What is CCM Mantrailing certification?
The regulations of a private German mantrailing school, across 6 levels (E, A, L, M, SI, SII), from beginner teams up to a level built along the guidelines of German rescue organisations.
International certification
CCM Mantrailing: the German 6-level regulations
CCM (Competence Center Mantrailing) is a private German mantrailing school, with an exam regulation covering 6 levels: E, A, L and M for non-operational teams, then SI and SII. The regulations state explicitly that levels E-SI do not grant the right to take part in real missing-person searches; only level SII, built along the guidelines of German rescue organisations and the fire brigades' federation, may grant that right - and only if recognised by other authorities.
What CCM certification is - and is not
The regulations state explicitly: "Die Prüfungsstufen E bis SI berechtigen nicht zum Einsatz der Teams in realen Personensucheinsätzen" - levels E through SI do not grant the right to take part in real missing-person searches.
Level SII is built along the guidelines of German rescue organisations and the Federal Association of the German fire brigades for mantrailers. Only if the SII exam is recognised by other authorities does the team gain the right to take part in real searches.
A rule common to all levels: the dog must reach the target person recognisably by working the trail - simply arriving at the person, without having demonstrably worked sections of the trail, does not count as a pass. The laid trail is GPS-recorded and compared against the team's path.
Who can enter
- The dog must be visibly healthy at every exam; dogs suspected of illness are not admitted.
- Minimum age: 12 months for levels E-L, 18 months for M, 24 months for SI and SII.
- The handler must show proof of dog liability insurance and an up-to-date rabies vaccination.
- Bitches in heat may be admitted, but kept separate from other participants, with prior notice to the exam organiser.
- A handler may present more than one dog on an exam day, but not the same dog twice.
- At levels SI and SII, the dog must be identifiable by microchip and must show no aggression towards people or other animals.
Levels E, A, L, M (no operational rights)
| Level | Trail length | Direction changes | Terrain requirements | People needed | Working time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E (Beginner) | ~200 m | up to 2 | quiet residential area, natural/paved ground | 1 (no correct indication required) | 10 minutes |
| A (Early advanced) | ~300 m | up to 3 | quiet residential area | 1 (correct indication desirable, not mandatory) | 15 minutes |
| L (Easy) | ~400 m | up to 5 | residential area, may be crossed once by a decoy person | 1 + possibly 1 decoy (correct indication mandatory) | 20 minutes |
| M (Medium) | ~600 m | unlimited | busy area, indoor passages possible | 2 people, at least 20 m apart (correct indication mandatory) | 30 minutes |
Source: CCM - Prüfungsordnung Mantrailing 06/2019, section 3.6. At levels E-L, two teams run the same laid trail one after another; from level M up, a trail is used for a single team.
Levels SI and SII (possible real-deployment rights)
SI (Hard) has an oral component (the handler answers questions on handling scent articles and the dog's search behaviour) plus a single search task: a trail 3-6 hours old, 1,500-3,000 m long, starting from a busy location (shop, kindergarten, school, hospital) and following the built-up area for at least 800 m on paved paths (at least 75% of the trail on paved paths). Working time: 75-150 minutes depending on length, plus 10 minutes for the start.
SII consists of 3 separate search tasks, held over two consecutive days, all of which must be passed. There is no time limit on these 3 tasks - only finding and correctly indicating the target person counts.
| SII task | Trail age | Trail length | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Short search, no negative sample | at least 8 hours | ~1,500 m | Starts from a freely chosen point towards a locality/built-up area (or the reverse); the target person stays passive, in or near a building. |
| 2. Search with negative samples | at least 12 hours | - | The handler is given 3 scent articles differing in appearance; 2 are "negative" (from people who have not been at that spot for 3+ months). The dog must work only the real trail, or correctly indicate the absence of a trail for the negative samples. |
| 3. Long search, no negative sample | 24 hours | 2,500-3,500 m | A DNA-carrier scent article; starts at a building (school, kindergarten, mall), following the built-up area for at least 1,300 m, then on paved paths. |
Source: CCM - Prüfungsordnung Mantrailing 06/2019, section 4.6. If, on task 2, the dog follows a "ghost trail" started from a negative sample and the handler does not correct it, the task is aborted at 400 m and counts as failed.
Rules common to all levels
- Any CCM exam may be repeated as often as desired - a new exam fee applies each time.
- The exam fee is not refunded on withdrawal, abort or failure.
- Objections are only admitted for obvious errors relating to admission or the exam announcement, submitted in writing to the organiser; the decision of the exam leader and judge is final.
- Every dog works in a search harness, on a search line of at least 3 and at most 10 metres; the handler wears a high-visibility vest (EN 471/EN ISO 20471).
Official regulations
The figures on this page come from the document below; on trial day the text of the regulations is what counts.
Related pages
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Does CCM certification grant the right to take part in real searches?
No, except for level SII - and even then, only if recognised by other authorities. Levels E-SI are explicitly non-operational, per the regulations.
How many levels does CCM certification have?
Six: E (Beginner), A, L (Easy), M (Medium), then SI (Hard) and SII, the last with 3 separate search tasks held over two days.
Can a team from outside Germany take part?
The regulations do not mention a citizenship or residency requirement, but entry is either through the event organiser (levels E-M) or directly with the CCM judge (SI-SII) - so entering means direct contact with the German school.
Want to know where to start?
See all the certifications explained step by step, with the official regulations.