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•	 Intruder-resistant glass does let 
a bullet pass through. However, 
because of the lamination binding 
the glass together, a person cannot 
use that bullet hole to immediately 
break open an entry large enough to 
pass through. 
It’s important to remember that all 
intruder-resistant glass, no matter how 
strong, will eventually fail after repeated 
attacks. But they will delay an attacker – 
buying you crucial minutes. By slowing 
down attackers, intruder-resistant 
materials give emergency responders time 
to stop an assault.
An alternative to new glass is intruder-
resistant film, a polyester film that 
can be applied directly to existing 
glass. This material has lower up-front 
costs because, unlike new glass, it 
doesn’t need to be custom ordered, 
manufactured, and shipped to your 
site. However, intruder-resistant film 
requires special cleaning procedures 
to keep it from becoming cloudy. The 
films also lose integrity when damaged, 
meaning it needs to be replaced soon 
after scratching or peeling.  Because of 
this, intruder-resistant film may lead 
to more long-term costs in time and 
maintenance.  
Code Requirements:  
Safety vs. Security Glass
Building codes typically require 
safety glass to prevent severe injuries 
from broken glass. On the other hand, 
depending on your local building codes, 
security glass may be client-driven, giving 
you more flexibility on levels of strength 
and resistance. With continuing concerns 
over school safety, however, some states 
are considering adopting security glass 
requirements. 
Recently, the State of Missouri passed 
Senate Bill 68, which codifies several 
school safety practices into law. One of 
these is a requirement for security glass 
or film on exterior doors and entryways. 
According to this new law, all new school 
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doors with vision panels installed after 
August 2025 must incorporate security 
glass, and all existing doors must be 
retrofitted with security window film by 
July 2029. We recommend checking out 
MSBA’s Senate Bill 68 Resource Hub for 
more information: https://www.mosba.
org/o/msba/page/sb-68-resource-hub.
Why Knowing These Terms  
Is Important
By being aware of these different 
types of glass, and what safety issues 
they’re designed to address, you will 
be able to better communicate with 
your architects and contractors.  When 
everyone understands upfront what a 
security upgrade’s goals are, the result is 
more efficient planning of budgets and 
schedules, smoother implementation, and 
most importantly, safer schools. 
 
For a full version of our report on security glass,  
plus more resources related to school safety and 
security design, please visit Bond Architects’ website: 
www.bondarchitectsinc.com/safety-and-security

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