically, for correctional 

officers wearing armor inside the secure perimeter 

of a correctional facility, the primary expected 

threat comes from improvised edged and stabbing 

weapons, making stab resistance a higher priority 

than ballistic resistance. For an officer wearing 

armor outside the correctional facility perimeter, the 

higher threat potential may come from firearms, and 

ballistic resistance may become the higher priority.

Combination armor is another option to consider. 

Such ballistic/stab-resistant armor must be tested 

under both NIJ standards 0101.06 and 0115.00 to 

be considered dual purpose. Keep in mind that by 

opting for dual-purpose protection, the combination 

armor will, with currently available materials, tend to 

be heavier and bulkier than a soft armor offering only 

ballistic or stab protection.
22 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Note that ballistic-resistant armor is not necessarily 

stab-resistant and vice versa. Ballistic-resistant armor is 

not intended to protect the wearer from sharp-edged or 

pointed instruments.

Male, Female or Gender 

Neutral?

The body shape of the wearer, regardless of gender, 

must be considered when selecting armors. There 

are three types of body armor models: male, female 

and gender-neutral. They are available in multiple 

sizes. There is no obvious difference in form between 

male and gender-neutral armors. Hard armors are 

typically gender neutral in design. Female soft body 

armors differ in that they can incorporate curved 

ballistic panels to accommodate the female bust. 

Male or gender-neutral models may be suitable for 

female officers with smaller busts. Depending on 

design and materials, they may not be suitable for 

those with larger busts because their busts tend to 

push the front armor panel forward, enlarging the 

underarm gap and therefore lessening the ballistic 

protection between the front and rear panels. 

Other Design Features 

Officers or agencies may have preferences regarding 

design features offered with a body armor model. 

These include:

■ Weight. Heavier body armor will increase the 

amount of fatigue an officer experiences during 

his/her shift.

■ Thickness. Thickness is closely tied to the weight 

of a body armor. Thicker armors may trap more 

heat against the body and may be stiffer. 

■ Covert carrier vs. overt carrier. Some agencies 

prefer body armor to be worn under the duty 

uniform; others, over their duty uniform. The 

choice is a matter of agency policy. 

■ Fastener type. Determine whether zipper or 

hook and loop closures are preferred. There is 

no performance difference; however, operating 

environment (dust/sand can impact hook and 

loop), personal preference, ease of fastening and 

noise may all be considerations. 

■ Other features. Pockets, cargo loops, etc., that may 

assist an officer in the execution of his/her duties.

Supplier Services

Differences in the services that suppliers offer 

to support a particular model should also be 

considered. These may include fitting and 

measurement, training, adjustments, repairs and 

warranties. Warranties for ballistic performance and 

workmanship are required of armor models listed on 

the NIJ Compliant Products List (CPL) for ballisticresistant body armor. Some body armor suppliers 

offer a “take-back” disposal option for used body 

armor that may involve a nominal fee.

If the body armor is listed on the current NIJ CPL, the 

manufacturer is required to offer and specify the warranty 

for ballistic performance.

Availability of Grant Funds

Agencies can apply for federal grant funds to 

purchase ballistic- and stab-resistant body armor 

through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant 

and Justice Assistance Grant programs, which are 

administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s 

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Since 1999, 

the BVP program has reimbursed more than 13,000 

jurisdictions a total of $277 million in federal funds 

for the purchase of more than one million vests 

(1,084,081 as of Oct. 17, 2012). Both programs 

require that armor purchased with grant funds be 

on the most current NIJ CPL. FEMA-related grant 

programs require that ballistic-resistant armor 

purchased with grant funds meet the requirements of 

NIJ Standard-0101.06.
23 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 5.

Measurement, Fit and 

Coverage

Importance of Proper 

Measurement and Fit 

The goal for any ballistic-resistant armor is to 

maximize ballistic protection while minimizing its 

impact on an officer’s ability to perform normal duties. 

As with other protective equipment, body armor can 

afford an officer only a certain level of protection 

before it impairs mobility and physical performance. 

The selection process should try to achieve a balance 

that will maximize the armor’s ballistic protection 

and coverage while minimizing its impact on duty 

performance. Proper measurement and fit are also 

keys to ensuring a reasonable degree of comfort.

Proper Fit and Coverage 

Ballistic-resistant armors (when worn) are key life-saving 

equipment. With proper fit, an armor should ensure 

maximum coverage without hindering an officer’s mobility 

or ability to perform required job functions. Although 

comfort is a subjective term, increased comfort through 

proper fit is an important objective. NIJ-funded research 

suggests that armors that have been fitted by the 

manufacturer, working with agency representatives, are 

the ones that officers find most comfortable.

Measurement Guidelines

Having body armor that fits well and is comfortable 

begins with obtaining appropriate and accurate 

measurements. Some, but not all, armor suppliers 

have trained representatives who conduct proper 

measurement and fitting. Officers can benefit from 

understanding measurement and fitting techniques 

as well as the area of coverage the body armor 

should provide.

At NIJ’s request, an ASTM International committee 

that included law enforcement and correctional 

officers, developed and published ASTM E2902-

12, Standard Practice for Measurement of Body 

Armor Wearers. The purpose of this document 

is to increase consistency in how measurements 

are made by specifying the process for measuring 

officers being fitted for new armor. 

NIJ has a contract with ASTM to provide access 

to LE-specific standards at no cost to any verified 

public safety agency. For further details about 

access to this service, please send an email to 

asknlectc@justnet.org from a valid email address 

demonstrating that you are a current/active member 

of a federal, state or local law enforcement, 

corrections or forensics agency. Personal email 

addresses (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not 

allowed. Once your agency email address has 

been confirmed, you will be given login credentials 

that will give you access to the ASTM site. This 

agreement will be good for one year, and can be 

renewed annually using your official agency email 

address.

Fit and Coverage

Soft armor (daily wear). The following guidelines 

have been developed to help agencies determine 

if a soft armor fits appropriately and provides 

appropriate coverage. These guidelines apply both 

to armors worn over and under the duty uniform 

(additional guidance on the fit of tactical armor 

is addressed later in this chapter) For a pictorial 

representation of proper fit, see Exhibits 14a and 

14b; for a graphic breakdown, see Exhibit 15.
24 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

■ Prior to donning the armor, open the carrier and 

examine the label on each ballistic panel. Verify 

the label faces the correct direction. The label may 

say “Wear face,” “Strike face,” “This side toward 

body” or something similar. Many body armors are 

designed to work in one direction only; inserting 

the panels in the incorrect direction can result in 

the armor’s failing to perform as intended. The 

materials used may differ from strike face to body 

side and have different effects on the bullet or knife 

and may not work if the armor is worn backwards.

■ Place the panels into the carrier and don the 

armor such that the front panel is over the front 

of the body and the back panel is over the back. 

The front panel can generally be identified by its 

having a scoop at the neckline. 

■ After the armor is donned, do not over tighten 

the straps. It is human nature to cinch the straps 

down as tightly as possible, and this is a common 

mistake. The armor should fit snugly, but not 

so tightly that it may affect breathing (including 

deep breathing, such as may occur during a foot 

chase). The armor should slide slightly on the 

body as the torso is rotated back and forth. If the 

armor moves with the body, it is probably too 

tight.

■ To ensure appropriate side coverage for both 

over-the-uniform and under-the-uniform armors, 

the sides of the torso armor should always 

overlap by approximately two inches front to back 

(i.e., the front panel should lie on top of the back 

panel). This may prevent a bullet from a frontal 

shot from entering between the panels, traveling 

inside the back panel and entering your body. 

This provides additional protection against nearedge shots and also allows for expansion if an 

officer gains weight over time without creating a 

dangerous gap. 

■ Ballistic coverage under the arms should be as 

high as possible without compromising the ability 

to obtain a shooting position. Over-the-uniform 

armor may afford slightly greater protection in this 

area. 

■ The length of the panels relative to the body 

is very important. For concealable (under-theuniform) soft armor, the front panel should 

extend from just below the jugular notch to two 

to three finger-widths above the top of the belt 

when standing. For over-the-uniform armor, the 

armor can be slightly longer without impeding 

movement or comfort. This gap may vary 

slightly from person to person but is normal and 

necessary, and prevents the panel from being 

pushed up into the throat when the officer is 

seated. Proper fit can be confirmed by sitting 

down with the armor on. When seated, the front 

panel should ride just on top of the belt but 

should not shift up into the throat. If it does, 

contact the supplier for a fit adjustment. The rear 

panel should extend from approximately two 

inches below the collar to approximately one inch 

above the belt.

EXHIBIT 14A: SOFT BODY ARMOR FIT AT NECK

EXHIBIT 14B: SOFT BODY ARMOR FIT AT 

DUTY BELT
25 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

EXHIBIT 16: TACTICAL ARMOR FIT AT DUTY 

BELT

At the time of purchase, check to confirm that the armor 

panel (not just the carrier) has at least the minimum 

2-inch overlap as recommended.

Additional Fit and Coverage Guidance for Tactical 

Armors. Because tactical armors are worn externally 

(outside/over the uniform), fit is slightly more 

forgiving and coverage should be greater than that of 

a soft armor worn for general duty. This, along with 

the fact that tactical armors are not typically worn 

for extended duty periods, but rather in response to 

heightened threats, allows for slightly more coverage 

than over-/under-the-uniform duty armor.

Specifically, tactical body armor is longer and 

should end roughly at the top of the duty belt when 

standing. See Exhibit 16. It should not, however, 

overly restrict access to items on the duty belt and 

should never prevent drawing of a weapon. Tactical 

armors may have additional integral coverage 

extending over the shoulders. Although this provides 

additional coverage and ballistic protection, officers 

should trial the armor prior to use to ensure that it 

does not inhibit necessary movements or range of 

motion, such as shouldering a weapon or restraining 

a suspect. Tactical armors may also have available 

accessory ballistic panels (i.e., extremity protection). 

Such accessories should be tried on immediately on 

receipt to ensure compatibility. 

EXHIBIT 15: SOFT BODY ARMOR FIT

The neck opening should be 

selected to maximize coverage 

without sacrificing comfort.

The armholes should maximize 

coverage without adversely 

impacting the officer’s preferred 

shooting stance.

The armor should extend from 

just below the jugular notch to 

2-3 finger-widths above the top 

of the officer’s duty belt when 

standing.

The shoulder straps should be 

wide enough for comfort and to 

distribute the weight of the armor. 

The protection level should be based on 

a risk assessment and offer protection 

against the common threats encountered 

by the officer.

The armor should allow for 

adjustment, while retaining an 

overlap and protection of the sides.

Sufficient overlap should exist when 

the armor is issued to ensure at least 

2 inches of overlap at the side, front 

and rear throughout the service life of 

the body armor.

Some armors incorporate tails that 

can be tucked in to aid concealment 

and help to prevent the armor from 

riding up.
26 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Hard armor plates are available in multiple sizes. 

The most common sizes are 10-inch x 12-inch and 

8-inch x 10-inch. In addition to various available 

sizes, hard armor is also available in various 

curvatures and various shapes. The front and rear 

plates should be positioned to provide additional 

protection to the aortic region. However, the 

coverage will not be as extensive as that of the 

underlying soft armor panel. Some hard armor plates 

are curved in only one direction while others are 

curved in multiple directions, and the curvature may 

directly relate to the plate’s ballistic performance. 

Some plates have rectangular perimeters whereas 

others are angled at the shoulders to facilitate arm 

movement (e.g., to allow taking a shooting stance). 

