Body Armor Ratings: NIJ’s Own Guidance
This page used to match threats to armor levels. It no longer does, and no page on ArmorArmy.com will. The label on the armor and the standard it names are the authority on what it was tested against. No page on this site promises what any armor will do.
Where the answer lives
- “The NIJ publication Specification for NIJ Ballistic Protection Levels and Associated Test Threats, NIJ Standard 0123.00 specifies the NIJ ballistic protection levels and associated test threats identified by U.S. law enforcement as representative of current prevalent threats in the United States.” NIJ, Specification for NIJ Ballistic Protection Levels and Associated Test Threats, NIJ Standard 0123.00
- Levels change between editions: “The test projectiles and reference velocities in the inaugural version of NIJ Standard 0123.00 have been updated from section 2 of NIJ Standard 0101.06 to reflect the current threats faced by U.S. law enforcement end users, including a wider range of rifle threats.” NIJ, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, NIJ Standard 0101.07
- Check a model on NIJ’s own list, and “remember to look for the NIJ mark”: NIJ, Compliant Products List: Ballistic Resistant Body Armor
- “Note that NIJ has never tested nor certified ballistic items, such as backpacks, blankets, or briefcases, other than body armor for law enforcement.” NIJ, Compliant Products List: Ballistic Resistant Body Armor
Armor has a service life
Armor has a service life. A rating describes armor as tested, inside the maker's declared warranty period: armor that is past that period, damaged, or not cared for as its label says is not what was rated. Ask the maker.
- “All armor on the compliant product list must have a declared ballistic warranty period (it is up to the manufacturer to determine that period based on its test date).” NIJ, Factors that Impact the Effectiveness of Body Armor (archived 2012 article)
- “Age is not the only factor that affects degradation of body armor. Wear and tear from normal use can also contribute to deterioration.” NIJ, Factors that Impact the Effectiveness of Body Armor (archived 2012 article)
Outside the United States, and the law
Other countries certify armor to their own standards, for example the UK's Home Office Body Armour Standard (2017). GOV.UK, Home Office Body Armour Standard (2017)
Laws on owning or buying body armor vary by country and state; check your local law.
To read what a label’s level name means, see the Body Armor Level Guide.
Why the change: the old lookup was retired on October 10, 2026. It is kept at this address so old links land here, and it is not listed among our tools.