Plant floor problems · Modular Offices
Choosing a guard booth: standard, or ballistic-rated to a UL 752 level
Reviewed September 25, 2026. Official sources are linked where they exist.
Short answer
UL 752 is the Standard for Bullet-Resisting Equipment. A material passes at a level when the test rounds do not penetrate and there is no spalling that would injure someone behind it. The legacy levels run from Level 1, three rounds of 9 mm, through Level 3, three rounds of .44 Magnum, which is the common choice for public-facing facilities, up to rifle levels; the current edition uses designations such as UL-HG-A, UL-HG-C, and UL-RF-H instead of numbers. The level is chosen from a site threat assessment, not from the catalog, and it sets the glazing and the wall plate thickness, which is most of the booth's cost.
What UL 752 tests
The standard specifies the round, the velocity, and the number of shots for each level, and a material passes when there is no penetration and no spalling that could injure a person behind the material. Booth manufacturers build the walls in steel with rated glazing to the specified level. The eleventh edition used numbered levels; the twelfth edition moved to designations that name the threat class, for example UL-HG-A for 9 mm handgun, UL-HG-C for .44 Magnum, and UL-RF-H for 7.62 mm rifle.
| Level 1 | Three rounds, 9 mm |
|---|---|
| Level 2 | Three rounds, .357 Magnum |
| Level 3 | Three rounds, .44 Magnum; common for public facilities |
| Level 4 | One round, .30-06 |
| Level 5 | One round, 7.62 mm ball |
| Level 6 | Five rounds, 9 mm high velocity |
| Level 7 | Five rounds, 5.56 mm |
| Level 8 | Five rounds, 7.62 mm ball |
Choosing a level
Levels 1 through 3 cover most commercial and public-facing sites; higher levels are specified where the threat assessment calls for rifle protection. The assessment should come first, because each step up adds glazing thickness, weight, and cost, and because a booth rated higher than the threat is money that could have gone into cameras or a second booth. Ask for the manufacturer's UL 752 documentation for the glazing and the panels at the specified level.
What else the booth needs
Ballistic or not, a booth is specified by size, climate, utilities, and how it gets set.
- Size by the number of officers and equipment inside; 4' x 6' to 8' x 12' typical
- Heat pump or heater and A/C; lighting and outlets pre-wired to a single connection
- Sliding transaction window; restroom module on larger booths
- Pad, anchoring, and the crane or forklift set, which is most of the installation
Questions buyers ask
- What UL 752 level should a plant gate booth have?
- That comes from a threat assessment. Levels 1 through 3 fit most commercial sites; utilities and government sites often specify higher. Do the assessment before pricing.
- Is a ballistic booth much heavier?
- Yes. Rated glazing and steel plate add weight with each level, which affects the pad and the crane. The quote includes the set.
- How does a guard booth ship?
- Assembled, on a flatbed, set on a prepared pad with a forklift or crane, and connected to one power point.
Do your own research
Official sources first. We link the rule, not a summary of the rule, wherever one exists.
- UL 752 Standard for Bullet-Resisting Equipment, overview
Intertek
What the standard covers and what passing means.
- What does it take to stop a speeding bullet?
UL Solutions
The twelfth edition's threat-class designations.