These shapes can vary from model to model. The 

purchasing agency or officer should take mobility 

and coverage into consideration when evaluating 

hard armor to purchase. 
27 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 6.

Purchasing and Procurement

Considerations

General Guidelines

Generally, armor purchases fall into one of four 

categories:

■ Individual purchases from a distributor or retail 

outlet.

■ Small-quantity departmental purchases.

■ Large-quantity departmental purchases (e.g., 

several hundred units or more).

■ As-needed purchases procured through an openended agreement (also called a term contract).

Purchases made through a competitive process 

involving several bids from different suppliers with 

armor models meeting an agency’s requirements will 

tend to provide the best value. This is particularly the 

case in large-quantity purchases. 

Obtaining objective information on body armor 

performance on which to base purchasing decisions 

can be challenging. Suppliers will naturally tend to 

present their models in the best possible light, which 

makes comparison between competing models 

difficult. The NIJ CPL provides a ready solution to 

this problem. It identifies armors that agencies can 

be confident will provide the appropriate level of 

protection, allowing comparison based on cost and 

other less critical considerations. 

Procurement documents for equipment should 

always ensure that the purchase specifications are 

clear and not ambiguous in any way. At the same 

time, over-specification should be avoided; for 

example, identifying a specific product instead of 

a level of protection. That may tend to eliminate 

competition and drive cost up.

Rather, agencies should consider requesting bids 

for armor models listed on the NIJ CPL. A typical 

purchase specification might include the following 

wording to ensure that bids involve only such 

armors:

“The body armor model shall be listed on the 

NIJ Standard-0101.06 Compliant Products 

List. It shall be of Type (specify appropriate 

threat level and test ammunitions) as defined 

in NIJ Standard-0101.06 and shall afford full 

protection to the torso front, torso back and 

sides.”

Agencies should specify in their purchase 

agreements any additional features they have 

determined to be required. If soliciting bids for 

body armor with special ballistic protection that 

would require additional testing, specify the exact 

test rounds to be used, listing such ballistic threat 

characteristics as caliber (bullet size), construction 

(bonded, nonbonded), composition (lead, copper, 

brass, steel, tungsten), type (round nose, pointed, 

hollow-point, jacket hollow-point, full metal jacket, 

armor piercing), weight and impact velocity. State 

that NIJ Standard-0101.06 will govern in other 

respects if the standard is being used. When 

additional testing is needed, allow time for this 

testing to be performed and use an independent 

NIJ-approved test laboratory.

Rather than lowest price, agencies should consider 

best value purchasing. This will provide the agency 

the ability to buy from the supplier offering the armor 

that best meets its needs.
28 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

When developing a purchase specification, 

avoid two potential pitfalls that may 

complicate the procurement process. 

Pitfall 1

DO: Request bids for armors that comply with the most 

current NIJ standard. For Example: “Body armor models 

must be listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List.”

DO NOT: Describe a particular model in the product 

specification. For example, “Model XYZ produced by the 

ABC Body Armor Company.”

Pitfall 2

DO: Use a best value clause to specify that the contract 

will be awarded to the supplier whose armor best meets 

the agency’s needs and that the officers find to be the 

most comfortable. For example: “The agency shall be 

the sole judge in determining the armor that is most 

advantageous and suitable to its needs.”

DO NOT: Require that the agency accept the lowest bid.

Ensuring Compliance Status

If you plan to purchase NIJ-compliant armor, do 

not accept statements, written in the bid or verbally 

made by a salesperson, that the model shown is 

“just like” or “identical to” a model from the NIJ CPL 

or “meets the NIJ Standard.” Only armor that is 

listed on the current CPL is NIJ compliant. Armor 

that is not listed on the CPL does not qualify 

for BJA funding through either the BVP or JAG 

programs. 

Ensure that the specific designation of the armor model 

chosen is listed on the CPL.

Request a copy of the compliance letter issued by 

the NIJ CTP to the supplier for that model. If the 

supplier or bidder cannot provide this letter, use a 

different supplier and contact the NIJ CTP at (800) 

248-2742 or email bactp@justnet.org. Additionally, 

agencies should also consider requesting from the 

manufacturer their test data and information from the 

NIJ Compliance Test Reports. These reports provide 

information relating to the performance of the armor 

at the time of initial NIJ CTP testing.

In conjunction with (IC) armor is a special category 

of armor that requires clarification. A question 

frequently raised is, “How do you determine if an 

armor model is an IC model?” NIJ requires that IC 

armor plates be labeled as such (see Exhibit 17).

The use of any other stand-alone soft armor panel 

invalidates the compliance status since those 

combinations have never been tested or evaluated by the 

NIJ CTP. 

EXHIBIT 17: IC HARD ARMOR PLATE SAMPLE 

LABEL

(Listed Company’s) Name

(Listed Company’s) Address

Model: ________________________________________

Size: __________________________________________

Serial Number: _________________________________

Lot Number: ___________________________________

Location of Manufacturer: _______________________

Date of Manufacture:____________________________

Date of Issue: __________________________________

Threat Level (NIJ 0101.06): ______________________

Ballistic Performance Warranty Period: ____________

For Warranty Information Contact: ________________

_______________________________________________

This model of armor has been determined to comply with NIJ 

Standard-0101.06 by the NIJ Compliance Testing Program and is 

listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List.

WARNING!

This armor provides the rated protection stated above ONLY when used in 

conjunction with soft armor model XYZ123.

Care Instructions for Ballistic Panel:

(Sample Instructions Shown)

1. Do not wash or dry clean

2. Wipe with a damp cloth

**Wear Face**

This side to be worn against the body.
29 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 7.

Development of Procurement 

Specifications

The following provides general guidelines for 

development of procurement specifications. An 

example procurement specifications section of 

a purchase agreement solicitation is provided in 

Appendix E for further clarification. 

What follows assumes that a specific type of armor 

has been selected from a single supplier. Negotiating 

an open-ended agreement (term contract) for 

multiple models, styles and armor types from a 

single supplier involves a separate set of issues not 

addressed in this guide.

Terms of agreement. Whether an agency purchases 

armor in a single quantity (buying one unit at a time 

or a number of units at one time), through a blanket 

purchase agreement or under a term contract, 

the bidder should know approximately how many 

units will be purchased, including the number and 

basic sizes for officers. Under a blanket purchase 

agreement, an agency can purchase units “as 

needed” during the life of the contract. No matter 

which approach an agency uses, it may want to 

include a clause for ordering additional units, which 

would make future purchases simpler because new 

bids would not be required.

Bidding and award process. The procurement 

specifications should be self-explanatory and broad 

enough to encourage competition and give the 

agency adequate flexibility in purchasing the armor 

considered most appropriate for agency needs. 

Again, the NIJ CPL should be a starting point. In 

their bids, suppliers should identify the specific 

model(s) they propose to provide. Moreover, the 

final purchase agreement must specifically state the 

exact NIJ Compliant model that has been selected, 

as alternative models may not provide the level of 

performance required. 

When purchasing large quantities or considering a 

blanket purchase agreement, agencies may want 

to arrange a pre-bid conference with prospective 

bidders. Bidders and the agency can then review 

the solicitation together as well as the agency’s 

specifications so that all parties clearly understand 

the agency’s needs. Also, a pre-bid conference 

may reveal ambiguous or contradictory terms 

in the solicitation. If the solicitation needs to be 

modified, the agency can issue a modification or an 

addendum. 

Invoicing and delivery. This portion of the bid 

package should propose a detailed delivery 

schedule and should specify departmental invoicing 

and payment requirements and procedures. Invoices 

should, at minimum, include for each armor: CPL 

model designation, serial number, catalog number, 

size and date of manufacture. If possible, always 

document the name of the officer to whom it will be 

issued.

Warranty and insurance. Consider the warranty 

on the body armor system, including terms (e.g., 

length of warranty and what is or is not covered 

by that warranty). All models on the NIJ CPL must 

have warranty for ballistic performance. The supplier 

should provide a warranty explanation specific to the 

carriers as well as the panels. The agency should 

also determine the amount of general and excess 

product liability insurance required based on its 

needs and compare standard limits offered by each 

supplier. Product excess liability insurance can be 

expensive and the agency should consult with legal 

counsel about the benefits of requiring additional 
30 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

liability insurance before specifying insurance 

minimums. 

Armor specifications. This section is the focal 

point of a procurement document. Here, the 

agency specifies the design and/or performance 

requirements expected, as well as agency 

preferences about configuration features. The 

following items should be included:

■ Compliance With NIJ Standard-0101.06.

The specification should require that the 

armor model be listed on the CPL and cite the 

ballistic performance required by specifying 

the appropriate armor type as defined by the 

standard. This information ensures that the armor 

ordered provides a known performance level.

■ Labeling. State that the NIJ CTP requirements 

for production armor panel labels must be met. 

A sample label is included in Exhibit 18. This will 

ensure that the following information is included 

on the label: 

– Supplier or listed company name.

– Model designation as named in the NIJ Notice 

of Compliance.

– Size (if custom fitted, provision must be made 

for the name of the individual for whom it is 

made).

– Serial number.

– Lot number.

– Location of manufacture.

– Date of manufacture.

– Date of issue (to be filled in when issued to the 

end user).

– Declared warranty period for ballistic 

performance of the model.

– Rated level of protection and reference to 

this edition of the standard (e.g., Type II in 

accordance with NIJ Standard-0101.06).

– Proper orientation of the ballistic panel in the 

carrier clearly identified to indicate strike face 

or body side/wear face.

– Recommended care instructions for ballistic 

panel(s) or plate(s).

– For Levels IIA, II and IIIA armor, a warning in 

type at least twice the size of the rest of the 

type on the label, exclusive of the font size 

of the listed company name, stating that the 

armor is not intended to protect the wearer 

from rifle fire and, if applicable, that the 

armor is not intended to protect the wearer 

from sharp-edged or pointed instruments. 

(Note: Printing color changes are acceptable 

but cannot be substituted for the type size 

requirement).

EXHIBIT 18: ARMOR PANEL LABEL

(Listed Company’s) Name

(Listed Company’s) Address

Model: ________________________________________

Size: __________________________________________

Serial Number: _________________________________

Lot Number: ___________________________________

Location of Manufacturer: _______________________

Date of Manufacture:____________________________

Date of Issue: __________________________________

Threat Level (NIJ 0101.06): ______________________

Ballistic Performance Warranty Period: ____________

For Warranty Information Contact: ________________

_______________________________________________

This model of armor has been determined to comply with NIJ 

Standard-0101.06 by the NIJ Compliance Testing Program and is 

listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List.

WARNING!

This garment is rated ONLY for the 

ballistic threat level stated above. It is 

NOT intended to protect against rifle fire 

or sharp-edged or pointed instruments.

Care Instructions for Ballistic Panel:

(Sample Instructions Shown)

1. Do not wash or dry clean

2. Wipe with a damp cloth

**Wear Face**

This side to be worn against the body.
31 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

In addition to the model designation listed 

on the CPL, a supplier or distributor may 

use catalog numbers or similar designations 

to further identify the product. The catalog 

number must be separately identifiable from 

the model designation.

■ Adjustment options. This clause identifies design 

features such as adjustable fasteners or straps 

that will make the armor more comfortable for the 

wearer. 

■ Color. The carrier color for concealable armor 

should be chosen such that it will not be easily 

visible through the wearer’s uniform.

■ Quality and workmanship. This clause specifies 

the expectation that a supplier will produce armor 

using suitable materials and high workmanship 

quality, ensuring that the armor is fit for purpose 

over the entire period of the specified warranty.

