The National Institute of Justice released the Compliant Products List for the new NIJ Standard 0101.07 in late June 2026, marking the formal start of the certification era under the replacement standard for body armor used by law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies began receiving armor certified to 0101.07 in the latter half of 2026, according to the standard's transition documentation.
The 0101.07 standard replaces NIJ Standard 0101.06, which had governed ballistic-resistant body armor certification since 2008. That means the outgoing standard was in effect for roughly 18 years. The new standard specifies minimum performance requirements for body armor intended to protect the torso against both handgun and rifle ammunition.
How the Protection Level Designations Changed
The naming system for ballistic protection levels changed entirely under 0101.07. The old Roman numeral designations are gone. What was formerly called Level II is now designated HG1. Former Level IIIA becomes HG2. The "HG" prefix signals resistance to specific handgun rounds in both cases. Level III armor, previously the entry point for rifle-caliber protection, is now called RF1 — the "RF" prefix denoting resistance to specific rifle-caliber threats.
The new designations come directly from NIJ Standard 0123.00, which 0101.07 relies on to define ballistic protection levels and the associated test threats. NIJ Standard 0123.00 is the inaugural standard of its type. The 0101.07 standard itself was formally announced in the Federal Register at 88 FR 83579 in November 2023, setting the regulatory foundation before the CPL publication followed in mid-2026.
A Decade of Development Behind the New Standard
The transition to 0101.07 was not quick. According to transition documents, the standard involved a decade of collaboration between the NIJ, the U.S. Army, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. ASTM International test methods and laboratory practices serve as the foundational building blocks for the standard, grounding the certification process in established, peer-recognized methodology.
The NIJ Compliance Testing Program manages the shift from testing models against the old 0101.06 requirements to the new 0101.07 framework. The CTP is currently focused on implementing 0101.07 as the primary benchmark for law enforcement body armor certification going forward.
One significant addition in the new standard is explicit testing provisions for body armor designed for female officers. The 0101.07 standard includes specific provisions and testing methodologies for that segment of the officer population — an element absent or underdeveloped in the previous generation of requirements.
What Agencies Need to Do Now
Agencies procuring new body armor are advised to verify that all new equipment purchases meet the specific testing requirements outlined in the 0101.07 standard. The CPL, now published, is the reference document for confirming which products have passed NIJ's updated testing requirements. Purchasing armor that was certified only to the 0101.06 standard will not satisfy 0101.07 compliance.
The NIJ continues to maintain a separate standard covering stab and slash resistance — protection against knives and spikes — which is distinct from the ballistic standard and was not replaced by 0101.07.
For agencies reviewing fleet-wide armor contracts or updating their procurement specifications, the shift in level designations has a direct practical effect: bid documents and specifications written around the old Roman numeral system — Level II, IIIA, III — will need to be updated to reflect HG1, HG2, and RF1 respectively. Contracts that reference the 0101.06 standard by name will similarly require revision to point to the new standard and the CPL published under it.
The NIJ CTP's ongoing role is to serve as the gatekeeper during the transition period, ensuring that the market moves away from 0101.06-certified products as the authoritative list of compliant armor shifts to those tested under the newer, more rigorous framework. Agencies that have questions about specific products should consult the published CPL directly rather than relying on manufacturer representations alone.
