GTA 6 Wanted Level: Six Stars and How to Lose the Cops
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Follow on XThe GTA 6 wanted level has six stars, shown in the top right of the screen, with a row of round red icons under them while you are wanted (four in the chase shown above). The rest of the GTA 6 wanted level is built around what the police know about you: a crime usually needs a witness who calls it in, the icons stand for your description, and you lose the cops by making yourself harder to recognize, not just by waiting for the stars to fade. Police do not show up as dots on the minimap as you move around, and openly carrying a gun can get the police called on you.
Everything beyond the six stars and the red icons is not yet confirmed in game. GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 (see the GTA 6 release date guide), and we'll check every point on launch day and update this guide.
On this page
Quick facts
The six stars and the row of red icons are visible on the game's HUD. Every other answer below is pre-launch and not yet confirmed in game.
Question | Answer |
|---|---|
How many wanted stars? | Six |
Where is the wanted meter? | Top right of the screen |
What sits under the stars? | A row of round red icons while you are wanted (four in the footage shown) |
What the icons mean | The four shown are what the police know: your vehicle, face, clothes and that you are a pair |
What starts a wanted level? | Usually a witness who reports the crime |
Hollow white stars | The police know about the crime but not what you look like |
Do police show on the minimap? | No dots as you move around; you spot them with Focus |
How do you lose the cops? | Make yourself less recognizable: change clothes, unmask, split up, swap cars, ditch the weapon |
Does carrying a gun openly matter? | Yes, people notice and can call the police |
What each star level sends | TBC |
How long it takes to lose the cops | TBC |
Does Pay 'n' Spray clear a wanted level? | TBC |
How the wanted level works
The wanted meter sits in the top right of the screen and has six star slots.
The details below are not yet confirmed in game.
A witness usually starts it. The wanted system usually starts when someone sees the crime and reports it to the police; a tracked car you drive too slowly can also bring them.
Hollow stars mean the police have no description. Outlined white stars mean the police know a crime happened but do not know what you look like.
The search centers on a hot area. The police search a zone around the crime, and it shows lit up on your map.
What the icons under the stars mean
While you are wanted, a row of round red icons sits under the stars (four in the footage shown). Everything in this section beyond the icons themselves is not yet confirmed in game. The row works as a list of what the police know about you.
The police hunt on that description, so each icon is a detail to get rid of.
Police markers
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Security camera
A camera has seen you. Going back to the same place, soon or much later, can bring the police down on you there.
Pistol
The police know you are armed. A camera or an officer who saw the gun can tell them exactly which weapon it is.
Two people
The police know you are a pair: Jason and Lucia together.
How to clear it: Split up Jason and Lucia.
Clothes hanger
The police know what you are wearing.
How to clear it: Change into a different outfit.
Face
The police know what you look like. To prevent this, wear a mask during the crime and take it off as you get away.
Car
The police know the vehicle you are in.
How to clear it: Ditch it while the police are still searching and switch to a different vehicle.
Wanted stars
White star
One star of your current wanted level. The meter in the top right has six star slots.
Dark star
A star slot your wanted level has not reached.
How to lose the cops
How to lose the cops in GTA 6 comes down to making yourself less recognizable, not just hiding until the stars fade. Every method here is not yet confirmed in game.
Change clothes. Put on a different outfit and the clothes icon goes away. You can keep spare outfits in the trunk of your personal vehicle.
Mask up, then unmask. Wear a mask during the crime and take it off as you escape.
Split up. Separate Jason and Lucia and the "pair" detail no longer fits.
Ditch the car. Swap the vehicle the police know for a different one.
Ditch the weapon. Drop the gun you were seen with.
Destroy the CCTV footage. Destroy camera footage of the crime where you can.
Stop the car behind you. Shooting out the tires of a chasing police car can stop it.
Do police show on the minimap?
Everything in this section is not yet confirmed in game.
Not as you move around: police do not show up as dots on the minimap. Whether using Focus puts them on it is not shown yet.
What you get is Focus, a slow-motion awareness mode that highlights nearby police.
Guns, loud crimes and tracked cars
These make the police a bigger problem. Each point is not yet confirmed in game.
Carrying a gun in the open. People notice. A rifle slung on your back is treated differently from one in your hands, and bystanders back away, scatter or challenge you. They can also call the police. There is some leeway before carrying turns into a wanted level, and you can drop the weapon.
Going in loud. Shooting people and going in guns blazing makes the police more aggressive.
Driving a tracked car slowly. Some high-end cars carry a tracker. Drive one too slowly and it alerts the police to where you are, so keep it moving fast.
What is not confirmed yet
The biggest open questions: what each star level sends after you, how long it takes to lose the cops and whether Pay 'n' Spray clears a wanted level. We'll answer them once the game is out. For everything else that has been announced, see everything we know about GTA 6.
FAQ
How many wanted stars are in GTA 6?
Six. The wanted meter in the top right of the screen has six star slots.
What do the icons under the wanted stars mean in GTA 6?
The four shown in the footage stand for what the police know about you: your vehicle (car), your appearance (face), your clothes (clothes hanger) and that you are a pair (two people). This is not yet confirmed in game.
How do you lose the cops in GTA 6?
Make yourself less recognizable. Change clothes, take off the mask you wore during the crime, split Jason and Lucia up, swap the car the police know, ditch the weapon you were seen with and destroy CCTV footage where you can. This is not yet confirmed in game.
Do police show on the minimap in GTA 6?
Not as you move around: police do not appear as dots on the minimap, and whether using Focus puts them on it is not shown yet. Focus, a slow-motion awareness mode, highlights nearby police. This is not yet confirmed in game.
What do hollow wanted stars mean in GTA 6?
Outlined white stars mean the police know a crime happened but do not know what you look like. This is not yet confirmed in game.
Can you get a wanted level for carrying a gun in GTA 6?
Openly carrying a gun gets noticed, and people can call the police. There is some leeway before carrying turns into a wanted level, and you can drop the weapon. This is not yet confirmed in game.
Is Pay 'n' Spray in GTA 6?
Pay 'n' Spray appears to return. Whether it clears a wanted level is not shown yet. This is not yet confirmed in game.