■ Custom fitting. The specifications section should 

include a clause related to custom fitting, stating 

how and where fittings will take place and who 

will perform the measuring. Measurements should 

be performed as per ASTM-E2902-12. 

Termination of agreement. The agency should 

include a clause that specifies the conditions under 

which the agency can terminate the agreement 

in any procurement documents. If the agency is 

purchasing through a blanket agreement or term 

agreement, it may want to include a “Termination 

for cause” or “Termination for the convenience of 

the agency” 30-day written notice clause allowing 

the agency to cancel the agreement if officers find 

the armor received to be unacceptable, or if the 

supplier is noncompliant with agreement terms, even 

though the armor itself may be fully compliant with 

the procurement specifications. Additionally, include 

revocation of an armor’s compliance status (i.e., 

removal of the model from the CPL) as justifiable 

cause for termination of agreement. 

If the armor is not delivered in a reasonable 

timeframe according to a predetermined shipping 

schedule, this is another justifiable reason for 

terminating an agreement. Receiving a substandard 

product should also justify canceling an agreement. 

When posting product specifications, an agency 

must be sure to define potential reasons why a 

product may be rejected or an agreement may be 

terminated. For instance, poor workmanship or 

chronic delivery delays are legitimate causes for 

termination, but may be difficult to support unless 

previously noted.

33 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 8.

Inspection and Care

One of the most frequently asked questions about 

body armor is: “How long does body armor last?” 

This question has no easy or definitive answer. All 

body armor models on the NIJ CPL are warranted 

for their ballistic performance. However, the actual 

performance of an individual body armor may vary 

based on how it has been stored and maintained, 

environmental exposure and differences in use. 

Every piece of armor will eventually have to be 

replaced for one or more of several potential 

reasons, such as change in officer weight and shape, 

change in service weapons or ammunition threat, 

being struck by a bullet or edged weapon, or simply 

from normal wear and tear over time. 

Frequent inspections and proper care of body armor 

help maintain the integrity of the ballistic panels 

and the carrier. Every model of body armor that 

complies with NIJ Standard-0101.06 is required to 

have supplier-recommended care instructions on 

the label. An example of this can be seen on the 

sample panel label at Exhibit 18. Follow the supplierrecommended care instructions, making certain that 

anyone else who cares for the armor is also aware of 

these instructions. 

Inspection

Visually inspect ballistic panel covers frequently. 

Check for cuts, tears, stitching separation, sealing 

problems and excessive wear, all of which could 

expose the ballistic materials to moisture and other 

potentially degrading factors. Carriers that rub 

the panel covers as a result of normal flexing can 

wear through the cover and expose the armor to 

moisture penetration. Visually inspect hard armor 

plates before each use to ensure that no surface 

cracks or other signs of damage are present that 

could degrade ballistic performance. Although an 

appearance of good condition does not necessarily 

imply good performance, damage is a clear indicator 

that the armor panel or plate should be replaced. 

Periodically, also inspect the condition of the label 

on the armor panel. Once the label becomes illegible 

or shows signs of excessive wear, it should be 

replaced. It is important to be able to identify the 

model and protection level of an armor. The model 

identification is important in the event of a safety 

recall.

When checking the label, note the issue date and 

compare it to the manufacturer’s ballistic warranty 

also found on the label. If the armor has been in 

service beyond its declared warranty period, report 

that to the agency representative. The agency’s 

representative may be the quartermaster, body 

armor procurement officer or any other person who 

is directly responsible for interacting with body 

armor suppliers. Serviceable armor should never 

be removed from service until a replacement armor 

is available for immediate wear. An officer with no 

armor is at greater risk than an officer wearing older 

or worn/damaged armor. 

Note that the covers of the armor panels should 

not be opened for any reason. If the integrity of the 

panel cover is compromised in any way, contact the 

agency representative immediately for referral back 

to the armor supplier.

Consider replacing, or returning to the manufacturer 

for repair, any armor panel or label showing 

damage or excessive wear as soon as possible. 

Never attempt to repair armor panels under any 

circumstances; rather, report these findings to 

the agency representative. The representative 
34 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

should contact the supplier for guidance on how to 

proceed. 

Agencies should consider supervisory involvement in the 

inspection of body armor.

Handling

Ensure that armor panels fit properly into carriers 

with the strike face and wear face correctly oriented. 

Confirm the correct orientation by referring to the 

panel label, which will indicate whether the labeled 

side is the strike face or wear face.

Do not needlessly flex, bend, compress or crease 

soft armor panels when handling them, as this may 

contribute to degradation of the ballistic materials 

over time.

Handle hard armor plates, particularly those 

incorporating ceramic materials, carefully because 

they may be fragile. Ceramic materials are extremely 

brittle and such armor should not be dropped on 

hard surfaces, as this can cause breaks or cracks 

that can have an adverse effect on performance. 

Cleaning 

Improper cleaning can damage an armor panel or a 

carrier. Damaged panels can cause the body armor 

to fail when struck by a projectile. Armor panels 

are not to be dry-cleaned, machine-washed or 

machine-dried, either in the home or commercially. 

Detergents, dry-cleaning solvents and laundry 

equipment can damage or degrade panels.

The general industry procedure for cleaning armor 

panels is as follows: 

■ Remove the panels from the carrier. 

■ Wipe the outer panel cover using a damp sponge 

or soft cloth and cold water. 

■ Air-dry the panels flat, avoiding folding or creasing 

the armor while it dries. 

■ Insert the dry panels back into the carrier with 

each panel strike or wear face correctly oriented. 

■ No chemicals, other than those specified by the 

manufacturer, should be used when cleaning 

the panels. Bleach or starch, even when highly 

diluted, may reduce the protection level. 

■ Refrain from rinsing, soaking, submerging or 

spraying the armor panels. Any superficial 

smudges, marks or soiling remaining on the 

outer covering should not harm the armor panel 

integrity. 

■ Never dry soft armor panels outside, even in the 

shade, as exposure to ultraviolet light is known 

to cause degradation of certain types of ballistic 

materials. 

The general industry procedure for cleaning carriers 

is as follows: 

■ Remove detachable straps and fasteners from the 

carrier. If straps and fasteners are not detachable, 

place them in their secured position. 

■ Unless the supplier specifically advocates 

machine washing, hand wash the carrier in cold 

water with a mild detergent for delicate fabrics. 

■ Rinse the carrier thoroughly and hang up indoors 

to air dry. 

■ Some suppliers preshrink carriers and advocate 

machine drying, but unless specifically stated 

by the supplier, do not use a dryer. Air drying will 

have less impact on the integrity of the carrier. 
35 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Storage

Body armor should be stored as recommended by 

the supplier. General guidelines include the following:

■ Armor should be stored flat at room temperature 

in a dry, shaded place that minimizes exposure to 

direct light.

■ Armor may be hung from a specially designed 

robust hanger made for body armor (see Exhibit 

19). Wire or some wooden hangers will break 

or buckle under the weight of the armor. Do not 

hang armor by the carrier straps, as this may 

cause the straps to stretch and lose their original 

shape and fit.

■ Turn the body armor inside out or open and lay 

flat to allow moisture to evaporate.

■ Air dry damp armor prior to storage. 

EXHIBIT 19: BODY ARMOR HANGER

■ Armor should not be stored in a low airflow 

environment, such as the bottom of a locker, nor 

in a potentially extreme hot/cold environment, 

such as the trunk of a vehicle.

Maintaining and storing body armor in accordance with 

the manufacturer’s instructions is key to its continued 

performance. 

37 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 9.

Training and Administration

Training

Officers should be trained in the proper use and 

care of their armors and educated on the benefits 

of routine wear. To assist agencies in educating 

officers on the importance of wearing body armor, 

NIJ has produced an educational video titled “Body 

Armor: Survive in the Line of Fire” that is publicly 

available through the following link: http://youtu.be/

R85mWoCBR50

When an agency issues an armor, the administrator 

should ensure that each officer knows the level of 

protection provided by the armor relative to various 

threats. Officers also must know that ballisticresistant body armor may not be effective against 

attack by a knife or other sharp instrument, such 

as an ice pick. The level of protection offered by an 

armor should be clearly explained to each officer. 

Make an effort to inform officers of the importance 

of wearing an armor system in its entirety, which 

includes, at a minimum, the front and back ballistic 

panels. Officers should be required to read the FBI’s 

annual reports on Law Enforcement Officers Killed 

and Assaulted; the incidents described each year 

reinforce the importance of routine use of armors 

to protect against unexpected assaults. The report 

encourages officers to recognize that seemingly 

routine assignments can sometimes end in armed 

confrontation.

Some agencies have found that they can increase 

acceptance of the routine use of body armor by 

taking advantage of the controlled setting of the 

police academy. These agencies issue armors to all 

recruits when they report to the academy and require 

their wear throughout the training period. 

Another approach is to obtain an officer’s 

commitment to wear the armor routinely for a period 

of at least one month. Generally, the officer realizes 

that the body armor is not as uncomfortable as 

expected and continues to wear it thereafter.

Administrative Considerations

Issuance. When issuing a body armor, the agency’s 

first obligation is to ensure that the vest properly 

fits the officer to whom it is issued. Fit influences 

whether the armor will be comfortable and therefore, 

whether the officer will consistently wear it.

When an armor is issued, enter the issue date on 

the label with a permanent marking pen or stamp.

This will facilitate determining whether a particular 

in-service armor is within its ballistic warranty period. 

Maintain accurate property records for all armor in 

inventory. At any time, an agency should be able 

to determine which armor was issued to a given 

officer and the issue date, supplier name, model 

designation, armor type and production lot number. 

The NIJ CTP requires that body armor suppliers 

maintain records for tracking lot numbers, serial 

numbers and purchasing agencies. The NIJ CTP 

also requires that body armor panel/plate labels 

include a blank line for the date of issue. 

Proper records are invaluable if a production lot is 

found to be defective after issuance. If one body 

armor is found to be flawed, immediately inspect all 

armor from the same supplier and production lot. 

Agencies can record officer and armor information 

to track replacements and to plan purchases of new 

armor.
38 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Wear. Some agencies enforce a mandatory wear 

policy. When these policies are properly enforced, 

wear rates are higher. Both the BVP and JAG grant 

programs require that such policies be in place in 

order for an agency to receive funds.

Disposal. When body armor is no longer 

serviceable, the agency must dispose of it in a 

responsible manner that should also prevent illicit 

use. If armor is disposed of in a landfill, unauthorized 

parties may obtain the armors; also, materials may 

not be biodegradable. Many materials used in 

manufacturing body armor are either fire retardant or 

inherently fireproof, so they cannot be incinerated. 

Certain material suppliers have ongoing recycling 

programs for out-of-service armor. Some body armor 

companies offer a “take-back” disposal. The agency 

should contact its armor supplier/manufacturer to 

see if quotes are provided for such services. 

You may also contact the NIJ CTP regarding 

possibly donating the armor for research purposes. 

Refer to the resource list in Appendix B for NIJ CTP 

contact information. 

When an agency disposes of unserviceable armors, 

it should require and obtain a record of disposition 

from the organization used to dispose of the armor. 

At a minimum, the disposition should list the armor 

by serial number, disposal method and disposal 

date. This chain of custody document should be 

retained by both the agency and the disposing 

company as a formal record of disposition.

Replacement. Evaluate any armor that has been 

damaged for replacement. This damage can be 

from events such as shooting, stabbing, slashing or 

impact from a vehicle accident. Any damage to the 

ballistic panel cover may compromise the armor’s 

integrity and may void the supplier warranty. Armors 

that show damage should be replaced. 
39 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

CHAPTER 10.

