Standards reference

Ballistic standards for body armor, shields, and helmets

The authoritative US standards for Personal Protection armor — NIJ, ASTM, MIL-STD, MIL-DTL, and ACH — alongside internationally-relevant HP-White, UK HOSDB, and European VPAM. Click a standard for threat levels, adoption timeline, and linked certified products.

All Body armor Shields Helmets

NIJ1 standard

NIJ0108.01rev. 1985
Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials
The primary US standard for ballistic shields and facemasks. Defines threat levels I, IIA, II, IIIA, III, IV parallel to body-armor levels. Most patrol and entry shields on the market certify to 0108.01 Level IIIA or III.
Shield

ASTM3 standards

MIL-STD1 standard

MIL-STD662Frev. 1997
V50 Ballistic Test for Armor
DoD ballistic V50 test methodology — the velocity at which 50% of projectiles penetrate. Referenced by virtually every military armor spec and by some NIJ test procedures. Foundation of almost all ballistic-armor performance testing in the US.
Body armorHelmetShield

VPAM1 standard

VPAMAPR 2006rev. 2006
VPAM APR Body Armor Standard
Vereinigung der Prüfstellen für angriffshemmende Materialien — the European ballistic-testing association's standard for body armor. Threat classes 1–9 covering handgun through rifle AP. Common in EU police procurement and relevant for US OEMs exporting to European LE.
Body armorHelmetShield

About this reference

Each standard page links out to the authoritative issuing body (NIJ, ASTM, DoD DLA, etc.) so the source is always one click away. We do not reproduce standard documents verbatim — we publish editorial summaries, threat-level tables, adoption context, and product-certification linkage. If you need the exact language of a spec, follow the source link.