diff --git a/attn/pel/user_header.hpp b/attn/pel/user_header.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3be6e66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/attn/pel/user_header.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "pel_common.hpp"
+#include "pel_section.hpp"
+#include "stream.hpp"
+
+namespace attn
+{
+namespace pel
+{
+
+/**
+ * @class UserHeader
+ *
+ * This represents the User Header section in a PEL.
+ *
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+----------------+------------|
+ * | length | byte0          | byte1          | byte2          | byte3      |
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+----------------+------------|
+ * | 8      | Section Header                                                |
+ * |        |                                                               |
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+----------------+------------|
+ * | 4      | Subsystem ID   | Event Scope    | Event Severity | Event Type |
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+----------------+------------|
+ * | 4      | reserved                                                      |
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+-----------------------------|
+ * | 4      | Problem Domain | Problem Vector | Event Action Flags          |
+ * |--------+----------------+----------------+-----------------------------|
+ * | 4      | reserved                                                      |
+ * |--------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
+ *
+ */
+class UserHeader : public Section
+{
+  public:
+    UserHeader()                  = delete;
+    ~UserHeader()                 = default;
+    UserHeader(const UserHeader&) = default;
+    UserHeader& operator=(const UserHeader&) = default;
+    UserHeader(UserHeader&&)                 = default;
+    UserHeader& operator=(UserHeader&&) = default;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Constructor
+     *
+     * Fills in this class's data fields from raw data.
+     *
+     * @param[in] pel - the PEL data stream
+     */
+    explicit UserHeader(Stream& pel);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Flatten the section into the stream
+     *
+     * @param[in] stream - The stream to write to
+     */
+    void flatten(Stream& stream) const override;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Fills in the object from the stream data
+     *
+     * @param[in] stream - The stream to read from
+     */
+    void unflatten(Stream& stream);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Returns the size of this section when flattened into a PEL
+     *
+     * @return size_t - the size of the section
+     */
+    static constexpr size_t flattenedSize()
+    {
+        return Section::flattenedSize() + sizeof(_eventSubsystem) +
+               sizeof(_eventScope) + sizeof(_eventSeverity) +
+               sizeof(_eventType) + sizeof(_reserved4Byte1) +
+               sizeof(_problemDomain) + sizeof(_problemVector) +
+               sizeof(_actionFlags) + sizeof(_reserved4Byte2);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Set the subsystem field
+     *
+     * @param[in] subsystem - The subsystem value
+     */
+    void setSubsystem(uint8_t subsystem);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Set the severity field
+     *
+     * @param[in] severity - The severity to set
+     */
+    void setSeverity(uint8_t severity);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Set the event type field
+     *
+     * @param[in] type - The event type
+     */
+    void setType(uint8_t type);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Set the action flags field
+     *
+     * @param[in] action - The action flags to set
+     */
+    void setAction(uint16_t action);
+
+  private:
+    /**
+     * @brief The subsystem associated with the event.
+     */
+    uint8_t _eventSubsystem;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The event scope field.
+     */
+    uint8_t _eventScope = static_cast<uint8_t>(EventScope::platform);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The event severity.
+     */
+    uint8_t _eventSeverity; // set by constructor
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The event type.
+     */
+    uint8_t _eventType = static_cast<uint8_t>(EventType::trace);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief A reserved 4 byte placeholder
+     */
+    uint32_t _reserved4Byte1 = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The problem domain field.
+     */
+    uint8_t _problemDomain = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The problem vector field.
+     */
+    uint8_t _problemVector = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief The action flags field.
+     */
+    uint16_t _actionFlags; // set by contructor
+
+    /**
+     * @brief A reserved 4 byte
+     * placeholder
+     */
+    uint32_t _reserved4Byte2 = 0;
+};
+
+} // namespace pel
+} // namespace attn