What To Do When an Officer 

Wearing Body Armor Is Shot

An officer shot when wearing body armor should always 

receive medical attention.

Any officer shot while wearing body armor should 

receive a prompt medical evaluation. Even though 

the officer may only exhibit soreness and bruising, 

there may be more serious internal injuries that have 

not yet manifested themselves.

NIJ provides a suggested course for the initial 

medical evaluation of an officer who has been shot. 

See Exhibit 20. When an officer is wounded in the 

line of duty, there are practical and psychological 

issues that must be dealt with in the immediate term 

and in the long term. The International Association 

of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has published a set of 

guidelines for agencies to follow to prepare for this 

possibility and to address if it occurs in their agency. 

See Officer Involved-Shooting Guidelines (http://

www.theiacp.org/portals/0/documents/pdfs/PsychOfficerInvolvedShooting.pdf.)

Before the officer returns to duty, the damaged 

armor that saved a life needs to be replaced with a 

new one. 

Agencies are encouraged to contact the NIJ CTP 

and the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club® in the 

event of an incident involving body armor. Agencies 

are also encouraged to submit a report to the FBI’s 

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Program, which 

records instances of Law Enforcement Officers Killed 

and Assaulted in an annual publication that provides 

data on feloniously or accidentally killed officers and 

officers who were assaulted while performing their 

duties. By sharing this information, other officers 

will be made aware of the benefits of wearing body 

armor on a routine basis and further lives may be 

saved.

Source: http://nij.gov/topics/technology/body-armor/

pages/medical-management-guidelines.aspx

EXHIBIT 20: MEDICAL EVALUATION 

FLOW CHART

41 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Definitions

The definitions provided in this section are specific 

to this guide. Some of the terms were previously 

defined in NIJ Standard-0101.06, and other terms 

are new to this guide and added for the reader’s 

increased understanding.

Accessory ballistic panels: Armor components 

that are detachable or removable from the body 

armor and intended to provide comparable ballistic 

protection. NIJ Standard-0101.06 states that 

examples of accessory panels include shoulders, 

neck, groin, coccyx and side protection panels, 

which are attached to, or inserted into, the external 

armor carrier but are not integral to the armor panels 

or armor sample. 

Ammunition: A bullet encased together with its 

propellant and a primer. 

Armor (see Body armor).

Armor carrier or carrier: A component of the body 

armor system with a primary purpose of retaining 

the ballistic panel(s) and providing a means of 

supporting and securing the armor to the wearer. 

The carrier alone is not intended to provide any 

ballistic protection.

Armor conditioning: Environmental and mechanical 

conditioning of a body armor model prior to ballistic 

testing, which consists of exposure to specified 

conditions of temperature, humidity and bending/

folding. 

Armor panel: The protective component of a body 

armor system. An armor panel typically consists 

of a ballistic panel enclosed in a nonremovable 

environmental cover. The cover offers no ballistic 

protection. It is solely intended to prevent 

the ballistic panel from being exposed to the 

environment.

Backface Signature (BFS): The greatest depth 

of indentation in the backing material caused by a 

nonperforating bullet impact on the armor panel or 

plate during testing.

Ballistic limit: A material characteristic of an armor 

model that is tested by the laboratory to help 

determine its protective capability. For a given bullet 

type, the velocity at which the bullet is expected to 

perforate the armor 50% of the time. The ballistic 

limit is typically denoted as the V50 or V50 value.

Ballistic panel: (see Armor panel) The protective 

component of an armor panel. It typically consists of 

flexible or rigid ballistic-resistant materials. The word 

panel, if not preceded by the word ballistic, refers to 

an armor panel in this guide.

Ballistic performance: (see Defeat).

Blunt trauma injury: Injury caused to the wearer 

when a bullet is stopped by the armor panel, but the 

armor materials are driven into the body as a result 

of the impact. 

Body armor: An item of personal protective 

equipment that provides protection against specific 

ballistic or stab threats within its coverage area. 

Body armor system or armor system: Consists of 

the carrier and soft armor panels and/or hard armor 

plates. 

Body side: The side of the armor that is worn 

against the body.

Bullet: The projectile fired from a firearm.

Combination armor: Designed to be both stab 

resistant and ballistic resistant, it is intended to 

provide simultaneous protection against stab and 
42 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

ballistic threats. Combination armor may also be 

referred to as dual-threat or multiple-threat armor.

Complete penetration: See Perforation.

Compliance Testing Program (CTP): Designed to 

identify items that meet a defined set of standards. 

In the context of this guide, CTP refers to the 

program NIJ established in 1978 to identify body 

armor models that meet the requirements of the 

most current version of NIJ’s ballistic-resistant body 

armor standard.

Compliant Product List (CPL): A list of product 

models that have been found to be compliant with 

an applicable standard.

Component: Any material, part or subassembly 

used in construction of the armor system or armor 

system element.

Concealable armor: Body armor intended to be 

worn under clothing such as a duty uniform.

Defeat: When an armor panel stops the threat it 

was designed to protect against, with acceptable 

backface deformation. 

Follow-up Inspection and Testing (FIT): Testing 

that is administered by the Compliance Testing 

Program after armor models have completed initial 

type testing. FIT testing is principally intended to 

ensure quality control to make sure that there are 

no significant design deviations from the model that 

was tested and found to be compliant with the NIJ 

ballistic-resistant body armor standard.

Hard armor: (see Exhibit 5) Rigid plates or inserts 

that may be constructed from ceramics, compressed 

laminate sheets, metallic plates or composites that 

incorporate more than one material. 

In-conjunction (IC) armor: A combination of either 

two soft armor panels or a soft panel with a hard 

armor insert, designed to provide increased ballistic 

protection. 

Insert: A removable or integral armor panel (flexible 

or rigid) or trauma pack/plate that can enhance 

the ballistic performance of the armor panel in a 

localized area. 

Label: Permanently attached piece of cloth or similar 

material affixed to an armor panel displaying, among 

other information: the manufacturer, a unique model 

designator, the level of protection and the date of 

manufacture. 

Manufacturer: A commercial entity engaged in the 

fabrication of a product. 

Model: One of a class of things, such as body armor, 

with a unique, specific design.

Partial penetration: A threat bullet that enters 

a body armor panel or test sample but does not 

completely pass through it.

Perforation: A threat bullet passing completely 

through a body armor panel or test sample.

Round (ballistic): A single unit of ammunition. 

Sample: A single item with design specifications 

representative of a class of things; in the case of this 

guide, of a model of body armor.

Service life: An armor’s anticipated period 

of ballistic performance as specified by the 

manufacturer.

Soft armor: (see Exhibit 4) Constructed of pliable/

flexible ballistic-resistant materials. 

Strike face: Surface of an armor sample or panel 

designated by the manufacturer as the surface that 

must be worn away from the wearer’s body. (See 

Wear face) The strike face is designed to be the 

surface that the bullet strikes when the armor is 

protecting an officer. 

Supplier: The party responsible for ensuring that 

products meet and, if applicable, continue to meet, 

the requirements on which the certification is based, 

as per ISO/IEC Guide 65.3.1. 
43 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Tactical armor: Tactical armor is typically a 

combination of hard armor plate and soft armor 

panels, making it thicker and heavier than soft armor 

alone (see discussion of in-conjunction armors on 

page 7.). Tactical armor is not typically worn for 

extended periods. It is donned for wear by officers 

entering high-risk situations. 

Threat/Threat round: The ammunition that is used 

to assess the ballistic performance of a body armor. 

Trauma pack: Also referred to as a trauma plate,

this type of body armor insert is primarily intended 

to provide increased protection against blunt force 

injury. 

Vest: Synonymous with body armor.

Warranty: A manufacturer-specified period of time 

that identifies the length of time the manufacturer 

supports the ballistic performance of a specific body 

armor model against a specified threat level. This 

information is identified on the ballistic panel label. 

Often ballistic performance warranties are confused 

with workmanship warranties, which do not address 

ballistic performance. 

Wear face: The side of the armor worn against the 

body.

45 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

References

ASTM. 2012. ASTM E2902 - 12 Standard Practice for Measurement of Body Armor Wearers. West 

Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.

FBI Uniform Crime Reports. 2009. Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 2009. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

ISO/IEC Guide 65:1997. General Requirements for Bodies Operating Product Certification Systems. Geneva, 

Switzerland.

LaTourrette, T. 2010. “The life-saving effectiveness of body armor for police officers,” Journal of Occupational 

and Environmental Hygiene 7(10): 557-561.

National Institute of Justice. 2000. NIJ Standard-0115.00, Stab Resistance of Body Armor. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. Available on the web at 

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183652.pdf

National Institute of Justice. 2008. NIJ Standard-0101.06, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. Available on the web at 

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/223054.pdf

National Institute of Justice. 2009. NIJ Compliance Testing Program Ballistic Body Armor Applicant 

Instructions. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of 

Justice. Available on the web at https://www.justnet.org/pdf/Applicant%20Package%2002-17-2009%20

rev13.pdf.

47 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

APPENDIX A.

Contributors

Contributor Organization

John Abraham Seattle Police Department

David Bak U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection

Steven Berens Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Daniel Callahan Arlington County (Va.) Sheriff’s Office 

Heath Clevenger York County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office

John Ely U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons

Debra Farrar San Diego Police Department

Brian Fenley U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection

Cindy Fredriksen Colorado Department of Public Safety

Deborah Garde Illinois State Police

Gordon Gillerman U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Wayne Hemphill Florida Department of Corrections

Jeffrey Horlick U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Jason Jacobson Austin (Texas) Police Department

Richard Kehr Los Angeles Police Department

Rob Kinsler U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Trae Lewis Baltimore City Police Department

Daniel Longhurst National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National

Michael O’Shea U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice

Vito Perilli New York City Police Department

Michael Riley U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Nicholas Roberts Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake 

Casandra Robinson U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Patrick Ryan Tennessee Department of Correction

John Seto Ann Arbor (Mich.) Police Department

Debra Stoe U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice

Alex Sundstrom National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National

Michael Thompson U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Amanda Toman Technical Support Working Group 

Janet Ward U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center

Jeffrey Wylde Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration

49 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

APPENDIX B.

Resources

Individual Resources

National Institute of Justice 

Michael O’Shea, Senior Law Enforcement Program Manager

Office: (202) 305-7954

Email: michael.oshea@usdoj.gov

NIJ Compliance Testing Program

Alex Sundstrom, NLECTC-National, Compliance Testing Program Manager

Office: (301) 240-6749

Email: rsundstrom@justnet.org

Daniel Longhurst, NLECTC-National, Senior Engineer

Office: (202) 616-3857

Email: daniel.a.longhurst@usdoj.gov

Online Resources

NIJ: http://www.nij.gov

NLECTC and NIJ CTP Resources: http://www.justnet.org

ASTM: http://www.astm.org

FBI Uniform Crime Reports: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm

International Association of Chiefs of Police/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club®: http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/

en_US/uses_apps/law_enforcement/survivors_club.html

Procurement Resources

Bureau of Justice Administration (BJA): https://www.bja.gov

BJA Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG): https://www.bja.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?Program_ID=59

BJA Bulletproof Vest Partnership: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bvpbasi/ 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/dhs-financial-assistance

Responder Knowledge Base (RKB): https://www.llis.dhs.gov/knowledgebase

51 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

APPENDIX C.

Armor Sizing Templates

53 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06
54 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety
55 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06
56 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety
57 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

59 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

APPENDIX D.

