The National Institute of Justice will keep the 0101.06 Compliant Products List active through at least the end of calendar year 2027, NIJ confirmed. That list covers ballistic-resistant body armor worn by law enforcement and corrections officers. The deadline matters: agencies that purchased 0101.06-certified armor are not required to immediately replace it, and NIJ officials have explicitly stated that officers should continue wearing currently issued armor while the market completes its shift.
The NIJ Compliance Testing Program stopped accepting new armor models for testing under 0101.06 in early 2024. Any manufacturer that missed that cutoff must now submit under the newer standard. The transition is underway, but it is not complete.
What NIJ Standard 0101.07 Actually Changes
0101.07 is now the current national standard for ballistic resistance of body armor. One of the most visible changes is the threat level terminology. The old classification system is gone. In its place, 0101.07 uses HG designations for handgun threats and RF designations for rifle threats. Agencies reviewing procurement specifications or updating policy language will need to update references accordingly.
The standard also brings expanded test methods. Environmental conditioning, water immersion, and backface deformation testing are all part of the 0101.07 protocol, according to NIJ. Backface deformation measures the depth of the depression left in a clay backing material when a round strikes the armor — a critical metric for blunt trauma assessment even when the round does not fully penetrate.
Addendum 3 to NIJ Standard 0101.07, published November 25, 2025, added revisions to testing definitions, including a clarification on what constitutes complete penetration for soft armor. That clarification has direct consequences for how laboratories score test results, and by extension, how manufacturers design panels.
NIJ Standard 0123.00, which specifies ballistic protection levels and test threats, is used alongside 0101.07 for equipment evaluation, according to NIJ.
Testing for Female Officers and Corrections Environments
0101.07 includes improved test methods specifically designed to evaluate armor fit and performance for female officers, NIJ said. That is a structural change, not a cosmetic one. Armor geometry that does not perform under the new test protocols will not make the Compliant Products List under 0101.07, regardless of how it tested under the older standard.
The standard also addresses stab resistance. Two distinct protection classes cover stab-resistant armor: one for high-quality commercial knives, and a separate class for improvised spikes common in corrections environments. Agencies operating in jail or prison settings should confirm which class their current armor satisfies.
NIJ also recognizes a category called Limited Coverage Armor for covert or first-responder applications. That armor must still meet minimum performance requirements under the CTP to qualify, NIJ noted. Reduced coverage does not mean reduced accountability to the standard.
How the Certification Process Works Under 0101.07
Manufacturers seeking certification under the new standard must register, submit documentation, and send physical samples to an NIJ-approved laboratory. All body armor models must complete testing at an approved laboratory before they are eligible for the Compliant Products List, according to NIJ. There are no shortcuts and no self-certification pathway.
NIJ CTP Document 101-07 outlines the specific conformity assessment requirements for manufacturers. The NIJ CTP uses the Technology Information Management System, known as TIMS, to manage the certification process for models submitted under 0101.07.
One boundary NIJ has drawn clearly: the compliance testing program covers body armor only. NIJ does not test or certify non-armor ballistic items such as backpacks, blankets, or briefcases. Agencies that have considered those items as supplemental protection for officers should not expect NIJ certification to appear on them.
What Agencies Should Do Now
For most agencies, the immediate answer is straightforward. Currently fielded armor certified to 0101.06 remains valid and on the active CPL through at least the end of 2027. Officers do not need to stop wearing it. NIJ officials have been direct on that point.
For agencies that are actively procuring new armor, specifications should reference 0101.07. The old standard is closed to new submissions. Any armor entering the market now and seeking NIJ compliance will be certified under 0101.07, with HG and RF designations replacing the older threat level labels.
Agencies with specific questions about the transition can submit inquiries directly to NIJ through the webform at nij.ojp.gov/asknij, according to NIJ. That channel is available for questions about standard requirements and the compliance process.
The period between now and the end of 2027 gives procurement officers, quartermaster staff, and policy writers time to align specifications, update training materials, and plan replacement cycles around the 0101.07 framework. That window is defined. It ends when the 0101.06 CPL sunsets.
