The work aims to study the cracking mechanisms and penetration resistance of the ceramic panel of the composite bulletproof plate covered with thin membrane under the impact load. A gas gun experiment was carried out on the designed composite bulletproof plate, and a finite element model of impact was established. Combining experiments and numerical simulations, the penetration resistance of the composite bulletproof plate covered with epoxy resin, Kevlar plain weave composite and bare composite bulletproof plates were studied, and the ceramic damage and failure process of the composite bulletproof plate under different impact velocities was analyzed. The cohesive element was used to model the bonding area between the thin membrane and the ceramic. The effect of the bonding properties on the damage and failure of the ceramic was analyzed. The radial cracks produced in ceramics restrained by the thin membrane during the impact process were induced by the circumferential tensile stress area near the impact point. As the restraint of thin membrane increased, the impact gap area of the ceramic increased but the mass loss remained unchanged; The thin membrane did not have a significant impact on the kinetic energy of the bullet and the back convexity of the composite bulletproof plate during penetration. The thin membrane reduces the loss of ceramic mass to a certain extent, but also causes more damage, which is more pronounced at higher speeds and more damage caused by the Kevlar composite. The related research work can provide a reference for the design of ceramic composite bulletproof plates.