Body Armor Compliance 

Testing Program Body Armor 

Applicant Package

61 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Document Name: NIJ CTP Applicant Agreement Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 1 of 10

National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Applicant Agreement

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to 

respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. 

The OMB number for this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to average one hour per response, including the 

time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 

162(b)(6)(B). The disclosure is voluntary. The information provided on this form will be 

used by the National Institute of Justice to administer a product conformity assessment 

program for products used by law enforcement and correctional officers. This 

information and the associated products are voluntarily submitted under the Compliance 

Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: See Clause 6 of this document for nature and extent of 

confidentiality.

This National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program Applicant Agreement 

pertains to all applicants seeking to voluntarily participate in the National Institute of 

Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ CTP). Any reference to the NIJ 

CTP as an organization includes elements of both National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and 

the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center - National (NLECTCNational).

This NIJ CTP Applicant Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement that governs 

the NIJ CTP's actions pertaining to the Applicant and shall supersede all other 

agreements between the NIJ CTP and the Applicant.

Please provide business headquarters information below.

Applicant Name:

Applicant Address:

Telephone:

The Applicant hereby expressly acknowledges and agrees as follows:
62 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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Part I Application and Evaluation

1. Scope of NIJ CTP Actions

Participation in the NIJ CTP is voluntary. The NIJ CTP is an organization whose primary 

function is, on Applicant request, to perform conformity assessment on a product.

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that the NIJ CTP is not a designer, 

manufacturer, marketer, supplier, endorser, guarantor or insurer of any product. The NIJ 

CTP is not assuming any obligation toward the Applicant or toward any third party in 

any way related to this agreement. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that the 

Applicant is solely responsible for research, development testing, manufacture, 

marketing and sale of any product(s) submitted to the NIJ CTP for conformity 

assessment. Furthermore, the Applicant expressly acknowledges and agrees that (a) 

NIJ CTP activities are not intended to supplant the Applicant's examination and testing 

of such product(s), (b) by its performance of NIJ CTP activities, the NIJ CTP is not 

assuming any duty that the Applicant might otherwise have to examine and/or test the 

design of such product(s) or system(s), either before or after manufacture or sale, (c) 

the NIJ CTP is not in any way endorsing or warranting the safety or performance of 

such product(s) or system(s) and (d) the NIJ CTP does not intend to supply, and is not 

supplying, information for the guidance of the Applicant in the conduct of its business.

2. Terms and Conditions

The NIJ CTP performs conformity assessment at the request of Applicants. Conformity 

assessment entails determining that specified requirements relating to a product are 

fulfilled; these may include testing, inspection and certification. The Terms and 

Conditions pertaining to a specific product are supplemented in a separate NIJ CTP

Manufacturing Locations and Model Application document. The Applicant acknowledges 

and agrees that the supplemental terms and conditions are expressly incorporated by 

reference herein and are an integral part hereof.

3. Payment Terms

a. Conformity Assessment

There shall be no fees paid by the Applicant to the NIJ CTP. This is not to imply that 

participation in the NIJ CTP is without cost. For each product submitted to the NIJ CTP,

the Applicant is responsible for all expenses related to shipping, testing and inspections 

required to demonstrate initial and continued compliance with the NIJ CTP.

b. Type Testing

The Applicant shall use an NIJ Approved test laboratory and shall be responsible for all 

expenses related to shipping and testing.
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c. Surveillance

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with surveillance including onsite 

inspection, testing, shipping and any associated administrative fees.

4. Applicant Information

The Applicant represents and warrants that all information and/or data provided to the 

NIJ CTP by the Applicant, or on the Applicant's behalf, are complete and accurate and 

that the NIJ CTP may rely thereon when performing conformity assessment of a related 

product. If any information and/or data provided to the NIJ CTP by the Applicant or on 

the Applicant's behalf are either incomplete or inaccurate, the NIJ CTP shall not be 

liable in any manner for any performance or alleged non-performance of conformity 

assessment under this Agreement. The Applicant agrees and consents to the NIJ CTP’s

sharing the information and data provided by the Applicant with technical experts and 

staff in order for the NIJ CTP to: (i) perform the conformity assessment or (ii) act in the 

interest of officer safety. The Applicant further represents and warrants that all 

information and data provided to the NIJ CTP by the Applicant are properly owned or 

licensed by the Applicant and do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any 

third party, and that the Applicant is allowed to provide such information to the NIJ CTP

without restriction.

5. Ownership of Work Product

The NIJ CTP shall retain all rights, title and interest in, and to, the evaluation package 

and any other documents in any form whatsoever conceived, prepared or used by the 

NIJ CTP in the performance of its conformity assessment.

6. Confidentiality

The NIJ CTP shall use reasonable efforts to maintain confidential all information 

identified as “Confidential Commercial Information” that it obtains from the Applicant. 

Confidential Commercial Information shall not include information that is (a) publicly 

available; (b) subsequently acquired by the NIJ CTP from other sources in a manner 

that does not constitute a breach of this Agreement; (c) disclosed by the NIJ CTP when 

deemed, at its sole discretion, to be necessary to the NIJ CTP’s performance of the 

requested conformity assessment; (d) required to be produced pursuant to an order or 

command of any judicial or regulatory authority; (e) required by any common law or 

statutory duty; or (f) disclosed in the interest of officer safety.

The NIJ CTP shall take reasonable steps to safeguard Applicant data within the NIJ 

CTP systems prior to external transmission and may transmit the Applicant's 
64 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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Confidential Commercial Information and data to the Applicant through the Internet or 

any public network, unless otherwise directed in writing by the Applicant.

7. Samples

At the applicant’s expense, samples shall be provided for initial type testing as required 

by the specific product certification scheme.

The shipping of samples shall be at the Applicant’s expense.

At the discretion of the NIJ CTP, samples may be returned to the Applicant at the 

Applicant’s expense or held indefinitely.

8. Export Control

The Applicant represents and warrants that it: (a) will not cause the NIJ CTP to violate 

any export, trade or other economic sanction law; and (b) will promptly advise the NIJ 

CTP in writing if a project involves technology that is subject to any government 

controls, including U.S. export controls, and will promptly supply all information needed 

to comply with those controls.

9. No Assignment

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that neither the Applicant nor the NIJ CTP may 

assign any of its rights or obligations under this agreement in whole or in part to any 

other person without the other party's express written consent.

10. No Third Party Beneficiaries

The Parties intend that no provisions of this Agreement shall in any way benefit any 

third party, and that no third party shall have any rights or cause of action under this 

Agreement. Neither Party is an agent for an undisclosed principal. The Parties 

acknowledge and agree that any such undisclosed principal would have no rights or 

causes of action against the NIJ CTP for any conformity assessment requested by, or 

provided to, the Applicant under this Agreement. 

11. Waiver

Any failure by the NIJ CTP or the Applicant to insist on the performance of any provision 

of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any rights under the Agreement or a 

waiver of any right to future performance of that provision. For any waiver of any 

provision of this Agreement to be effective, it must be set forth in writing and executed 

by authorized agents for both Parties.
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12. Limitation of Remedies Available to Applicant

The NIJ CTP will perform conformity assessment hereunder in accordance with 

professional standards of conduct generally applicable to conformity assessment 

service organizations. The NIJ CTP makes no other representation or warranty of any 

kind whatsoever, whether express or implied, with respect to its provision of conformity 

assessment hereunder.

13. Release and Waiver

In consideration of the NIJ CTP's agreement to perform conformity assessment for the 

Applicant hereunder, the applicant hereby expressly waives, releases and exempts the 

NIJ CTP and its managers, employees, technical experts and subcontractors from any 

and all liability, claims, demands, actions or causes of action whatsoever for any alleged 

loss, damage or injury. This express release and waiver is intended to, and does cover,

all claims arising in tort (including, but not limited to, negligence, product liability, strict 

liability, negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, tortuous breach of 

contract, unfair competition, defamation, tortuous interference with an actual or 

prospective contract, business relationship or economic advantage) as well as those 

arising under any state or federal statute, that in any way arise out of, or relate to, the 

NIJ CTP’s conformity assessment or to the NIJ CTP’s performance and/or alleged nonperformance under this agreement.

14. Indemnification As to Third Party Claims

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees to hold the NIJ CTP, NLECTC-National and its 

officers, directors, staff, technical experts and subcontractors harmless and indemnify 

them from any and all loss or expense (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from 

any and all claims with respect to the Applicant’s listed products, to the NIJ CTP, to the 

NIJ compliance statement and/or violation of the terms and conditions of this 

agreement.

15. Representations and Modifications

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees to name at least one authorized legal

representative who is qualified and authorized to respond on the Applicant’s behalf to 

questions from the NIJ CTP relating to product(s) submitted for conformity assessment.

The Applicant agrees to notify the NIJ CTP in writing by executing a current Applicant 

Agreement with updated information.

This Agreement, its explicitly incorporated Terms and Conditions, and any and all 

related documents, constitute the entire, complete and fully integrated agreement

between the parties. This Agreement may be modified only in writing and only if such 

writing is duly executed by authorized representatives for the NIJ CTP and the 

Applicant.
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16. Termination

This Agreement will continue in effect until terminated by either the NIJ CTP or the 

Applicant, with or without cause, on 30 days' prior written notice to the other 

("Termination Notice"). In the event of any breach of this Agreement, either Party may 

terminate this Agreement, effective immediately on the other party's receipt of the

Termination Notice.

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that failure to comply with the provisions or 

terms of this agreement immediately on such request by the NIJ CTP, its agents and/or 

designees constitutes grounds for suspension or revocation of NIJ compliance status

and/or removing the Applicant from the program.

17. Notice

Notice under this Agreement must be made by hand delivery, courier service, mail, 

facsimile or e-mail transmission at the Applicant's designated place of business. Notice 

shall be effective on confirmed receipt or five business days after the notice is deposited 

by certified mail.

The NIJ CTP's contact information is provided below:

E-mail: bactp@justnet.org

Address: 700 N. Frederick Ave., Bldg. 181, Room 1L30

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

Phone: (800) 248-2742

Website: www.justnet.org/CTP

18. Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, void or unenforceable for any reason,

all other provisions of this Agreement shall remain valid to the extent permissible under 

law.

19. Complaint Resolution and Appeals Process.

Any complaints expressed by the Applicant in writing to the NIJ CTP will be 

investigated, and action will be taken by the NIJ CTP to respond. If resolution to a 

complaint is not satisfactory to the Applicant, the Applicant may request an appeal. The 

request for appeal shall be in writing, signed and addressed to the NIJ CTP with any 

evidence the Applicant feels should be considered. The NIJ CTP will arrange for an 

independent Special Review Committee of technical experts and practitioners to be 
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convened to evaluate the appeal. The committee will review the matter and make a

recommendation for resolution to NIJ, and NIJ shall make a final decision.

20. Governing Law/Jurisdiction

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of Maryland, United States of

America, without reference to Maryland's choice of law principles. The Parties consent

to the sole and exclusive jurisdiction in the state courts and federal courts that have

jurisdiction over Maryland, for any claims.

21. English Language

The Parties hereby acknowledge that they have mutually required that this Agreement, 

and all documentation, notices, judicial proceedings and dispute resolution and 

arbitration entered into, given, instituted pursuant to or relating to, this Agreement be 

drawn up in the English language. Any translations of documents provided to the 

Applicant are done solely for convenience, and, in all cases, the English language 

version of such documents shall govern.

