Currency Certification

Currency Detection Certification Rules

Certification Requirements:

Total Hides: 8 currency detection hides.
Passing Score: 90% (one miss allowed).
Distractions: Three different distractions will be used throughout the certification—one in each testing area.
- Examples: Various types of paper, rubber bands, plastic, shredded magazines/paper, non-currency ink, currency money bands, bill straps.

Basic Odors for Certification:

U.S. Currency
Shredded and non-shredded currency
Circulated and non-circulated currency

Conditions:

All substance weights must be a minimum of 500 grams.
All substances must be placed 30 minutes prior to testing.
Indications must be obvious to the certifying officials and called by the handler before moving to the next search area.
The agency requesting certification must supply the detection odors or make arrangements with the certifying officials before certification.
Testing will be judged on a Pass/Fail basis.

Failure & Retest Policy:

If a canine team fails, they must wait 24 hours before attempting a re-test.

Vehicle Search:

Total Vehicles: 4
- 2 contain currency hides
- 2 are blank (contain no odor)
Vehicles may include automobiles, trucks, buses, airplanes, boats, etc.
No two hides will be placed on the same vehicle.
The substance will be placed on the exterior of the vehicle where scent is available to the canine.
The substance must be placed 30 minutes prior to testing.
Total allotted time to complete vehicle testing: 8 minutes.

Interior Room Search:

Three rooms will be used: Two hides and one blank.
The rooms must be at least 200 square feet.
- Large rooms can be sectioned off with a makeshift or temporary barrier to meet the 200-square-foot minimum.
No two hides will be placed in the same room.
No hide may be higher than six feet from the ground or floor.
The substance must be placed 30 minutes prior to testing.
Total allotted time to complete interior room testing: 10 minutes.

Outdoor Search:

Total Hides: 2 outdoor currency detection hides.
The outdoor area must be at least 1000 square feet.
The substance must be placed 30 minutes prior to testing.
Total allotted time to complete outdoor testing: 8 minutes.

Parcels, Luggage, or Lockers Search:

Total Hides: 2
Minimum Items: 10 parcels, 10 luggage bags, or 10 lockers.
- One hide will be placed among the items.
The substance must be placed 30 minutes prior to testing.
Total allotted time to complete parcel, luggage, or locker testing: 5 minutes.

K-9 Certification Guidelines

A minimum of two (2) Certified Officials are required for certification.
The K-9 Team must locate at least six (6) out of the seven (7) finds to certify.
The canine’s alert must be obvious to the Certifying Officials.
Certifying Officials may terminate certification at their discretion.
Non-scented objects may be used to mark finds.
No electrical collars and/or equipment resembling the same are allowed.
The handler shall immediately notify Certifying Officials within thirty (30) minutes of any protest. The protest shall be in writing.
If the K-9 Team fails certification, the K-9 Team must wait five (5) days prior to attempting to certify.

Search Requirements

The search shall consist of:

Three (3) indoor rooms
Four (4) vehicles
Ten (10) parcels
Six (6) pieces of luggage
One (1) open area (1,000 square feet)
A total of seven (7) finds

Search Time Limits

Indoor Searches: 10 minutes
Vehicle Searches: 8 minutes
Parcel Searches: 3 minutes
Luggage Searches: 3 minutes
Open Area Searches: 8 minutes

A one (1) minute warning may be given at the handler’s request before the end of the search. Time begins when the handler starts the search and ends when the handler calls time or when time expires. The handler may call finds by stopping the search or after time has expired.

Search Area Breakdown

Indoor Search

Shall consist of three (3) indoor rooms and two (2) finds.
Each room shall be at least 380 sq. ft., but no more than 600 sq. ft. (Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Certifying Officials).
No more than one (1) find will be concealed in a room. (One of the three rooms will not contain a find).

Vehicle Search

Shall consist of four (4) vehicles and two (2) finds.
No more than one (1) find may be concealed on a vehicle. (Two of the four vehicles will not contain a find).
Vehicle types are at the discretion of the Certifying Officials.

Parcel Search

Shall consist of ten (10) boxes or envelopes, with a total of one (1) find.

Luggage Search

Shall consist of six (6) bags, with a total of one (1) find.

No currency finds may be concealed side by side. A minimum distance between each item shall be two (2) feet.

Open Area Search

Shall consist of an open field approximately 1,000 square feet in size.
Two (2) finds shall be concealed among natural landscape, debris, or vegetation.

Finds

A total of seven (7) finds, each consisting of a minimum weight of 500 grams of U.S. currency (shredded or unshredded, circulated and uncirculated bills).

Each search area shall contain at least two (2) distractions selected from the following:

Various types of paper (notebook, printer paper, printed paper)
Rubber bands
Plastic
Shredded magazines/paper
Non-currency ink
Currency money bands
Bill straps

Finds must be concealed at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the search. Finds shall be concealed by a Certifying Official or another person designated by a Certifying Official.

Two (2) finds shall be concealed in the indoor rooms.
Two (2) finds shall be concealed on the vehicles.
One (1) find shall be concealed in the parcels.
One (1) find shall be concealed in the luggage.
One (1) find shall be concealed in the open area.

No finds shall be concealed higher than eight (8) feet from the floor level or deeper than six (6) inches (open area).

All finds shall be concealed from view in a manner that prevents the canine from retrieving them. All search areas must be contaminated and finds proofed by a canine prior to the search, if available. The agency requesting certification may be responsible for supplying finds.

Scoring

Pass/Fail – The team must locate six (6) of the seven (7) finds to pass.