The NIJ Standard (currently, NIJ Standard-0101.06) is recognized worldwide as the minimum performance standard for ballistic-resistant body armor. It establishes standardized test methods and threat rounds to evaluate armor in several different threat classifications, for both soft and hard armor designs. The NIJ Compliance Testing Program (CTP), which evaluates ballistic- and stab-resistant body armor to determine a model’s compliance with NIJ Standards, provides the end user with confidence that the armor has been independently tested and found to meet these minimum performance requirements.
NIJ CTP staff are available to answer questions from criminal justice practitioners regarding body armor selection, fit, use, and care; as well as questions about the compliance testing process through our information request email, askctp@nijctp.org. The NIJ CTP also responds to questions from manufacturers who are seeking to participate in the CTP process, or to ensure that they meet the requirements of NIJ Standard 0101.06, Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor. Manufacturers interested in submitting products to the NIJ CTP for testing, or who have questions about the CTP process, can contact CTP staff via email at bactp@nijctp.org.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJA administers a variety of federally funded programs designed to improve the safety of law enforcement and corrections officers. The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) program, created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, is a unique U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Since 1999, the BVP program has reimbursed more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $467 million in federal funds for the purchase of more than a million vests (1,395,976 as of February 2020). BVP is a critical resource for state and local jurisdictions.