22. Force Majeure

Neither Party shall be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations 

due to elements of nature, acts of war, terrorism, riots, civil disorder, rebellions or other 

similar cause beyond the reasonable control of the Party affected, provided such default 

or delay could not have been prevented by reasonable precautions and cannot 

reasonably be circumvented and provided further that the Party hindered or delayed 

immediately notifies the other Party describing the circumstances causing delay. 

23. Independence

The Parties are, and intend to be, independent with respect to the conformity 

assessment described herein. Neither Party shall act as an agent of the other, nor shall 

it be entitled to enter into any agreements or incur any obligations on behalf of the other 

Party. No form of joint employer, joint venture, partnership or similar relationship 

between the Parties is intended or created hereby. As an independent organization, the 

NIJ CTP shall be solely responsible for determining the means and methods for 

performing the conformity assessment.

Part II Certification

24. Attestation of Compliance and Compliant Product List

The NIJ CTP may issue an attestation of compliance and post the model to the 

Compliant Product List (CPL) if: 
68 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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• The NIJ CTP’s evaluation determines that evidence demonstrates a product 

complies with the applicable requirements, and

• the product does not contain any features unanticipated by the applicable 

requirements such that the NIJ CTP determines that an unacceptable risk is

present, and

• the applicant fully complies with and participates in the applicable Surveillance 

Program.

Compliance status of a model is granted and maintained at the discretion of NIJ. The 

decision as to whether or not to grant compliance status for a product shall be made

by NIJ on the basis of the information gathered during the evaluation process and any 

other relevant information. No party has a legal right to compliance status. NIJ grants or 

suspends compliance status with the primary purpose of ensuring that law enforcement

and corrections officers have the best information available about the performance of 

equipment tested by the CTP. NIJ reserves the right to decline to issue compliance

status for any equipment model that successfully completes the compliance testing

process when it is determined by NIJ to be in the best interests of the law enforcement

and corrections communities. In these cases, NIJ notifies the applicant in writing that

compliance status for the model is denied and provides the reason(s) for the denial.

Appeals shall be made in accordance with the established procedures.

25. Revocation

Revocation of the Attestation of Compliance may occur if at any time the NIJ CTP

determines that any aspect required for the issuance of the Attestation of Compliance 

(including compliance with this document) is no longer true.

The Applicant agrees that in the event the NIJ CTP revokes an Attestation of 

Compliance, the Applicant shall immediately cease and desist any and all advertising or 

statements claiming the compliance status of the affected product(s).

Part III Surveillance

26. Description

Once the armor model is listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List, ongoing compliance

will be monitored via a conformity assessment surveillance process that may involve

any or all of the following: periodic sampling, testing and/or inspection of production

products.

27. Participation

Satisfactory participation in the Surveillance Program is required:

• To prevent revocation of the Attestation of Compliance.

• To continue listing on the CPL.
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• In order to include the NIJ statement of compliance on a product.

Failure to satisfactorily participate in the Surveillance Program is grounds for removal of 

any or all of the Applicant’s products from the CPL and/or revocation of the associated 

Attestation of Compliance(s).

28. NIJ Compliance Status

a. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that the NIJ is the sole and exclusive owner 

of all rights, title and interest in and to the NIJ name and compliance statements 

referencing NIJ. Except for the Applicant's right to use NIJ compliance statements as 

specifically granted in this Agreement, the Applicant has no rights or interest in or to 

such statements.

b. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees to not use any product’s compliance status 

in a way that, in the opinion of NIJ:

i. Is inconsistent with the scope of the model’s compliance status.

ii. Brings the credibility of NIJ, its agents or designees or the NIJ CTP into

question.

iii. Is misleading or inaccurate.

c. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees on expiration, withdrawal, suspension or 

revocation of compliance status to immediately cease and desist any and all advertising 

or statements claiming the compliance status of the affected product(s).

d. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees to use the compliance status only in the 

manner for which it was issued and reference only the requirements of the specific 

standard to which the product was found to be compliant.

e. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees not to create or otherwise publish in any 

form (written, electronic or via the Internet) any document, advertisement, product 

literature or brochure that references the NIJ in a manner that is not consistent with this 

agreement.

h. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees to use the compliance status only in

reference to the model identification provided to NIJ.

i. A list shall be maintained of products that NIJ has determined as having demonstrated

compliance with the current applicable requirements of the conformity assessment 

program.

j. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to identify any possible errors on the CPL and 

notify the NIJ CTP that these errors exist.
70 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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Applicant Signatory

(an officer or representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind it)

(Name/Title):

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

The Applicant agrees to the terms of this agreement and warrants that it has made no 

alterations to its text. The undersigned represents and warrants that he/she is 

authorized to execute this agreement on behalf of the Applicant.

Applicant Signatory Date

NLECTC-National Representative Acknowledgement:

Signature Date

Name (Please print/type)
71 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Document Name: NIJ CTP Authorized Representative Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

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National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Authorized Representative Notification

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to 

respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. 

The OMB number for this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the 

time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 

162(b)(6)(B). The disclosure is voluntary. The information provided on this form will be 

used by the National Institute of Justice to administer a product conformity assessment 

program for products used by law enforcement and correctional officers. This 

information and the associated products are voluntarily submitted under the Compliance 

Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: The information provided in this document is not considered 

Confidential Commercial Information and may be released without limitations or 

restrictions.

This National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program Authorized 

Representatives Notification pertains to all applicants seeking to voluntarily participate 

in the National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ

CTP). Any reference to the NIJ CTP as an organization includes elements of both 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections 

Technology Center-National (NLECTC-National).

This agreement shall supersede all previous National Institute of Justice Compliance 

Testing Program Authorized Representative Notifications.

Please provide business headquarters information below.

Applicant Name:

Applicant Address:

Telephone:
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Page 2 of 3

The Applicant hereby expressly acknowledges and agrees that the following 

Authorized Representatives are authorized to supply information concerning product 

submittals and surveillance on which the NIJ CTP may act:

Authorized Representatives

#1 (Name/Title):

#1 Telephone Number:

#1 E-mail:

#2 (Name/Title):

#2 Telephone Number:

#2 E-mail:

#3 (Name/Title):

#3 Telephone Number:

#3 E-mail:

#4 (Name/Title):

#4 Telephone Number:

#4 E-mail:
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Applicant Signatory

(an officer or representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind it)

(Name/Title):

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

The Applicant agrees to the terms of this agreement and warrants that it has made no 

alterations to its text. The undersigned represents and warrants that he/she is 

authorized to execute this agreement on behalf of the Applicant.

Applicant Signatory Date

NLECTC-National Representative Acknowledgement:

Signature Date

Name (Please print/type)
74 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Document Name: NIJ CTP Body Armor Build Sheet Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

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National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Body Armor Build Sheet

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to respond to a collection of information unless it 

displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average one hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(6)(B). The disclosure is voluntary. The 

information provided on this form will be used by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to administer a product conformity 

assessment program for products used by law enforcement and correctional officers. This information and the associated products 

are voluntarily submitted under the Compliance Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE:

This document contains Confidential Commercial Information. 

The National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ CTP) shall use reasonable efforts to maintain 

confidential all information identified as “Confidential Commercial Information” that it obtains from the Applicant. Confidential 

Commercial Information shall not include information that is (a) publicly available; (b) subsequently acquired by the NIJ CTP from 

other sources in a manner that does not constitute a breach of this Agreement; (c) disclosed by the NIJ CTP when deemed, at its 

sole discretion, to be necessary to the NIJ CTP’s performance of the requested conformity assessment; (d) required to be produced 

pursuant to an order or command of any judicial or regulatory authority; (e) required by any common law or statutory duty; or (f) 

disclosed in the interest of officer safety.

Test ID is issued after the NIJ CTP has reviewed this 

documentation for completeness. An additional review, for TEST ID: accuracy, shall be performed after testing is completed and 

samples are received by the NIJ CTP. 

APPLICANT (COMPANY) NAME AS SHOWN ON THE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED APPLICANT AGREEMENT: 

SECTION 1: TESTING INFORMATION

Proposed Model Designation: Declared Gender: Structure Tested: Planar Non-Planar

Male Female Neutral Flexible Hard ICW Front Opening

Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0101.06 Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor,

NIJ Standard-0115.00 Type: IIA II IIIA III IV

Protection Level: Shot to Edge Distance:

Edge Blade 1 2 3 Threat 1: 1” 2” Other 

Spike 1 2 3 Threat 2: N/A 1” 2” 3” Other 

Size Tested: Male Female Size Tested: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

Other (Hard) 

Hard Ballistic Armor: P-BFS Test Ballistic Limit Test

Shots per panel: Shots per panel: Curve: Number of panels: Number of panels: 

NOTE: For soft armor ballistic models, test carriers shall meet the requirements of NIJ STD 0101.06, Section 4.1.6. Hard armor ballistic models SECTION 2: EXTERNAL CARRIER are not required to have carriers. Stab models shall have a carrier but do not need to meet the same ballistic requirements. 

Ballistic carriers are cotton or polycotton with an areal density of not more than 250 g/m2 (7.37 oz/yd2) N/A (Hard Armor Plates and Stab models)

Ballistic carriers meet an exception noted in Section 4.1.6. The material information is noted here:

NOTE: The panel covering (also known as a pad cover) refers to the cover immediately surrounding the completed assembly. This is not the SECTION 3: PANEL COVERING removable exterior cover.

MATERIAL TYPE FINAL SUPPLIER PRODUCT NAME OR CODE METHOD OF CLOSURE
75 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

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TEST ID:

NOTE: List all materials as they appear from the strike (impact) side of the vest. A specification sheet from the material supplier SECTION 4: MATERIAL INFORMATION should also be provided and attached to this application when available.

THE INFORMATION SHOWN ON THIS PAGE REPRESENTS THE CONSTRUCTION FOR WHICH PANEL: Front Back Both

PRODUCT NAME OR PRODUCT LAYER ROTATION LAYERS IN MATERIAL TYPE FINAL SUPPLIER CODE CHARACTERISTICS OR ORIENTATION GROUP

TOTAL: 

NOTE: List all stitching, taping or other techniques used to hold the layers together. A separate drawing is also recommended to SECTION 5: ASSEMBLY INFORMATION be attached to the application. Stitch types and seam types from ISO 4915 and ISO 4916 may be referenced.

SPECIFIC TYPE OF THREAD, STITCHES-PER-INCH RANGE OF ASSEMBLY DESCRIPTION LOCATION ON PANEL TAPE, ETC. (WHERE NECCESARY) LAYERS

SECTION 6: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOTE: Please provide any other information about this model in the space below.

All key features, discontinuities and range of variations (to adjust for end user fit) intended for this model must be identified in this 

document or in attached documents (listed in Section 6 of this document). Key features include but are not limited to: materials of 

construction (and source), slits, slots, cuts, notches, seams, darts, stitching, overlaps, folds, additional panels or similar features.

Any inaccuracies in this document may require additional testing up to a complete repeat of initial type testing.

This design has not previously been submitted to the NIJ CTP for evaluation to the current standard by the applicant named 

above.

All body armor samples provided for initial type testing (in association with the Test ID above) are identically constructed.

APPLICANT AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY OR REPRESENTATIVE DATE:

(PRINTED NAME AND SIGNATURE):
76 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Document Name: NIJ CTP Ballistic BA Agreement Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

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OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 1 of 3

National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Ballistic Body Armor Agreement

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to respond to a 

collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB number for 

this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 

estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing 

and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(6)(B).

The disclosure is voluntary. The information provided on this form will be used by the National 

Institute of Justice to administer a product conformity assessment program for products used by 

law enforcement and correctional officers. This information and the associated products are 

voluntarily submitted under the Compliance Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE:

This document contains Confidential Commercial Information.

