About the Compliance Testing Program
The National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program (NIJ CTP) is operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, NIJ.
NIJ controls strategy, policy, and decisions about certification and evaluation. NIJ has tasked its Criminal Justice Technology Testing and Evaluation Center (CJTTEC) with administering the NIJ CTP. Currently, the NIJ CTP operates programs to evaluate the following types of equipment in accordance with the requirements of NIJ standards:
- Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0101.06
- Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0115.00
- Autoloading Pistols for Police Officers, NIJ Standard-0112.03, Revision A
About NIJ Certification
The only ballistic-resistant product that NIJ certifies is law enforcement body armor that meet the requirements of NIJ’s Compliance Testing Program (CTP), which are then listed on NIJ’s Compliant Products List (CPL). The NIJ CTP has never tested nor certified other types of ballistic items, such as backpacks, blankets, or briefcases. Any statements, marketing literature, or information presented on their respective websites by product manufacturers that claims NIJ testing or certification for such products is false. For more information, please refer to the following US Department of Justice statement.
Previously, the NIJ CTP operated a voluntary CTP for metallic handcuffs in accordance with NIJ Standard-0307.01. That program ended in 2016, and the standard’s NIJ list of approved restraints is no longer available. Metallic and nonmetallic wrist and ankle restraints are now tested by the Safety Equipment Institute in accordance with NIJ Standard-1001.00, Revision A (September 2019 PDF). Learn more about the current testing program for criminal justice restraints on NIJ’s website.
NIJ Certification Process
Independent test laboratories test products that the NIJ CTP evaluates. These laboratories are accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program to the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC 17025:2005), and also meet NIJ-specific criteria for independence from manufacturers/suppliers that have their equipment tested to NIJ standards.
A CJTTEC-selected, independent inspection body performs the manufacturing location surveillance inspections. The inspection body must be accredited by a signatory of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement and be a Type A (third party) Inspection Body—as defined by ISO/IEC 17020:2012, Clause A.1.
A swim lane diagram describing the certification process that the NIJ CTP uses is available for reference in the NIJ CTP Process Charts presentation (PDF).
Contact Information
Address:
NIJ Compliance Testing Program (NIJ CTP)
P.O. Box 12194
3040 E. Cornwallis Road
Hermann Building, Room 216
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194
Phone: 919-485-2717
Email: askctp@nijctp.org
Body Armor/Stab-resistant/Autoloading Pistols
Contact: Alex Sundstrom, CTP Operations Manager
Phone: 919-485-2717
Email: bactp@nijctp.org
