NIJ 0101.04 standard establishes six (6) ballistic protection levels. Levels I, IIA and IIIA refers to personal armor used in a police working day, while levels III and IV, which provide protection against rifle shots, are recommended for tactical situations demanding its use.

NIVEL I
This armor protects against .22 caliber Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LRLRN) bullets, with nominal mass of 2.6 g and a velocity of 320 m/s (1050 ft./s), and 380 ACP (9x17 mm) Full Metal Jacket Round Nose (FMJRN) bullets, with 6.5 g mass and initial velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft./s).

NIVEL IIA
This armor protects against 9x19 mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) bullets, with nominal mass of 8.0 g (124 gr) impacting at a velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft./s), and .40 S&W caliber FMJ bullets, with nominal mass of 11.7 g and initial velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft./s).

NIVEL II
This armor includes protection against 9x19 mm FMJ bullets, with nominal mass of 8.0 g (124 gr) and impact velocity of 358 m/s (1175 ft./s), and .357 Magnum Jacketed (J), Softpoint (S) bullets, with mass of 10.2 g impacting at velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft./s).

NIVEL IIIA
This armor protects against 9x19 mm FMJ bullets, with nominal mass of 8.0 g (124 gr) and impact velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft./s), and .44 Magnum JS, with nominal mass of 15.6 g and impact velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft./s).

NIVEL III
This armor protects against 7.62x51 mm FMJ bullets (military designation M80), with nominal mass of 9.6 g and initial velocity of 838 m/s (2750 ft./s).

NIVEL IV
This armor protects against .30 caliber armor piercing (AP) bullets, military designation M2AP, with nominal mass of 10.8 g impacting at a velocity of 869 m/s (2850 ft./s).