The National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ CTP) shall use 

reasonable efforts to maintain confidential all information identified as “Confidential Commercial 

Information” that it obtains from the Applicant. Confidential Commercial Information shall not 

include information that is (a) publicly available; (b) subsequently acquired by the NIJ CTP from 

other sources in a manner that does not constitute a breach of this Agreement; (c) disclosed by 

the NIJ CTP when deemed, at its sole discretion, to be necessary to the NIJ CTP’s performance 

of the requested conformity assessment; (d) required to be produced pursuant to an order or 

command of any judicial or regulatory authority; (e) required by any common law or statutory 

duty; or (f) disclosed in the interest of officer safety.

The NIJ CTP shall take reasonable steps to safeguard Applicant data within the NIJ CTP 

systems prior to external transmission and may transmit Applicant's Confidential Information 

and data to Applicant through the Internet or any public network, unless otherwise directed in 

writing by Applicant.

Test ID:

Final Model Designation:

Applicant Name:

Applicant Address:

Telephone:
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The Applicant hereby expressly acknowledges and agrees as follows:

1. Failure to comply with all provisions of this agreement constitutes grounds for 

suspension or revocation of NIJ compliance status of both the model in question 

and any other models the applicant also has listed.

2. Materials of Construction and Evidence of Acceptable Ongoing Ballistic 

Performance: The Applicant shall initial one of the following options as applicable 

to the model identified above:

____ Option 1 - The model described herein contains no material named in any NIJ 

Advisory Notice in effect at the time of submission of this model for NIJ Compliance 

testing.

____ Option 2 – The model described herein contains material named in any NIJ 

Advisory Notice in effect at the time of submission of this model for NIJ Compliance 

testing. Applicant has included with this application evidence (e.g., design drawings 

and specifications, lists of materials of construction of each component of the 

model, research, ballistic testing, descriptions of performance characteristics of 

critical components or materials) that demonstrates to the satisfaction of NIJ that 

the model will maintain ballistic performance (consistent with its originally declared 

threat level) over its declared warranty period (Note: Manufacturers should 

anticipate that NIJ's review of the evidence may take a substantial amount of time 

to complete).

3. Effective the date that the model is listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List, the 

applicant hereby agrees to label all subsequent production units of the model listed 

in this document in accordance with the labeling requirements of Ballistic Armor 

Labeling Guidance of the CTP Applicant Package.

4. The manufacture of all production units marked with the Model Designation 

provided above shall be identical in all respects to the samples previously supplied 

and tested under the Test ID provided above. This includes the ballistic materials 

(i.e., material type, style, weave, water-repellant treatment, ballistic panel covers), 

number and sequence of layers, stitching and permanent or non-removable 

covering (to include waterproofing). Any changes or modifications to the previously 

approved construction details may constitute a design change and therefore must 

be submitted to the NIJ CTP for evaluation prior to implementing any changes.

5. A system of traceability shall be maintained between each listed armor produced 

(based on a unique model designation/serial number/lot number combination) and 

both the materials used to construct the armor and the purchaser.

6. All records associated with this model shall be preserved for at least one year 

beyond the service life of this model i.e., one year beyond the last date of 

production plus the length of warranty.
78 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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7. Satisfactory participation in the NIJ Ballistic Body Armor Compliance Testing 

Program requires satisfactory participation in the associated surveillance (Follow-up

Inspection and Testing, or FIT) program at each manufacturing facility where the 

model is produced.

8. Surveillance consists of an onsite inspection of manufacturing records and the 

selection of samples for destructive testing and inspection. Additional details 

concerning the surveillance process is available on request and may be periodically 

revised as NIJ sees fit.

9. Prior to beginning production at a new manufacturing location, the applicant shall 

notify NLECTC-National by completing an NIJ CTP Manufacturing Location 

Notification. The notification shall be made sufficiently in advance of production in 

order to schedule an inspection.

10. Following NIJ’s issuance of a letter of attestation, each manufacturing location at 

which a model is produced shall have a surveillance inspection prior to shipping any 

production from that facility. The first surveillance inspection for a new 

model/location is referred to as an Initial Product Inspection (IPI).

11. Following the IPI, models will typically be inspected at least once every 10 months.

12. The applicant is responsible for all fees and costs incurred during the surveillance 

(Follow-up Inspection and Testing, or FIT) program process.

13. If the ballistic body armor model is manufactured under an NIJ CTP approved body 

armor quality management system (BA-QMS), the frequency of that model/location 

may be reduced to once every 20 months.

14. The inspection frequency may be increased based on poor performance during any 

of the previous inspections of that facility.

Applicant Signatory or Representative

(an officer or representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind it)

(Name/Title):

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

The Applicant agrees to the terms of this agreement and warrants that it has made no 

alterations to its text. The undersigned represents and warrants that he/she is 

authorized to execute this agreement on behalf of the Applicant.

Signature Date
79 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Document Name: NIJ CTP Manufacturing Location Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 10 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 13 Jun 2013

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Page 1 of 5

National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Manufacturing Location Notification

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to respond to a 

collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB number for 

this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 

estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing 

and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(6)(B).

The disclosure is voluntary. The information provided on this form will be used by the National 

Institute of Justice to administer a product conformity assessment program for products used by 

law enforcement and correctional officers. This information and the associated products are 

voluntarily submitted under the Compliance Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: The information provided in this document is not considered 

Confidential Commercial Information and may be released without limitations or restrictions.

This National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program Manufacturing Location 

Notification pertains to all applicants seeking to voluntarily participate in the National Institute of 

Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ CTP). Any reference to the NIJ CTP as 

an organization includes elements of both National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National 

Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National (NLECTC-National).

This agreement shall supersede all previous National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing 

Program Manufacturing Location Notifications for this model.

Model Designation:

Test ID:

Date of Notification:

Please provide business headquarters information below.

Applicant Name:

Applicant Address:

Telephone:
80 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Document Name: NIJ CTP Manufacturing Location Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

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Page 2 of 5

Model Designation:

Test ID:

The Applicant hereby expressly acknowledges and agrees as follows:

1. General

This document must be completed and received by the NIJ CTP at least five business days 

prior to beginning production at any location. Notifications shorter than two weeks may incur

additional costs for the mandatory initial product inspections.

Any other changes to manufacturing locations (Production Stop) shall be communicated to the 

NIJ CTP as soon as possible.

Notification that production at a specific location has stopped may take up to 30 days for the NIJ 

CTP to process and stop surveillance activities.

The body armor model identified above shall be manufactured only at the locations identified 

here.

This agreement does not authorize any changes except the manufacturing location and the 

associated information appearing on the label.

Failure of the Applicant to provide current and accurate information concerning manufacturing 

locations could result in unnecessary costs to the applicant in the form of unnecessary

surveillance (Follow-up Inspection and Testing, or FIT) charges.

Failure of the Applicant, additional Listee(s) or locations to abide by the requirements of the NIJ 

CTP could have a negative impact on the Applicant’s continued participation in the NIJ CTP, up 

to and including the removal of all Applicant models from the compliant product list under any 

brand or trademark.

The point of contact (or alternate) for each location should be available on site and prepared to 

escort the inspection representative.

2. Manufacturing (Including Subcontracted Manufacturing)

The NIJ CTP shall hold the applicant fully responsible for production of all products identified by 

this model or Test ID at all locations. This includes responsibility for all locations’:

a. adherence to the applicable construction and assembly described in current documents 

provided to the NIJ CTP by the Applicant; and

b. the compliance of this model with program requirements; and

c. following the manufacturing processes used for samples provided for initial

determination testing (this includes quality assurance and applicable verification of 

purchased materials); and

d. maintaining records associated with quality and tracking of individual armors; and

e. notifications of end users; and

f. recalls when necessary.
81 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

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3. Access to Manufacturing Locations for Surveillance Activities (Follow-up 

Inspection and Testing)

The Applicant expressly acknowledges and agrees that full, safe and secure access shall be 

provided to NIJ CTP staff, representatives, their agents or designees, either announced or 

unannounced, for all manufacturing facilities and/or storage facilities, records and personnel 

used in the manufacture of models of equipment identified in this document. This includes the 

selection and removal of production samples from manufacturing facilities at the Applicant’s 

expense for the purposes of surveillance (FIT).

Applicant is free to verify NIJ CTP staff, representatives, their agents or designees meet any 

U.S. Persons requirements (citizenship, Green Card Status) applied to its own employees prior 

to their entry. It is the applicant’s responsibility to communicate the manufacturing locations 

requirements to the NIJ CTP prior to the first inspection in order to avoid unnecessary costs to 

the applicant in the form of an incomplete or canceled inspection

4. Subcontracting Surveillance Activities

The Applicant agrees that the NIJ CTP may subcontract surveillance activities to third parties. 

The Applicant authorizes the NIJ CTP to disclose to the subcontractor any information 

necessary for such performance of the inspection by the subcontractor. The NIJ CTP shall 

provide as a term of any such subcontract that the subcontractor shall meet the NIJ CTP's 

current qualification requirements for accreditation, conflicts of interest and ethical standards.

The relationship between an NIJ CTP designated subcontractor and the Applicant may be 

governed by a separate agreement. Failure to execute an agreement required by an NIJ CTPdesignated subcontractor shall be viewed as a failure of the Applicant to satisfactorily participate 

in the NIJ CTP and could result in the removal of the Applicant from the program.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that any direct interaction with subcontractors is 

addressed with acceptable agreements.
82 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

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Model Designation:

Test ID:

Manufacturing Location # 1:

Address:

Point of Contact: Alternate Point of Contact:

Name

Title

Phone

E-mail

□ Current □ New (Beginning) □ Production Stop (Last)

Beginning/Last Date:

Beginning/Last Serial Number:

Beginning/Last Lot Number:

Manufacturing Location # 2:

Address:

Point of Contact: Alternate Point of Contact:

Name

Title

Phone

E-mail

□ Current □ New (Beginning) □ Production Stop (Last)

Beginning/Last Date:

Beginning/Last Serial Number:

Beginning/Last Lot Number:
83 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

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Model Designation:

Test ID:

Applicant Signatory

(an officer or representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind it)

(Name/Title):

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

□ additional pages have been attached (each page initialed and dated) to indicate 

additional manufacturing locations.

The Applicant agrees to the terms of this agreement and warrants that it has made no 

alterations to its text. The undersigned represents and warrants that he/she is authorized to 

execute this agreement on behalf of the Applicant.

Applicant Signatory Date

NLECTC-National Representative Acknowledgement:

Signature Date

Name (Please print/type)
84 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Document Name: NIJ CTP Listee Notification Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 1 of 4

National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program

Listee Notification

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no person is required to respond to a 

collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB number for 

this collection is 1121-0321. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 

estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing 

and reviewing the information.

This information is being requested pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(4) and 6 U.S.C. 162(b)(6)(B).

The disclosure is voluntary. The information provided on this form will be used by the National 

Institute of Justice to administer a product conformity assessment program for products used by 

law enforcement and correctional officers. This information and the associated products are 

voluntarily submitted under the Compliance Testing Program.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: The information provided in this document is not considered 

Confidential Commercial Information and may be released without limitations or restrictions.

This National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program Authorized Representatives 

Notification pertains to all applicants seeking to voluntarily participate in the National Institute of 

Justice Compliance Testing Program (hereafter, the NIJ CTP). Any reference to the NIJ CTP as 

an organization includes elements of both National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National 

Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National (NLECTC-National).

