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Using the NIJ Mark correctly

What the NIJ Mark says about a model, what NIJ requires next to it on a label, and how to check a Mark against the Compliant Products List.

ArmorList Editorial·November 24, 2025·3 min read

The NIJ Mark is a registered mark that manufacturers may place on body armor labels under the NIJ Compliance Testing Program. It is small, and it points to a specific record. Knowing what NIJ says the Mark means, and what must appear next to it, lets a buyer check it against the list.

What the Mark signifies

NIJ describes the Mark as tied to specific models, not to companies. According to NIJ's page on the Mark, it may be used only on specific models that have demonstrated compliance with the standard and take part in the follow-up inspection and testing (FIT) program.

When a manufacturer applies the Mark to a product, NIJ says the manufacturer is attesting to two things: that the product represents the same design and construction the program reviewed during initial evaluation and testing, and that it was built under the oversight of FIT.

NIJ registered the Mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which gives it legal protection against misuse.

What must appear next to it

NIJ's rules place the Mark on a product only when it sits next to specific information, including:

  • The name, logo or other identification of the listed company, as shown on the Compliant Products List (CPL).
  • The model designation as it appears on the model's Notice of Compliance.
  • The applicable standard, as it appears on the Notice of Compliance.
  • The rated level of protection, with the standard and edition that define it.
  • The size, and the length of the manufacturer's warranty for ballistic performance.

These are the fields that connect the label to the list. A Mark without them has nothing to check against.

The standard edition on the label

NIJ's Mark page describes the Mark for models compliant with NIJ Standard 0101.06. NIJ Standard 0101.07 has its own chapter on label requirements. We found no NIJ statement describing how the Mark applies to 0101.07 models (checked 29 September 2026), so read the standard named on the label itself, and confirm the model on the list for that standard.

The two lists are separate. NIJ stopped accepting new 0101.06 models on 5 January 2024 and anticipates maintaining the 0101.06 list through at least the end of 2029. New models are evaluated to 0101.07. A 0101.06 listing is not a 0101.07 listing.

Where a Mark goes wrong

Each of these fails one of NIJ's conditions above:

  • The Mark used for a brand or product line rather than a listed model.
  • The Mark on a model that was tested but never received a Notice of Compliance.
  • The Mark on a revised or re-sourced product that no longer matches the construction the program reviewed.
  • A label whose model designation or standard does not match the Notice of Compliance.

How to check a Mark

  • Read the model designation and standard on the label.
  • Find that exact model on the CPL for that standard.
  • Read its status (Active, Suspended or Inactive) and note the date.
  • Check the program's active Advisory and Safety Notices for the model.
Treat the Mark as a pointer to one CPL entry. If the label's model and standard do not lead to a current listing, the Mark is not evidence of compliance.

Sources

  1. NIJ, Ballistic Resistant Body Armor and the NIJ MarkRead September 29, 2026
  2. CJTTEC, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) MarkRead September 29, 2026
  3. NIJ, Registered NIJ Mark Indicates Compliance With Program StandardsRead September 29, 2026
  4. OJP, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor (NIJ Standard 0101.07), abstractRead September 29, 2026
  5. NIJ, Compliant Products List: Ballistic Resistant Body ArmorRead September 25, 2026
  6. CJTTEC, Compliant Product ListsRead September 25, 2026
  7. CJTTEC, Active Advisory and Safety NoticesRead September 25, 2026
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