The National Institute of Justice released the Compliant Products List (CPL) for NIJ Standard 0101.07 in late June 2026, according to NIJ. The release marks the most significant update to ballistic body armor testing protocols since 2008 — an 18-year gap that the new standard addresses by modernizing test methods to better reflect current prevalent ballistic threats identified by U.S. law enforcement.
What Changed in the Standard Structure
The most architecturally notable change in 0101.07 is the shift to a modular format. Ballistic protection levels are no longer embedded in the primary armor standard. Instead, they are defined in a separate companion document, NIJ Standard 0123.00. According to NIJ, this separation allows the agency to update threat levels in the future without requiring a complete rewrite of the primary body armor standard. That matters because threat environments change, and the old structure made incremental updates cumbersome.
The standard was developed through a decade of collaboration involving the U.S. Army, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, ballistics laboratories, and industry stakeholders, according to NIJ. The process also incorporates a suite of ASTM International test methods and laboratory practices designed to harmonize testing procedures across participating labs.
The NIJ Compliance Testing Program's Product Conformity Assessment System for ballistic body armor is now governed by the 101-07 version of the standard, and the transition includes updated follow-up inspection and testing schemes for products already certified under the program.
New Naming Conventions for Protection Levels
The familiar Roman numeral level system is gone. Under 0101.07, former Level II armor is now designated HG1, and former Level IIIA is now HG2. The "HG" prefix stands for handgun threat resistance. Former Level III, which addressed rifle threats, is now RF1, with "RF" denoting rifle threat resistance. NIJ has also introduced a new intermediate rifle threat level: RF2. That category did not exist under the previous standard and fills a gap between soft handgun-rated armor and hard rifle plates.
Agencies reviewing existing procurement specifications or equipment lists will need to translate legacy level designations into the new nomenclature. The NIJ CTP maintains the official Compliant Products List to assist agencies in procurement decisions, according to NIJ.
Testing Improvements and Scope
NIJ Standard 0101.07 includes specific improvements to test methods for armor designed for female officers. The NIJ did not elaborate on the precise mechanical changes in public-facing materials, but the inclusion signals that the standard now accounts for body geometry differences that earlier protocols did not formally address.
The standard does not extend to non-torso ballistic items. According to NIJ, the agency does not currently certify products such as backpacks, blankets, or briefcases for ballistic protection. Agencies procuring those items have no NIJ benchmark to reference.
Compliance Pressure and State Mandates
The CPL release carries immediate procurement implications in at least one state. Maryland House Bill 904, which took effect October 1, 2026, mandates that protective body armor must conform to current NIJ standards. With 0101.07 now the governing standard and the CPL active, agencies operating in Maryland must verify that armor purchases appear on the updated list.
Separately, the NIJ Compliance Testing Program is actively removing armor models and listees from the program in response to federal criminal enforcement actions, according to NIJ. The agency did not specify which enforcement actions prompted removals, but the ongoing culling of the CPL means agencies should treat the list as a living document and verify compliance status close to the point of purchase rather than relying on older lookups.
NIJ has been setting voluntary body armor standards for law enforcement and corrections since 1972. The 0101.07 release continues that role, though the Maryland statute illustrates how voluntary federal standards increasingly carry mandatory weight at the state level.