This agreement shall supersede all previous National Institute of Justice Compliance 

Testing Program Listee Notifications for this model.

Test ID:

Model Designation:

Date of Notification:

Please provide business headquarters information below.

Applicant Name:

Applicant Address:

Telephone:
85 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Document Name: NIJ CTP Listee Notification Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 2 of 4

Test ID:

Model Designation:

The Applicant hereby expressly acknowledges and agrees as follows:

Although it is not required that the Applicant has ownership of all brands or trademarks 

identified here, the Applicant warrants that it has permission from the owner (Listee) to 

engage in brand labeling of the product model identified above.

The NIJ CTP maintains a Compliant Products List (CPL) identifying models compliant 

with program requirements. Product listing includes model designation and 

Listee/Brand.

Other than the Listee information provided here and included on the label, no other 

changes are permitted by this agreement.

Use of this form to identify multiple Listee status does not authorize additional or 

alternative manufacturing locations.

The NIJ CTP shall hold the applicant responsible for actions they or the Multiple 

Listee(s) may take in regards to this model. Failure of the Applicant or additional

Listee(s) to abide by the requirements of the NIJ CTP could have a negative impact on 

the Applicant’s continued participation in the NIJ CTP, up to and including the removal 

of all Applicant models from the CPL under any brand or trademark.

Final labeling shall be both controlled by and the responsibility of the Applicant.

Listee # 1:

Company:

Name

Address

Point of Contact:

Name

Title

Phone

E-mail

Trade Name/Brand
86 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Document Name: NIJ CTP Listee Notification Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 3 of 4

Test ID:

Model Designation:

Listee # 2:

Company:

Name

Address

Point of Contact:

Name

Title

Phone

E-mail

Trade Name/Brand

Listee # 3:

Company:

Name

Address

Point of Contact:

Name

Title

Phone

E-mail

Trade Name/Brand
87 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Document Name: NIJ CTP Listee Notification Approval Date: 31 Mar 2013

Revision: 14 Jun 2013 Implementation Date: 14 Jun 2013

OMB Number: 1121-0321 Expires: 31 Mar 2016

Page 4 of 4

Test ID:

Model Designation:

Applicant Signatory

(an officer or representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind it)

(Name/Title):

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

□ additional pages have been attached (each page initialed and dated) to indicate 

additional manufacturing locations.

The Applicant agrees to the terms of this agreement and warrants that it has made no 

alterations to its text. The undersigned represents and warrants that he/she is 

authorized to execute this agreement on behalf of the Applicant and the Multiple Listees 

referenced here.

Applicant Signatory Date

NLECTC-National Representative Acknowledgement:

Signature Date

Name (Please print/type)

89 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

APPENDIX E.

Example Procurement 

Specifications

Option 1) Specific Quantity

The (jurisdiction) intends to purchase a total of 

(number spelled out) (number) units of body armor 

contingent on funding being made available for that 

purpose.

Of this total, approximately (number spelled out) 

(number) shall be specifically constructed for issue 

to female officers. The successful bidder further 

agrees to supply the same model of armor at the 

bid unit price offered up to the above quantity of 

units for an additional period of (select appropriate 

period of time) months for issue to new officers or for 

replacement purposes.

Option 2) Open-Ended Purchase Agreement (Term 

Contract)

The (jurisdiction) anticipates the purchase of up to a 

total of (number spelled out) (number) units of body 

armor during a (appropriate period of time)-month 

period beginning on or about (date). During this 

period, purchase orders will be issued for armor as 

needed at the bid price offered. It is estimated that 

approximately (number) % of the armor purchased 

will be specifically designated for issue to female 

officers. The term of this agreement shall be 

(appropriate period of time) months; however, the 

(jurisdiction) does not guarantee the purchase of 

any specific or minimum quantity of armor during 

the term of this agreement. The (jurisdiction) may, 

at its option and subject to agreement by the 

contractor, extend the term of this agreement at the 

same contract unit price for an additional period of 

(appropriate period of time) months.

Bidding and award

Bids shall be submitted (specify standard 

departmental regulations; e.g., departmental form, 

letter quotation).

Bids shall be accepted only for armor listed on the 

Compliant Products List for NIJ Standard-0101.06.

The (jurisdiction) reserves the right to reject or award 

any or all bids in whole or in part as deemed to be in 

the best interest of the department. 

In determining the most advantageous bid, the 

(jurisdiction) reserves the right to consider quality, 

workmanship, service and dependability of the 

product and supplier, independent of price.

The successful bidder agrees to provide a product 

label meeting the NIJ Compliance Testing Program 

(CTP) requirements on the label of each unit of 

armor.

Pre-bid conference

Specify date, time and location. If attendance is a 

condition of bid acceptance, this must be noted.

Invoicing and delivery

Specify consistent with the normal procurement 

practices of the jurisdiction.

Warranty and insurance

Each unit of armor provided under this contract shall 

be warranted for a minimum of (number spelled 

out) (number) years to be free from all defects in 

materials and workmanship.
90 Selection and Application Guide to Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor For Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety

Each unit of armor provided under this contract shall 

be warranted for a minimum of (number spelled out) 

(number) years to meet the ballistic performance 

requirements of NIJ Standard-0101.06.

Suppliers shall have a product liability performance 

insurance policy in a minimum amount of (specify per 

incident, total liability limits and period of coverage as 

appropriate, based on recommendations of department’s 

legal counsel and insurance commission). All insurance 

policies shall conform to the rules and regulations of 

(appropriate jurisdiction).

Armor specifications

Each unit of armor shall be new, unused and 

constructed of quality materials and shall:

A) Be constructed identically to the original model 

tested by the NIJ CTP and found to comply 

with the minimum performance requirements for 

Type (appropriate level) armor as specified in NIJ 

Standard-0101.06.

B) Be labeled in accordance with the requirements of 

NIJ Standard-0101.06, clearly identifying the exact 

supplier model and, if appropriate, style specified in 

the contract document.

The supplier may, at its option, include a catalog 

number for supplier or distributor convenience, 

provided that such number is properly identified and 

totally separate from the model designation line. 

Labels shall remain readable throughout the warranty 

period.

C) Be designed to be concealable under the 

standard (jurisdiction) uniform shirt. Provide full torso 

coverage with front-to-back side overlap of ballistic 

panels. (Alternately, state other side protection 

requirements or other intended manner of use; e.g., 

specific type of outerwear, tactical armor.)

D) Provide adjustment for the chest, waist and 

shoulders with the minimum relief under arms, 

neck and shoulder necessary to ensure adequate 

coverage.

E) Be designed in such a manner as to prevent the 

armor from “riding up” on the wearer during normal 

duty activities.

F) Not include closure, fastening or accessory 

attachment devices made of materials that present a 

“secondary projectile” or “ricochet” hazard if struck 

by a bullet.

G) Incorporate a carrier for the ballistic panel that 

is (appropriate choice) in color. Coloring shall be 

permanent and not bleed onto other garments.

H) Be free from any defects affecting durability, 

serviceability, appearance or user safety. 

Workmanship and construction details, cutting, 

stitching and finishing shall be in all cases in 

accordance with commercial textile standard 

practices for the intended purpose.

I) Be custom fitted. Custom fitting will take place 

at (location). (Person) will perform the measuring. 

Measurements shall be performed as per 

ASTM-E2902-12.

Termination

The (jurisdiction) may terminate the agreement 

for cause or for the convenience of the agency 

upon 30-day written notice. The (jurisdiction) may 

cancel the agreement if officers find the armor 

received to be unacceptable, or if the supplier is 

noncompliant with agreement terms, even though 

the armor itself may be fully compliant with the 

procurement specifications. Additionally, revocation 

of an armor’s compliance status (i.e., removal of 

the model from the CPL) is justifiable cause for 

termination of the agreement. The (jurisdiction) may 

also terminate the agreement if the armor is not 

delivered in a reasonable timeframe according to 

the predetermined shipping schedule. Receipt of a 

substandard product is also cause for termination.

Items to be submitted with bid

A) Example of armor model being bid, labeled in 

accordance with the requirements above (item B, 

armor specifications).
91 NIJ Selection and Application Guide-0101.06

Note: The example provided by the successful 

bidder will become the property of (jurisdiction) and 

be retained in archives for comparison with armor 

delivered under the resulting contract. 

B) Copy of the NIJ Compliance Letter for the specific 

model.

C) Proof of liability insurance.

About the Law Enforcement and Corrections

Standards and Testing Program

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standards and Testing Program is sponsored by the 

NIJ Office of Science and Technology within the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 

Programs. The program responds to provisions in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that 

authorize the NIJ Office of Science and Technology to establish and maintain performance 

standards (in accordance with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995) 

for law enforcement technologies that may be used by federal, state and local law enforcement 

agencies, and to test and evaluate those technologies. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 also 

authorizes the NIJ Office of Science and Technology to establish and maintain a program to 

certify, validate and mark or otherwise recognize law enforcement technology products that 

conform to the standards mentioned above. 

The NIJ Standards and Testing Program works to identify the needs of state and local criminal 

justice system practitioners for equipment standards and test protocols, develops voluntary performance standards for specific criminal justice tools and technologies, establishes conformity 

assessment requirements for demonstrating that commercially available equipment conforms 

to those standards, and publishes listings of product models that have been tested through one 

or more specified organizations and found to comply with the standards. The standards development process begins with the operational needs and requirements of practitioners in the field 

being defined, and, based on those needs, the standards are developed principally by a special 

technical committee led by criminal justice practitioners and including testing and conformity 

assessment experts, other technical experts, federal partners and members from practitioner 

stakeholder organizations. Manufacturers, vendors and other interested parties are provided 

with an opportunity to review and comment on draft standards prior to their publication.

As indicated above, all NIJ standards developed through the Standards and Testing Program 

are voluntary standards. There is no requirement or obligation for manufacturers, law enforcement agencies or others to follow or adopt these voluntary law enforcement technology equipment standards. The primary intent of these standards is to provide the end user of a model of 

equipment found to be compliant with a particular standard with performance information on 

key equipment characteristics, provide a level of confidence in that particular model’s fitness for 

use in specified circumstances and allow comparison of product models based on standardized 

testing methods and performance requirements. These standards do not specify a particular 

solution but rather define what a potential solution must accomplish. The ultimate goal is to 

help ensure to the degree possible that law enforcement technology equipment is safe, reliable 

and effective. 

Publications related to the Standards and Testing Program, including the voluntary standards 

and associated documents, are available at no charge through the National Law Enforcement 

and Corrections Technology Center-National (NLECTC-National) and also are available online at 

http://www.nij.gov/standards and http://www.justnet.org. To request a document or additional information, please call (800) 248-2742 or send an e-mail to asknlectc@justnet.org.

Users of NIJ standards are advised to check with http://www.nij.gov/standards on a regular 

basis to determine whether a particular law enforcement technology equipment standard has 

been revised or superseded, or the compliance status of a particular model has changed. 

This document is not intended to create, 

does not create, and may not be

relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at

law by any party in any matter civil or

criminal.

Opinions or points of view expressed in

this document represent a consensus

of the authors and do not represent the

official position or policies of the U.S.

Department of Justice. The products

and manufacturers discussed in this

document are presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute 

product approval or endorsement

by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Institute of Justice is a

component of the Office of Justice

Programs, which also includes the

Bureau of Justice Assistance; the

Bureau of Justice Statistics; the 

Office for Victims of Crime; the Office 

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention; and the Office of Sex 

Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and 

Tracking.
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Office of Justice Programs

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Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

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