NIJ Compliance Testing Program
The NIJ Compliance Testing Program is the National Institute of Justice's voluntary program for testing equipment such as ballistic-resistant and stab-resistant body armor against NIJ standards.
Equipment tested for NIJ compliance must be tested at an NIJ-approved laboratory. The Element U.S. Space & Defense facility in Belcamp, MD holds that approval.
What It Means
The Element U.S. Space & Defense facility in Belcamp, MD is approved by the National Institute of Justice Body Armor Compliance Testing Program to conduct compliance testing in accordance with:
- NIJ 0101.06 Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, Section 5: Flexible Armor Conditioning Protocol
- NIJ 0101.06 Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, Section 6: Hard Armor Conditioning Protocol
- NIJ 0101.06 Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, Section 7: Ballistic Test Methods
- NIJ 0101.07 Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor
- NIJ 0115.00 Stab Resistance of Personnel Body Armor
- NIJ 0112.03 Autoloading Pistols for Police Officers, Revision A
- NIJ 0123.00 Specification for NIJ Ballistic Protection Levels and Associated Test Threats, Appendix A: Ammunition Audit Process
[Michelle to confirm: the approval letter file name shows EXP. 2.2.28. Should the page state an expiry date? We left it out.]
[Michelle to confirm: the two blogs that use the Chesapeake Testing or NTS names are left out of Further Reading. Is that right?]
Common Questions
[Michelle to confirm: please route these answers for engineering review, especially protection levels and the ammunition audit. They were written from NIJ and CJTTEC public pages, not Element documents.]
[Michelle to confirm: the CJTTEC list shows Belcamp approved for pistol, ballistic and stab testing. Please confirm this matches the current letter.]
What is the NIJ Compliance Testing Program?
It is a voluntary National Institute of Justice program that tests equipment such as body armor and autoloading pistols against NIJ standards. The Criminal Justice Technology Testing and Evaluation Center operates it for NIJ. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is an approved laboratory under the program.
Read the full answer →Which NIJ standards is Belcamp approved to test?
Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is approved for NIJ 0101.06 Sections 5, 6 and 7, NIJ 0101.07, NIJ 0115.00, NIJ 0112.03 Revision A, and NIJ 0123.00 Appendix A. The full titles are listed on this page, and the approval letter is linked in At a Glance.
Read the full answer →What is the difference between NIJ 0101.06 and NIJ 0101.07?
NIJ 0101.07 revises NIJ 0101.06, updating test methods and laboratory practices. Protection levels and test threats moved out of the standard and into NIJ 0123.00. NIJ has said it will keep the 0101.06 list during the transition. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is approved for both standards.
Read the full answer →What are NIJ protection levels HG1, HG2, RF1, RF2 and RF3?
NIJ 0123.00 uses these names, with HG for handgun and RF for rifle. HG1 replaces Level II, HG2 replaces Level IIIA, RF1 replaces Level III and RF3 replaces Level IV. RF2 is a new intermediate rifle level. Element U.S. Space & Defense can review the level your program requires.
Read the full answer →What does NIJ 0115.00 cover?
NIJ 0115.00 covers the stab resistance of personal body armor, a separate requirement from ballistic resistance. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is approved by the NIJ Compliance Testing Program for this standard, so tell the team if your armor needs stab testing as well as ballistic testing.
Read the full answer →What does NIJ 0112.03 cover?
NIJ 0112.03 Revision A applies to autoloading pistols for police officers, so it is not a body armor standard. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is approved under the NIJ Compliance Testing Program to test to it. Contact the team to discuss sample and scheduling requirements for your program.
Read the full answer →What is the NIJ ammunition audit process?
Appendix A of NIJ 0123.00 describes a process for assessing ammunition lots to determine whether they are suitable for testing, which matters because projectile characteristics can vary. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD is approved for this appendix, so ask the team how it applies to your program.
Read the full answer →What does a lab need to become NIJ approved?
According to the program, a lab must hold NVLAP accreditation, be an independent third party, conduct body armor compliance testing within the United States and demonstrate freedom from conflicts of interest. Element U.S. Space & Defense in Belcamp, MD appears on the program's list of approved laboratories.
Read the full answer →Does testing at an approved lab make armor NIJ compliant?
Not by itself. Testing at an approved lab is one part of the program. A compliance determination comes through the NIJ Compliance Testing Program, which maintains lists of compliant products. Manufacturers should review the program's requirements first, then work with Element U.S. Space & Defense on test scheduling and samples.
Read the full answer →How can I verify Belcamp's NIJ approval?
Element U.S. Space & Defense links its NIJ approval letter in At a Glance on this page. The Criminal Justice Technology Testing and Evaluation Center also publishes a list of NIJ-approved laboratories, which you can check to confirm a lab's current status and the standards covered.
Read the full answer →Further Reading
More from Element U.S. Space & Defense on this topic.
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