The GSA MAS Security and Protection Large Category (Category J) holds 27 SINs across six subcategories, from guard services and PACS to night vision, canines, and fire equipment. Winning here takes more than a clean price proposal: FIPS 201 APL listings, a CSEIP-certified engineer, SCLS wage mapping, and TAA-compliant products decide who gets awarded.
I spent 18 years in federal acquisition as a Contracting Specialist and Contracting Officer at GSA, IRS, DoD, DOI, HHS, FTC, and Energy. Security offers are some of the most requirement-dense packages on the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). Here is what the current Refresh 32 category attachment actually requires, verified line by line.
What does the Security and Protection Large Category cover?
Category J covers law enforcement equipment, protective gear, security systems, working canines, investigative supplies, and security services. The Refresh 32 category attachment, dated June 4, 2026, organizes 27 Special Item Numbers (SINs) into six subcategories, J01 through J06. Protective Equipment is the largest, with 14 SINs.
| Subcategory | SINs | What sells there |
|---|---|---|
| J01 Marine and Harbor | 561621H | Harbor and waterfront security products, marine security services, and related training |
| J02 Protective Equipment | 3FIRE, 332216, 332312F, 332994, 332999, 332999S, 333314NV, 334220, 334519, 336320, 336413, 336992, 337215, 339920 | Fire management, rescue tools, duty gear, safes and vaults, night vision, body cameras and drones, bomb detection, sirens, aircraft armoring, armored vehicles, target systems |
| J03 Security Animals | 812910 | Working canines, handler training, kennels, detection support |
| J04 Security Services | 334118, 541330L, 541330SEC, 541990L, 561612, 611430ST | Identification systems, security integration, forensic services, guard services, security training |
| J05 Security Systems | 334290, 334290L, 334290PACS | Detection systems, non-FIPS PACS, FIPS 201 PACS |
| J06 Testing Equipment | 325412, 339999E | Criminal investigative and evidence collection supplies |
Check SIN numbers against the attachment itself, not a summary. Numbers like 561621H and 339999E get mistyped constantly.
Which SIN requirements get security offers rejected?
Five SINs carry hard gates in the category attachment. 334290PACS requires every offered product on the FIPS 201 Approved Products List. 541330SEC requires a CSEIP-certified employee. 812910 requires the Services Plus File. 334220 limits drones to the Blue UAS Cleared List. 336413 excludes fixed-wing aircraft.
- 334290PACS (PACS, FIPS 201): Every necessary product must appear on GSA's Approved Products List maintained at IDManagement.gov. The attachment states that only APL products are FIPS 201 compliant. Non-FIPS access control belongs on 334290L instead.
- 541330SEC (PACS design and integration): At least one person in your organization must be certified and listed as a Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS (CSEIP). You must also update GSA if that person leaves or their status changes.
- 812910 (working canines): Dogs cannot be listed on GSA Advantage. Offerors must use the Services Plus File option in the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP), and agencies set veterinary, certification, and acceptance standards at the order level.
- 334220 (surveillance, body cameras, drones): GSA awards only drones on DCMA's Blue UAS Cleared List, and FAR 52.240-91 Alternate I (Deviation) bars FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft systems. Training and installation must support the products and cannot be proposed standalone.
- 336413 (aircraft armoring and helicopter equipment): Fully assembled fixed-wing aircraft are excluded. Helicopters are only temporarily in scope while GSA builds a long-term strategy.
- 334290 and 334118: Vehicular alarms are excluded from 334290. Public key infrastructure (PKI) is excluded from 334118.
When I sat on the other side of the desk as a GSA Contracting Officer, the PACS offers that stalled were the ones that listed a reader or controller the APL did not show. The fix was pulling the part or moving it to 334290L. Check APL numbers before you build the product file.
How do SCLS wage determinations apply to guard services on SIN 561612?
SIN 561612 covers security guards, alarm monitors, baggage inspectors, and corrections and court security officers. These are Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) occupations, so you must map each labor category to a Department of Labor occupation code and wage determination in eOffer's SCLS Matrix, then price at or above those rates.
- Match each proposed labor category to an SCLS occupation code and title.
- Identify the wage determination number for each place of performance you will price.
- Complete the SCLS Matrix module in eOffer, as SCP-FSS-001 requires for service offers.
- Build rates that clear the wage determination base rate plus required fringe benefits.
- Attach copies of any state or local guard licenses you hold. The attachment says licenses are not required to propose labor under 561612, but they strengthen the file.
FAR 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards, is incorporated into every MAS contract that includes services. FAR 52.222-43 allows price adjustments tied to new wage determinations, but only for actual wage and fringe increases, with no added overhead or profit. You must request the increase within 30 days of receiving the new wage determination.
GSA updates the SCLS wage determinations in MAS contracts once a year through a refresh. It has already posted a set labeled for MAS Refresh #33, October 2026, on its SCLS wage determinations page. Guard firms should re-check their floor rates once the mass modification lands.
As a Contracting Specialist reviewing service offers, the guard pricing I sent back most often had a rate that cleared the base wage but ignored health and welfare fringe. The Contracting Officer cannot award below the wage determination, so that error costs you a full round of clarifications.
Do security products need to be TAA compliant?
Yes. Every product and service on MAS must comply with the Trade Agreements Act through FAR 52.225-5. Products must be made in, or substantially transformed in, the United States or a designated country. China-origin cameras, readers, and optics are the common failure point in this category.
- Country of origin: You identify it, product by product. For multi-country items, the test is substantial transformation.
- Binding rulings: U.S. Customs and Border Protection issues final substantial transformation determinations under 19 CFR Part 177, Subpart B.
