Does the Berry Amendment apply to uniforms sold to civilian agencies?

The Berry Amendment applies to the Department of Defense. DHS has a similar rule called the Kissell Amendment, while other civilian buys on GSA schedules mainly follow the Trade Agreements Act.

What GSA SIN covers uniforms?

SIN 315210 Uniforms, with related SINs 3152 Workwear Clothing, 316210 Footwear and 339113PA Protective Apparel.

What body armor standard do police departments require?

Most require armor listed under the NIJ Compliance Testing Program. The current standard is NIJ 0101.07, and NIJ will keep the older 0101.06 list through at least the end of 2029.

How much can federal agencies spend on employee uniforms?

Up to $1,500 per employee per year, effective July 13, 2026, up from $800.

How long does it take to sell uniforms and apparel to government?

It depends on the size of the purchase and how it's bought. Small purchases under an agency's threshold, or buys through an existing cooperative contract, can move quickly. Purchases that need a formal bid or a new budget line usually take longer, often a full budget cycle.

Can KSG help us sell uniforms and apparel to government?

Yes. Kensington Sales Group provides outsourced SDRs who research target agencies, reach the right program owners and purchasing contacts, and book qualified meetings for your sales team. Book a 30-minute call to talk it through.

Selling Uniforms and Apparel to Government: A Vendor's Guide

Key takeaways

OPM raised the maximum annual federal employee uniform allowance from $800 to $1,500, effective July 13, 2026 (final rule published April 14, 2026).
Common ways agencies buy uniforms and apparel: GSA MAS SIN 315210 Uniforms, GSA MAS SIN 3152 Workwear Clothing, GSA MAS SIN 316210 Footwear.
Rules to plan for: Berry Amendment (DoD), Kissell Amendment (DHS), Trade Agreements Act (FAR Subpart 25.4).
A contract vehicle or vendor registration makes buying easier, but it doesn't create demand. The vendors that win reach program owners before budgets and bids are set.

Who buys uniforms and apparel in government

Purchases of uniforms and apparel happen across federal agencies, states, counties, cities, school districts and colleges, hospitals, tribal governments, special districts and public utilities. The people you'll deal with usually include:

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Clothing and Textiles
Federal agency uniform program managers (law enforcement, park service, corrections and others)
Police department quartermasters and police chiefs
Fire department chiefs, PPE committees and logistics officers
EMS agency operations managers
Corrections facility administrators
Public works, transit and utility fleet and safety managers
School district and university purchasing for staff, athletics and food service uniforms

The purchasing office runs the process, but the program owner who has the problem usually decides what gets bought. Reach both. See government buyer roles for how they work together.

The government uniforms and apparel market

OPM raised the maximum annual federal employee uniform allowance from $800 to $1,500, effective July 13, 2026 (final rule published April 14, 2026). (OPM, CPM-2026-09 Final Regulations on Uniform Allowances (June 26, 2026))

How agencies buy uniforms and apparel

Small purchases under an agency's threshold can often be made with a quote or a purchase card. Larger purchases need a formal bid or an existing contract. These are the contract vehicles agencies commonly use for uniforms and apparel:

Contract vehicle	What it is
GSA MAS SIN 315210 Uniforms	MAS SIN for uniforms under the Miscellaneous – Apparel subcategory.
GSA MAS SIN 3152 Workwear Clothing	MAS SIN for workwear clothing.
GSA MAS SIN 316210 Footwear	MAS SIN for footwear.
GSA MAS SIN 339113PA Protective Apparel	MAS SIN for protective apparel, including a body armor subgroup.
DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles	The Defense Logistics Agency buys military uniforms, footwear and textiles and runs small business outreach for suppliers.

Thresholds differ by state and agency; see our state procurement thresholds. For which cooperatives cover which categories, see cooperative contracts by category.

Rules and requirements for selling uniforms and apparel

Requirement	What it means for you
Berry Amendment (DoD)	Clothing, textiles and footwear bought by the Department of Defense generally must be made entirely in the U.S., from raw materials to final assembly, for contracts over $150,000.
Kissell Amendment (DHS)	The Department of Homeland Security has a similar domestic preference for clothing, footwear and textiles tied to national security, though trade agreements can allow some foreign sources.
Trade Agreements Act (FAR Subpart 25.4)	Apparel sold on GSA schedules generally must be made or substantially transformed in the U.S. or a designated country.
NIJ Standard 0101.07 (body armor)	Body armor sold to law enforcement is tested and listed under NIJ's Compliance Testing Program; 0101.07 replaced 0101.06 and renamed threat levels (for example IIIA is now HG2), and NIJ will keep the 0101.06 list through at least the end of 2029.
NFPA 1970 (firefighter protective ensembles)	The 2025 edition of NFPA 1970 combined several earlier firefighter PPE standards, including NFPA 1971, into one standard that fire departments write into turnout gear specs.
Federal uniform allowance cap (5 CFR part 591, subpart A)	Agencies can spend up to $1,500 per employee per year on uniforms (effective July 13, 2026), including up to 4% in supplier service charges within that cap.

Requirements vary by agency and contract. Read each solicitation's terms, and check with the buyer when in doubt. This isn't legal advice.

Buying signals to watch

These events often mean an agency will buy uniforms and apparel soon:

A department adopting a new uniform design, color or patch, or a new agency standard
Hiring classes and academy graduations for police, fire and corrections
Changes in body armor or PPE standards (such as the move to NIJ 0101.07 or NFPA 1970)
Grant awards for officer safety or firefighter equipment
Uniform allowance increases (such as OPM's July 2026 raise to $1,500)

For more, see our guide to government buying signals and the contract expirations guide.

A sales process for selling uniforms and apparel

Register. Get into SAM.gov for federal work and each state or local vendor portal you'll sell into. Use our vendor registration checklist.
Pick your path to purchase. Decide which contract vehicles above fit your target buyers, and whether a reseller or partner already holds one.
Build the target list. Identify the agencies with the need, the budget and the buying authority, and the people who own the problem.
Start conversations early. Reach program owners while budgets and requirements are still being written, not after an RFP is posted.
Follow through to purchase. Help the buyer pick the method, whether a cooperative purchase, quote or formal bid. When a bid comes, use our RFP response guide.

How KSG helps you sell uniforms and apparel

Kensington Sales Group runs outbound sales development for companies selling to the public sector. Our SDRs research your target agencies, find the program owners and purchasing contacts, and book meetings for your sales team across Federal, SLED, K-12 and higher ed, healthcare, tribal, special district and utility markets. We also run bilingual English and Spanish outreach across the Western Hemisphere.

See how our outsourced SDR service works.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026.

Selling uniforms and apparel to government.