The GTA 6 Wanted System brings a major evolution to the classic police chase mechanics of Grand Theft Auto.

In addition to the familiar Wanted Stars, Grand Theft Auto VI introduces a new heat system where police can use information about your appearance, clothing, vehicle, CCTV footage, and even your companion to track you down.

This guide covers how the GTA 6 Wanted Level works, how police identify and pursue Jason and Lucia, and the different ways you can lose the cops and reduce your heat.

How the Wanted System Works in GTA 6

Unlike previous Grand Theft Auto games, where cops would instantly forget who you are as soon as you lost the wanted level, police in GTA 6 now retain information about your crimes and appearance.

In GTA 6, police can build a profile of the player not only based on the location of the crime, but also using:

1. Physical appearance
2. Clothing
3. Vehicle
4. Weapon
5. CCTV footage
6. Companions

The more information they have, the easier it is to identify and locate Jason and Lucia. Players can reduce that information by changing clothes or appearance, switching vehicles, separating Jason and Lucia, wearing masks, and leaving areas where police activity remains high.

Also, in GTA 6, police only respond when a crime is reported or an alarm is triggered. This can happen when a witness calls the police, an alarm is activated during a robbery, or a stolen vehicle with a tracker reports itself.

GTA 6 Wanted Stars

GTA 6 brings back the six-star Wanted Level, last seen in Grand Theft Auto IV and GTA Chinatown Wars.

The number of stars represents the severity of the police response: a minor confrontation may result in only a low Wanted Level, while escalating the situation with gunfire or additional violence can bring a much heavier police response. The exact requirements for each Wanted Level have not yet been revealed.

There are four possible states that the Wanted Stars can appear in:

Hollow Stars

A crime has been reported (either by a witness or by an alarm going off). The cops have been dispatched to your location, but they do not have a description of the suspect, so they don't know who they're looking for.

Solid White Stars

Police have identified you and are actively pursuing you, with a direct line of sight.

Flashing White Stars

You've broken the cops' line of sight, but they're still actively pursuing you.

Red Stars

You've escaped the immediate pursuit, but police are still searching the area based on the information they have. This is marked as a red "Hot Area" on the map. At this point, you'll have to clear the Police Icon indicators (see below) to avoid being recognized.

GTA 6 Heat System & Icons

The heat system tracks the information police have gathered about a crime and its suspects. This creates a distinction between:

• Being wanted: Police are actively responding to a reported crime.
• Being identified: Police still have useful information that can help locate you.

The red icons beneath the Wanted Stars indicate what the police know about you. Here are all the possible icons that can appear, their explanation, and how to clear each of them:

Physical Appearance

Police have a physical description of the suspect, potentially provided by witnesses.

How to clear: Change your hairstyle, wear a mask, a hat, or otherwise conceal your appearance.

Clothing

Police know what the suspect is wearing.

How to clear: Change clothes to invalidate this information, although changing only one accessory may not be enough.

Vehicle

Police have identified the vehicle you're driving. Staying in a known vehicle makes it easier for them to find you.

How to clear: Abandon the vehicle, switch to another one, or use a Pay 'n' Spray to change its paint color.

Weapon

Police know which weapon was used in the crime.

How to clear: Stash or otherwise get rid of the weapon police have identified.

CCTV Footage

Police have witnessed you on CCTV security footage.

How to clear: Destroy the footage or remove the available evidence.

Companion

Police know that Jason and Lucia are working together.

How to clear: Split up to make the pair harder to track.

GTA 6 Police Hot Areas

GTA 6's Wanted System also introduces Hot Areas, where police continue to focus their attention after you've escaped an active pursuit. When you're inside a Hot Area, your Wanted Stars will appear red, indicating that police are still searching the area based on the information they have about you. 

The search zone is shown on the map as a red area, with a larger, lighter-red ring surrounding it. Clearing both areas provides the safest escape from the police search.

Returning to a Hot Area too soon can put you back on the police's radar, even after you've escaped the immediate pursuit. To avoid being identified again, you'll need to clear the Police Icon indicators showing what information police have about you, such as your appearance, clothing, vehicle, weapon, CCTV footage, or companion. Changing your outfit, switching vehicles, altering your appearance, or splitting Jason and Lucia up can help clear these indicators.

This adds another layer to escaping the police, as losing your Wanted Stars doesn't necessarily mean the area is immediately safe. At six stars, the Hot Area can expand to cover the entire map, meaning there is no longer a specific region you can simply leave to escape police attention. 