- End-of-Support: If a product's End-of-Support date is three years or less from your offer, GSA may request supply and patch information. Items that reach EOS mid-contract can be removed or must be replaced at your cost.
Who buys through the Security and Protection category?
Federal agencies are the core buyers, but this category also opens state and local government. Every Category J SIN except 332999S (safes and vaults) and 334118 (identification systems) is open to Cooperative Purchasing. Law enforcement equipment also reaches states through the DoD-run 1122 program.
| Buyer channel | Who orders | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Federal ordering | Federal agencies with law enforcement, facility security, and fire missions | Standard MAS ordering procedures and order-level terms |
| Cooperative Purchasing | Eligible state, local, tribal, and territorial governments | Look for the COOP icon; see GSA's Cooperative Purchasing program |
| 1122 program | State points of contact buying for counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response | Orders and payments go directly to the MAS contractor; see the 1122 program page |
Under Executive Order 14074, several items are excluded from Cooperative Purchasing even on eligible SINs. These include suppressors, bayonets, grenades and launchers, most explosives, and non-commercial tracked or armored vehicles unless the agency certifies a qualifying use. For more on selling below the federal level, read GSA Schedule vs. state and local contracts.
What changed in this category recently?
Refresh 32 rewrote SIN 812910 around working canines and dropped "Legacy SIN" from the 334290L title. On September 30, 2026, GSA also opened a market research RFI on a permanent helicopter SIN, with responses due October 14, 2026.
- SIN 812910: Description rewritten around working canines and canine programs, excluding pets and emotional support animals.
- SIN 334290L: No longer labeled legacy, so non-FIPS PACS remains a live option.
- Helicopters: GSA's Commercial Helicopter Market Research RFI signals that rotorcraft may move off 336413 into a dedicated SIN.
- Refresh 33: GSA's draft significant changes list no Category J SIN changes. See our note on the Refresh 33 timing and mass mod.
For the full Refresh 32 picture, see the Refresh 32 changes that affect your contract.
How should you position a security offer on MAS?
Position around a total solution with clean scope boundaries. Pair products with the right services SIN, match maximum order thresholds to your deal sizes, and document credentials GSA can verify. Across our 70+ GSA contract awards, the security offers that moved cleanly were built SIN by SIN from the attachment.
- Bundle correctly: An integrator might pair 334290PACS hardware with 541330SEC design and 611430ST training, each priced on its own SIN.
- Know your order limits: Most Category J SINs carry a $250,000 maximum order. 336992 armored vehicles sit at $850,000, 334118 at $350,000, 561621H at $300,000, and 611430ST at $1,000,000.
- Check size standards per SIN: 561612 uses a $29 million standard, 541330L and 541330SEC use $25.5 million, and most product SINs use employee counts.
- Lead with verifiable proof: APL numbers, CSEIP listings, guard licenses, and CBP rulings are the evidence a CO can check in minutes.
From the CO seat, the applications that got approved fastest were the ones where scope matched the SIN description word for word. If a body camera package includes cloud video storage, say how it ties to 334220's related storage and services language.
What should you do now?
- Download the Refresh 32 Security and Protection category attachment from the MAS solicitation on SAM.gov and map every product to one SIN.
- Confirm APL numbers for all 334290PACS products and CSEIP status for 541330SEC before you touch eOffer.
- Complete TAA country-of-origin documentation for every product, and pull anything you cannot defend.
- Guard firms: rebuild the SCLS Matrix and re-check rates against the Refresh 33 wage determinations when the mass mod arrives.
- Helicopter and rotorcraft sellers: respond to GSA's RFI by October 14, 2026.
I hold FAC-C Level III and a Harvard Master of Liberal Arts, and I have seen security packages from both sides of the desk. If you want an offer built around the category attachment instead of a generic template, start your GSA Schedule with Blackfyre and we will map your products, services, and wage determinations before anything goes to GSA.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many SINs are in the GSA Security and Protection Large Category?
The Refresh 32 category attachment lists 27 SINs across six subcategories, J01 through J06. Protective Equipment (J02) is the largest with 14 SINs. Always confirm against the current attachment on SAM.gov before submitting.
Do I need a state license to offer guard services under SIN 561612?
No. The category attachment says licenses are not required to propose labor under 561612, but offerors must provide copies of any state or local licenses they hold. Ordering agencies may still require licensing at the task order level.
What is required to sell on SIN 334290PACS?
Every necessary product must be listed on GSA's FIPS 201 Approved Products List at IDManagement.gov. Only APL products are considered FIPS 201 compliant. Non-FIPS access control products belong on SIN 334290L.
What is a CSEIP and which SIN requires one?
CSEIP stands for Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS. SIN 541330SEC requires at least one CSEIP-certified person in your organization, listed at IDManagement.gov, and you must notify GSA if that person changes.
Can state and local governments buy security products from my GSA Schedule?
Yes, for most of Category J. Every SIN except 332999S and 334118 is open to Cooperative Purchasing. State points of contact can also buy counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response equipment through the 1122 program.
Can I sell drones on the GSA Security and Protection category?
Only drones on DCMA's Blue UAS Cleared List, offered under SIN 334220. FAR 52.240-91 Alternate I (Deviation) also prohibits FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft systems. Training and installation must support the drone products and cannot be sold standalone on that SIN.
Are helicopters available on GSA MAS?
Helicopters are temporarily in scope under SIN 336413 while GSA develops a long-term strategy. Fixed-wing aircraft are excluded. GSA opened a market research RFI on September 30, 2026, with responses due October 14, 2026.