Body Armor Level Guide
Pick the level name printed on a label to see which NIJ standard defines it, NIJ's own rename between editions, and where to read the test threats. 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.
Read a Level Name
What NIJ says about levels and labels
- “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
- “The ballistic test threats are no longer listed in NIJ Standard 0101.07 as in past revisions of the standard.” “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 The 2008 edition is NIJ Standard 0101.06, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor (2008, PDF).
- “Given the large number of ballistic-resistant vests currently worn by law enforcement officers, the NIJ Compliance Testing Program anticipates maintaining the 0101.06 Compliant Products List through at least the end of calendar year 2029.” NIJ, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, NIJ Standard 0101.07
- “In addition to being tested for NIJ compliance, body armor models must meet workmanship and labeling requirements.” NIJ, Body Armor Performance Standards and Compliance Testing
- 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 requires that all compliant armor models include care instructions.” NIJ, Factors that Impact the Effectiveness of Body Armor (archived 2012 article)
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.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does this guide tell me?
What NIJ itself publishes about a level name: which standard defines it, its name in the other edition from NIJ's Table 1, and NIJ's note (HG = handgun, RF = rifle). It does not list rounds and does not say what any armor will do. The label on the armor and the standard it names are the authority on what it was tested against.
Is a Level III plate the same as RF1?
Not as a test. NIJ's Table 1 renames NIJ Level III as NIJ RF1, but NIJ also says the test threats in NIJ Standard 0123.00 were updated from NIJ Standard 0101.06. Armor tested to 0101.06 was tested to that edition's threats. Count it only as what its own label says, and ask the maker.
Does armor expire?
Armor has a service life. NIJ requires every model on its compliant products list to declare a ballistic warranty period, set by the manufacturer. Armor past that period, damaged, or not cared for as its label says is not what was rated. Ask the maker.
Is it legal to own body armor?
Laws on owning or buying body armor vary by country and state; check your local law.