Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Bullet Resistant: Building Code Definition

How the IFC 2009 define bullet resistant, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

On this page

Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

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Direct answer

Bullet resistant is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Explosives and Fireworks. The code's own words are: “Constructed so as to resist penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second (fps) (824 mps) when fired from a 30-caliber rifle at a distance of 100 feet (30 480 mm), measured perpendicular to the target.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 2 chapters of this corpus, most often in Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.

What does this term mean?

Bullet Resistant — IFC 2009, Explosives and Fireworks:

Constructed so as to resist penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second (fps) (824 mps) when fired from a 30-caliber rifle at a distance of 100 feet (30 480 mm), measured perpendicular to the target.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Bullet Resistant: Building Code Definition — How the IFC 2009 define bullet resistant, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Bullet Resistant is defined once in this corpus, in the Explosives and Fireworks chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:

Constructed so as to resist penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second (fps) (824 mps) when fired from a 30-caliber rifle at a distance of 100 feet (30 480 mm), measured perpendicular to the target.

Where bullet resistant is used in the code

The term appears in 2 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Explosives and Fireworks	IFC 2009	5
Definitions	IFC 2009	1

The term in use

How the code actually writes about bullet resistant, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

A permanent structure, such as a building or igloo, that is bullet resistant, fire resistant, theft resistant, weather resistant and ventilated in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 495, NFPA 1124 or DOTy 27 CFR Part 55.

— IFC 2009, Explosives and Fireworks

Bullet Resistant: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.

Check	Where	Confirmed
Read the definition in the adopted IFC	Explosives and Fireworks
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IFC 2009)
Local amendment to any of the above	Jurisdiction's amendment list

A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

Source links

Frequently asked questions

What is the code definition of bullet resistant?

The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Explosives and Fireworks as: “Constructed so as to resist penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second (fps) (824 mps) when fired from a 30-caliber rifle at a distance of 100 feet (30 480 mm), measured perpendicular to the target.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

Which parts of the code depend on bullet resistant?

In this corpus the term is used across 2 chapters, led by Explosives and Fireworks in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

What is bullet resistant?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Explosives and Fireworks: “Constructed so as to resist penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second (fps) (824 mps) when fired from a 30-caliber rifle at a distance of 100 feet (30 480 mm), measured perpendicular to the target.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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