P, J and P/J — which position was approved

What the letters record

They record the protective configuration in which a helmet was approved. P designates approval with the chin guard in place; J designates approval without it. A helmet that carries both, written P/J, was submitted and approved in each configuration. One that carries P alone was approved closed only.

Why a flip-up needs the distinction

A flip-up helmet is two different objects depending on the position of its chin bar. Closed, the structure is continuous; open, it is not, and the shell is loaded differently. Approving one configuration says nothing about the other, so a maker who wants both has to submit both.

What it changes for a rider

If a helmet is P/J, riding with the chin bar raised is a configuration the maker had approved. If it is P only, the open position is for standing still, and the helmet should be judged entirely on how it performs shut. Separately from the marking, some countries have their own rules about riding with a chin guard raised.

Where it sits relative to the approval

It is part of the same label as the approval and its series of amendments, not a separate certification. A helmet has one approval, and the letters describe the configuration or configurations that approval covers.