Cops Are Not Visible on The Minimap

Police officers no longer appear on the minimap in the same way they did in previous GTA games.

Instead, players can now use the new Focus Ability to determine where nearby police are positioned, allowing you to reveal the cops' locations through walls.

This means that dealing with the police in GTA 6 could require considerably more awareness than simply watching the minimap and avoiding their vision cones. As your wanted level increases, you'll need to think more carefully about where officers are located and how you move through the environment.

How to Lose Police in GTA 6

• Check the HUD: Look beneath the Wanted Stars for active information icons.
• Identify what police know: Check whether they have your description, clothing, vehicle, or CCTV information.
• Change those details: Alter your appearance, clothes, or vehicle where possible.
• Separate the protagonists: Split Jason and Lucia up if both are being tracked.
• Leave the hot area: Avoid returning to the crime scene immediately.
• Wait for the heat to decrease: Staying away may be safer than returning too soon.

Stealth and Avoiding Identification

GTA 6 makes stealth more valuable because crimes committed without identification give police less information to work with.

Rockstar demonstrated Jason crouching to stay outside a police officer's line of sight. Avoiding witnesses and cameras, or wearing a mask before a crime is reported, may reduce the police response or only result in hollow stars, allowing you an easy escape

Changing Your Appearance and Clothes

Changing your appearance can affect the information police have about you. One confirmed example is changing your hairstyle, which can invalidate an existing physical description.

Clothing works separately. Jason and Lucia can change outfits at clothing stores, and personal vehicles can carry additional outfits in the trunk.

To fully reduce the information police have, you may need to change both your appearance and clothing.

Splitting Up Jason and Lucia

Police can identify that Jason and Lucia are together.

Separating them makes it harder for the police to track the pair, and reduces the Wanted Level by one star.

GTA 6 Wanted System vs GTA 5

GTA 6 Wanted System Tips

• Limit police information: The less they know, the harder you are to find.
• Watch the red icons: They show which details police have obtained.
• Change more than one detail: Altering your hairstyle may not be enough if police also know your clothing.
• Keep spare outfits in your vehicle: Personal vehicles can store additional clothes.
• Avoid hot areas: Police may remain active around recent crime scenes.
• Abandon known vehicles: Switching cars can remove an important clue.
• Consider splitting up: Jason and Lucia can be harder to track separately.
• Avoid unnecessary escalation: Non-lethal confrontations may produce a lower Wanted Level.

GTA 6 Wanted System FAQ

How many Wanted Stars are in GTA 6?

GTA 6 features six Wanted Stars, returning for the first time since Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

What is the GTA 6 Heat System?

The heat system tracks police attention and the information gathered about criminal activity in a particular area. Police can use details such as your appearance, clothing, vehicle, companion, and CCTV footage.

What do hollow Wanted Stars mean in GTA 6?

Hollow wanted stars indicate that police are responding to a reported crime but do not have information identifying the perpetrator.

What do red Wanted Stars mean in GTA 6?

Red wanted stars indicate that you've escaped the immediate police pursuit; however, they are still looking for you in that area based on the known information at their disposal, shown by the red icons under the stars.

What do the red icons under the Wanted Stars mean?

They show what information police have about the suspect. Confirmed examples include physical description, vehicle, clothing, and CCTV footage.

Can you change clothes to lose the police in GTA 6?

Changing clothes can make an existing clothing description inaccurate, but police may still know your appearance, vehicle, or other details.

Can you change your appearance to escape the police?

Yes. Changing your hairstyle can alter your physical description and potentially invalidate information reported to police.

Can you change vehicles to lose the police?

Yes. Switching vehicles can help if police have identified the car you're driving.

Can Jason and Lucia split up while Wanted?

Yes. Separating them can reduce the police's ability to track them when both are being sought.

Do GTA 6 police remember where you committed a crime?

Crime locations can remain hot for a period of time, with police continuing to patrol the area.

Do masks work in GTA 6?

Masks can limit the information witnesses have about your identity, but police may still use details such as clothing, vehicles, CCTV footage, and location.

GTA 6 Wanted System Updates

The Wanted System is one of the major gameplay systems expanded in Grand Theft Auto VI.

This guide will be updated as Rockstar reveals more about police behavior, Wanted Levels, witnesses, surveillance, dispatch, heat, and escaping law enforcement.

Keep checking this page for the latest confirmed GTA 6 Wanted System information.