SFI vs FIA
Which Rating Do You Need?

SFI Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit US organization that issues specifications for motorsport safety equipment. It doesn't manufacture anything — it writes the spec, and manufacturers self-certify against it under SFI's program, with periodic audit. SFI specs cover everything from driveshaft loops to helmets. For driver apparel, the relevant family is SFI 3.2A.

FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) is the international governing body for world motorsport. Its homologation standards are tested by FIA-approved laboratories rather than self-certified, and the current driver apparel standard is FIA 8856-2018 (which superseded FIA 8856-2000).

The most important structural difference: SFI 3.2A is tiered, FIA 8856-2018 is a single pass/fail standard.

SFI 3.2A uses a numeric suffix that corresponds to a TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) rating — the number after the slash. Higher number, more thermal protection:

• SFI 3.2A/1 — TPP 6 minimum, roughly 3 seconds before second-degree burn. Single layer.
• SFI 3.2A/5 — TPP 19 minimum, roughly 7–10 seconds. Multi-layer.
• SFI 3.2A/15 — TPP 60 minimum, roughly 30 seconds. Heavy multi-layer, top fuel and funny car territory.
• SFI 3.2A/20 and above exist for the most extreme fuel-load classes.

FIA 8856-2018 has no tiers. A suit either meets the standard or it doesn't. The standard specifies heat transfer index (HTI) thresholds, flame-resistance behaviour, seam strength, and shrinkage limits, tested as a complete garment rather than as fabric alone.

In practical protection terms, FIA 8856-2018 sits broadly in the same territory as a good SFI 3.2A/5 — but the two aren't directly convertible, because they measure different things under different test conditions. Anyone telling you "FIA 8856 equals SFI 3.2A/5" is approximating.

For a deeper explanation of what the TPP number means and why two suits at the same SFI tier can protect differently, see our TPP rating explainer.

• Governing body — SFI: SFI Foundation (US, non-profit). FIA: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (international).
• Structure — SFI: tiered (3.2A/1, /5, /15, /20). FIA: single pass/fail standard.
• Certification route — SFI: manufacturer self-certification under SFI program with audit. FIA: testing at FIA-approved laboratories.
• Primary measure — SFI: TPP (Thermal Protective Performance). FIA: HTI (Heat Transfer Index) plus garment-level criteria.
• Tested as — SFI: fabric assembly. FIA: complete garment including seams and closures.
• Expiry — SFI: 5 years from date of manufacture, printed on the tag. FIA: 10 years from date of homologation label for 8856-2018.
• Where accepted — SFI: US sanctioning bodies (NHRA, IHRA, USAC, WoO, ASCS, POWRi, weekly tracks). FIA: international and FIA-sanctioned competition, most European circuit racing.
• Typical cost — FIA-homologated suits generally carry a price premium, driven largely by lab testing and homologation cost rather than material difference.

This is the genuinely confusing middle ground. SCCA accepts either for most club racing classes — SFI 3.2A/5 or FIA 8856-2018 will generally satisfy a road racing tech inspection, and the GCR specifies the acceptable options by class.

NASA, vintage groups, and regional road racing organizations vary. Some mirror SCCA and accept both; some specify one. Because these rules are revised annually, always confirm against the current-season rulebook for your specific class before ordering, not against what was true last year or what a forum post says.

Our SFI rating by racing class guide breaks down the requirements discipline by discipline, and the road racing suit page covers SCCA and NASA specifically.

• "FIA is stricter, so it's always better." FIA testing is more rigorous procedurally — full-garment, independent lab. But an SFI 3.2A/15 suit provides considerably more thermal protection than the FIA 8856-2018 minimum. "Stricter process" and "more protection" are different claims.
• "My FIA suit will pass US tech." Not reliably. A drag racing tech inspector looking for an SFI 3.2A/5 tag will not accept an FIA label as a substitute unless the rulebook explicitly permits it.
• "Certification lasts forever." No. SFI tags expire 5 years from manufacture; FIA 8856-2018 labels run 10 years from homologation. An expired tag fails inspection regardless of the suit's physical condition.
• "Higher SFI number is always the right choice." A 3.2A/15 suit is heavier and hotter than a 3.2A/1. If your class only requires 3.2A/1, over-buying costs you comfort and cooling for protection you statistically won't need at that fuel load. Buy for the car you intend to run.

• 1. Where do you compete? US-only means SFI. International or FIA-sanctioned means FIA 8856-2018. Both means you may need two suits, or one dual-certified suit.
• 2. What does your current-season rulebook say, by class? Not the series generally — your specific class. Requirements often step up with elapsed time, speed, or engine configuration.
• 3. What are you building toward? If you plan to move up a class this season, certify for the class you're moving into. Suits aren't upgradeable.

HS Race Gear builds custom SFI-certified suits to SFI 3.2A/1 and SFI 3.2A/5, with higher tiers available on request. Every suit is made to your measurements in the USA, from genuine Nomex® meta-aramid, with a 2–3 week production timeline.

If you're unsure which certification your series requires, contact us with your series and class and we'll confirm against the current rulebook before you order — it's a five-minute conversation that prevents an expensive mistake.

SFI 3.2A/1 and 3.2A/5. Made in the USA. Custom-measured.

• Understanding SFI Certifications — the full ratings explainer
• SFI Rated Racing Suit by Class — discipline-by-discipline requirements
• TPP Rating Explained — what the number behind the slash means
• Endurance Racing Suits — where FIA standards matter most
• HS Race Gear certifications overview