Wanted stars
Read before your first jobEvery crime has a set price in stars. The bigger the score, the harder the cops come at you. And once you're wanted, you stay at that level until you lose them.
A price for every crime#
No surprises here: every crime puts a fixed number of stars on you, scaled to what it pays. You know the risk before you walk in. Already wanted at that level or higher? Another crime changes nothing. Only a heavier one bumps you up.
The game also catches what happens right under a cop's nose on its own: shooting next to him, stealing a car in front of him, gunning down a passer-by. That puts you at ★ if you were clean.
| Stars | Crime |
|---|---|
| ★ | A passer-by snitches on your deal · Burglary alarm (depends on the house) · Dealer takings, a passer-by calls it in · Hacked ATM · Picking up loot in front of a cop · Stolen vehicle reported · Street race, a witness calls it in · Street takings, a passer-by calls it in |
| ★★ | Alarm at the container terminal · Bag grabbed from a deal gone wrong · Breaking into a rival HQ · Burglary alarm (depends on the house) · Convenience store robbery · Debt collected, a neighbor calls it in · Debtor killed · Hit contract fulfilled · Package fished out under the coast guard's nose · Shootout in a gang stash · Shootout over a gun shipment · Suspicious big deposit at the bank |
| ★★★ | Bag grabbed from a crashed van · Burglary alarm (depends on the house) · Car stolen with the alarm on (chop shop) · Freed during a transfer · Kidnapping · Sealed container driven out of the port · Stolen Merryweather gun truck |
| ★★★★ | Armored truck hit · Breaking out of Bolingbroke · Breaking someone out · Jewelry store smash · Still at the Fleeca when the cops arrive · Trespassing in the prison |
| ★★★★★ | Still at the Pacific Standard when the cops arrive · Still at the Paleto bank when the cops arrive |
Street crimes: it all comes down to witnesses#
For small street crimes (convenience store, dealing, the stroll, resellers, debts, street races, hits), the stars don't drop right away. Passers-by who saw you film, then run off to call it in. You have 20 s to shut them up: aim at them, snatch their phone, or worse.
The first one who calls puts the crime's stars on you. Nobody around, nobody calls. But if a cop sees you do it, the stars drop right away. The full story: witnesses.
Running doesn't dig you deeper#
During the chase, your stars are locked. Shooting at cops, ramming their cars, blowing through roadblocks: none of it raises the count. It just pisses them off. What matters is the job you pulled.
What each level brings#
More stars means more cops, better gear, better aim. Backup always arrives from a distance, never popping up in front of you.
| Level | Who shows up | Cop accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| ★ | patrol cars | 25% |
| ★★ | patrol cars and bikes | 30% |
| ★★★ | patrol cars, bikes, chopper and roadblocks | 35% |
| ★★★★ | patrol cars, bikes, chopper, roadblocks and SWAT | 40% |
| ★★★★★ | patrol cars, bikes, chopper, roadblocks and SWAT | 45% |
While wanted, you see the cops on your minimap. But the gun store shuts its counter on you, and clothing stores won't dress you: lose them first.
Stolen cars#
Getting behind the wheel of a car that isn't yours or your crew's can get reported: 25% for a parked car, 60% if you dragged the driver out, 80% for another player's ride. Still driving it when the report comes in? That's ★. A reported car stays hot for 10 min: a red banner reminds you, and anyone who takes the wheel is wanted on the spot. Bikes don't count.
Masked, the theft gets reported less often: ×0.6.
Getting rid of your stars#
Lose them
- Out of sight, then out of the search area.
- See losing the cops.
Express respray
- At an LS Customs, with grey stars.
- Stars wiped in one go, for cash.
Give yourself up
- Hold X, a cell at the end.
- See getting arrested.
Die
- You respawn with no stars.
- But your cash stays on the ground.
Dead, revived, logged off#
- You die: you respawn with no stars.
- A crewmate revives you: the cops are still around, and so are your stars.
- You log off while wanted: your cash drops on the ground, just like a death. And your stars are waiting for you if you're back within 30 min.
A stolen car never gets reported before : switch cars before that and nobody will ever know.
Lost the cops but still driving the reported car?
Your Wanted posters on walls nearby . Your stars themselves don't move.
A mask won't take a star off you, but it changes quite a bit.