GTA 5: Wanted Levels Explained

No, more stars do not mean you are doing a great job in GTA 5 – at least not when the LSPD is chasing after you.

Wanted Stars have always been a given in GTA 5, and while the most blatant crimes will have the LSPD chasing after you faster than you can say police, some more subtle deeds can also alert Los Santos’ finest.

So what deeds set off the police in GTA 5?

A laundry list of deeds and actions will alert the police and give you a Wanted Level Star in GTA 5. The number of stars depends on the severity of your deed – the more blatant and heinous the crime, the more aggressive and desperate the LSPD will bring you down.

This guide will review every deed that can potentially give you a Wanted Level star in Grand Theft Auto 5.

GTA 5 Police

GTA 5 is the first game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise to do away with the six-star Wanted Level scale and feature a five-star Wanted Level instead.

While fans and Grand Theft Auto purists did not welcome the change with open arms, Rockstar Games made up for the shorter Wanted Level scale with more aggressive and potent police AI.

The Police in GTA 5 is a crafty bunch. They will expend every method available to catch and bust the player, which includes blatantly crashing into the player’s vehicle or doing a PIT maneuver to hopefully spin the player’s car around and stop them on their tracks.

The police will not put up a predetermined search radius as they did in GTA IV to add to the challenge. Instead, GTA 5’s police will search the entire map for the perpetrator, with each police officer in their line of sight. This change alone will make escaping the police in GTA 5 almost impossible beyond the 3-star Wanted Level, as the Police Maverick can track the player down from the skies.

Oh, and with eleven different Police Stations scattered around Los Santos and Blaine County, it will be a miracle if you are somehow able to outrun the police in GTA 5.

GTA 5 Wanted Levels

One Star

***They won’t shoot. Just don’t move.***

The one-star Wanted Level will have the biggest list of deeds that will give players the most basic Wanted Level in GTA 5.

For the most part, one-star will be given to players for just about any obvious illegal deed or act in Los Santos. However, most of these can be avoided by ensuring no police officer or other pedestrians are present while you do the illegal action.

The police will only hold the player at gunpoint and attempt to arrest them if the player stands still. Running away or fighting back immediately gives the player a two-star Wanted Level.

Running over pedestrians with any vehicle;
Killing pedestrians;
Attempting to punch pedestrians with police around;
Causing injury or death to any pedestrian;
Continuing to punch or kick a dead body with a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic in sight;
Harassing pedestrians;
Holding a pedestrian at gunpoint in an officer’s line of sight;
Insulting a Police Officer;
Giving an officer the finger;
Using your vehicle’s horn excessively near an officer;
Doing burnouts;
Making physical contact with an officer;
Blocking a police vehicle or a police officer for an excessive time;
Crashing into a police vehicle;
Causing damage to vehicles (non-police or police);
Standing on an occupied police vehicle;
Causing injury to a security guard or the guard dog;
Standing in front of a police car for an extended period;
Causing damage to world objects (reported by pedestrians);
Setting off explosions regardless of damage (reported by pedestrians);
Stealing a vehicle (reported by pedestrians);
Killing the owner of the carjacked vehicle;
Driving too close to a pedestrian, officer, or security guard;
Crash landing an aircraft;
Driving a vehicle that’s on fire with an officer in sight;
Drunk driving;
Crashing into motorcyclists;
Crashing into and causing an explosion with another vehicle;
Attacking a paramedic or firefighter;
Failure to pay the Downtown Cab driver as Michael and Trevor;

Two Star

You will see a trend with Wanted Levels in GTA 5, starting with the two-star Wanted Level.

Two-star violations build upon many of the one-star violations and are given to players for engaging in extended illegal action from the one-star Wanted Level. However, some specific actions (flying over illegal airspace) will provide players with an instant two-star Wanted Level.

Police in the two-star Wanted Level will start to shoot at and attempt to kill the player. The police will also drive much more aggressively and often try to ram or trap the player with their police vehicles.

