Regulations
Forced Entry Resistant Glazing Explained
ASTM F3561 is a test method for forced-entry resistance of glazing systems in an active-shooter-style attack sequence. Here's what it covers, and how it relates — and doesn't — to Delaware's §2306.
What ASTM F3561 Tests
- A standardized forced-entry attack sequence, simulating an active-shooter-style attack, against a complete fenestration system.
- Results describe the tested assembly — glass, any film, attachment, and frame — as a unit, and apply only to that configuration.
- ASTM states expressly that F3561 is not a ballistic-resistant glazing rating and is not proof that entry is absolutely prevented.
How Assemblies Are Built to Perform
- Glass thickness and laminate type
- Film and attachment combinations
- Frame anchorage and condition
How F3561 Relates to Delaware §2306
- §2306 does not mandate ASTM F3561 — the statute lists product options for covered areas, not a test standard.
- Design teams may reference F3561 in a project spec as a way to define forced-entry performance for the assemblies they select.
- A film product on its own does not carry an F3561 result; the rating, where one exists, belongs to the complete tested system.
Planning a Delaware school glazing project?
We survey every opening, document the product options — security film with engineered attachment or tested ballistic-resistant assemblies — and deliver a board-ready report with phased pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ASTM F3561 required in Delaware?
No. Delaware Title 14 §2306 lists ballistic-resistant glass or material, or security film, for covered visitor-screening areas in qualifying projects — it does not mandate a specific test standard. ASTM F3561 is a voluntary test method that architects and districts can reference in a specification to define the forced-entry performance they want an assembly to demonstrate.
Does an ASTM F3561 result mean the glass is bullet resistant?
No. ASTM is explicit that F3561 is a forced-entry test method, not a ballistic-resistant glazing rating, and that passing it is not proof that entry is absolutely prevented. Ballistic resistance is a separate question evaluated under standards such as UL 752, and it belongs to a complete tested ballistic system — not to security film alone.
Reviewed by
Cody Becker — School Security Glazing Consultant