NIJ Compliance

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. It establishes and updates voluntary minimum performance standards for body armor, conducts testing against these standards to ensure that body armor complies with the standards, and sponsors research to improve body armor. NIJ throughout the years has established several testing protocols and standards dating back to the early 1970s. The NIJ 0101.06 standard covers personnel soft body armor as well as hard rifle armor and is currently the most rigorous body armor testing standard. Recognition and acceptance of the NIJ standards have grown worldwide, making it the performance benchmark for ballistic-resistant body armor.

While it is not mandatory for any manufacturer to participate in the NIJ CTP; we believe this sets us apart from most manufacturers in the industry. You can rest assured when making a purchase of an NIJ CPL (Compliant Product Listed) model that the manufacturer has undergone a very rigorous test protocol to achieve this distinguished mark.

HIGHCOM ARMOR NIJ 0101.06 CPL COMPLIANT PRODUCTS

LEVEL III PLATESLEVEL IV PLATESLEVEL II SOFT ARMORLEVEL IIIA SOFT ARMOR
Guardian 3s9™Guardian 4s17™Trooper sa2910™Trooper 3a300™
Guardian 3s9m™Guardian 4s17m™Trooper sa2300™Trooper sa3000™
Guardian 3s11™Trooper sa2910f™Trooper sa3100™
Guardian 3s11m™Trooper sa3920™
Guardian AR500™Trooper sa3920f™
Guardian AR1000™
Guardian 3i7m ICW sa3920™

Contact us today to learn more about our armor!

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) administers a Body Armor Compliance Testing Program (CTP) tests commercially available armor for compliance to determine whether the vests will perform as expected. In addition to being tested for NIJ compliance, body armor models must meet workmanship and labeling requirements. NIJ also has a follow-up inspection and a testing requirement to ensure that the body armor worn by officers is safe and reliable.

Each body armor manufacturer with a model that meets the standard is subject to six follow-up inspections and testing over a five-year period, consisting of:

  • Inspections of recently manufactured vests to determine whether they are constructed in the same way as the original samples.
  • Follow-up ballistic testing.

 

NIJ’s National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center manage the compliance testing program. NIJ requires that body armor models being tested for NIJ compliance must be tested at an approved laboratory.

To be approved, a lab must:

  • Be accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology as meeting general international standards for laboratory technical competence and quality management, as well as meeting specific technical requirements to perform the body armor tests included in the NIJ standards. Learn more about the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program.
  • Be an independent, third-party laboratory and conduct all body armor compliance testing within the United States.
  • Demonstrate freedom from potential conflicts of interest and maintain independent decisional relationships from its clients, affiliates, contractors and other organizations.

 

Contact Department of Justice

Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:

  • Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555
  • Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000