Shooting or pointing weapons toward an officer or security guard;
Ordering Chop to attack pedestrians (as Franklin);
Causing injury or death to civilians within an officer’s line of sight;
Killing more pedestrians with a one-star Wanted Level;
Attacking a police officer by any means;
Running over an officer, security guard, or military personnel with a vehicle;
Running away after being ordered to pull over;
Shooting and killing a security guard;
Pointing a weapon toward a police officer or military personnel;
Firing a gun randomly within the line of sight of police or military personnel;
Stealing police or military vehicles;
Physically attacking occupied police or military vehicle;
Sniping a correctional officer at the Bolingbroke Penitentiary from the outside;
Destroying aircraft;
Shooting or crashing an aircraft with a civilian on board;
Crashing at high speed in the light of sight of the police;
Killing a paramedic or firefighter with a firearm;
Attacking a paramedic or firefighter within the line of sight of the police;
Trespassing into Richards Majestic Productions before completing the mission;
Standing on top of a cable car at Mount Chiliad;
Trespassing at the Kortz Center;
Refusing to leave Los Santos Golf Club after being issued a warning;
Flying over Bolingbroke Penitentiary, Fort Zancudo, LSPD Mission Row, or Los Santos International; Airport after being issued a warning;
Robbing a store;

Three Star

Like the one-star and two-star Wanted Levels, the three-star Wanted Level builds upon the two-star violations committed by the player.

At this point, the police will start to use roadblocks and spike strips to impede the player’s vehicle. Perhaps most challenging in the three-star Wanted Level is the presence of the Police Mavericks, which makes running away in any vehicle virtually impossible.

Killing pedestrians with two-star Wanted Level;
Running over and killing a police officer, security guard, or military personnel;
Trespassing behind information desks at Mission Row;
Playing vigilante;
Firing a weapon near Bolingbroke Penitentiary;
Destroying another aircraft after being given two stars for destroying the first one;
Simultaneous destruction of multiple vehicles;
Shooting down police or military aircraft;
Crashing into NPC aircraft; causing destruction;
Attacking or ramming into other vehicles with a two-star Wanted Level;
Trespassing into Los Santos Internation Airport without owning a hangar;

Four Star

Once again, most of the four-star violations build upon most of the three-star violations that the player has previously committed. However, some actions, such as trespassing into Fort Zancudo, will immediately give the player a four-star Wanted Level.

The National Office of Security Enforcement or NOOSE will, at four stars, join the chase. The NOOSE is especially potent during police chases, as these units can shoot at the driver while driving. In addition, the Police Mavericks that were previously only shadowing the player back in the three-star Wanted Level will now carry NOOSE agents armed with Carbine Rifles and fire at the player from above.

Killing pedestrians with three-star Wanted Level;
Continued retaliation with police, security guards, military personnel;
Destroying a Police Maverick;
Attacking or killing a prison guard at Bolingbroke Penitentiary;
Destroying yet another unoccupied aircraft after already being given three stars;
Blowing up vehicles after already being given three stars;
Trespassing into Fort Zancudo or Humane Labs and Research facility;
Robbing and killing the owner of four consecutive stores;

Five Star

The five-star Wanted Level builds upon the player’s four-star Wanted Level violations. Firing a missile from a Buzzard Attack Chopper or P-996 Jet Fighter at Fort Zancudo or Los Santos International Airport will immediately give the player a five-star Wanted Level.

Most LSPD officers will be replaced at five-stars with even more NOOSE units and up to three Police Mavericks at any time.

If you are at Fort Zancudo with a five-star Wanted Level, be prepared to face the fearsome Rhino Tanks.

Killing even more pedestrians after being given a four-star Wanted Level;
Continued aggression versus police, security, or military personnel;
Destroying even more vehicles after getting a four-star Wanted Level;
Firing a Buzzard Attack Chopper or P-996 Jet Fighter’s missiles while in Los Santos International Airport or Fort Zancudo;

5-Star Criminal

As you can see from the lists above, many deeds will give you a Wanted Level star in-game. Knowing when and how each Wanted Level is triggered can help you tread that fine line between alerting the police and having unrestrained fun around Los Santos.

Crimes are an integral part of the Grand Theft Auto franchise’s gameplay, so GTA veterans should be pretty used to being chased by the police by now. The key is to know what actions tick off the police so you can engage in classic Grand Theft Auto deeds without alerting the police in-game.

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