GTA 5 mods: what Rockstar allows and how to install them without a ban

Rockstar does not ban GTA 5 mods, but it does not support them either: on its Mod Guidelines page (last updated September 10, 2026) the company says it does not endorse or sponsor third-party mods and may take any of them down. The main rules from there:

• do not change Rockstar's official story, missions and characters;
• do not port content from other Rockstar games (for example, a map or characters from one game into another);
• do not port the game to platforms where Rockstar did not release it;
• no cheat menus and no mods for online play; multiplayer mods only through the official licensed creator platform;
• mods must be non-commercial and must not use the voices of Rockstar's actors.

Back in 2017, after the OpenIV episode, Take-Two said it generally does not take action against single-player, non-commercial PC mods that do not infringe on others' rights. So there is one safe zone: PC, Story Mode, free mod.

Since September 2024, the PC versions of GTA 5 (both Legacy and Enhanced) have been protected online by the BattlEye anti-cheat. Any scripts, trainers or modified files in GTA Online break Rockstar's rules and can end with an account ban. Script Hook V itself, which most script mods run on, blocks multiplayer: according to its author, it closes the game as soon as you go online.

Practical rule: keep a modded copy of the game separate from the one you play online with, and never enter GTA Online with mods enabled. For the online mode itself, see the GTA Online page.

Since March 2025 there have been two versions of the game on PC, and that matters for mods.

The author of Script Hook V lists the supported builds of both versions on his page (update of July 15, 2026). After every GTA 5 patch, script mods stop working until the tool is updated, so automatic game updates are the main reason mods "break".

An important warning: do not copy Legacy mods into Enhanced. Archives made for the old version can completely break the new one. Before installing, check the mod's description to see which version it was made for. If you buy the game on Steam or Epic, you get both versions together; details are on the GTA 5 price page.

1. Make a backup. Copy the game folder, or at least the files the mod replaces, plus your Story Mode saves. Then any mistake can be rolled back in a minute.
2. Use mods only in Story Mode. Do not launch GTA Online while mod files are in the game folder.
3. Start with Script Hook V. The ScriptHookV.dll file goes into the game's root folder (where GTA5.exe is), together with the dinput8.dll ASI loader that comes in the package. The author recommends deleting the old dsound.dll loader.
4. Do not modify the original archives. On Legacy, mods that replace models and textures are usually installed through OpenIV into a separate mods folder, so the game files stay untouched.
5. Turn off automatic updates or be ready to wait. After a game patch, Script Hook V and the mods built on it work only once they are updated.
6. Download from well-known mod sites, read the comments and scan files with antivirus. Red flags are "installers" in .exe form and mods that ask you to disable system protection.

For risk-free fun without mods there are the built-in GTA 5 cheat codes: they work in Story Mode on every platform.

• Vehicles. Replacing or adding cars, motorcycles and planes is the biggest category. For the game's stock vehicles, see the GTA 5 vehicles page.
• Graphics. Lighting, weather and color presets; they are most popular on Legacy, since Enhanced already has ray tracing.
• Scripts and trainers. Menus for spawning vehicles, changing the weather and time, or teleporting. A simple Native Trainer comes with Script Hook V.
• Gameplay. Changes to police and pedestrian behavior, new activities, modes such as a zombie apocalypse.
• Characters and weapons. New character models, clothing, weapons. Note that Rockstar's rules ban mods that change official characters and the story, so Rockstar may take those down.

There are no GTA 5 mods on consoles: the systems are closed, and third-party files cannot be installed into the game. Searches for "GTA 5 mods PS4" usually lead to sellers of "modded accounts" or online "mod menus". That breaks the rules of Rockstar and of Sony or Microsoft, gets accounts banned, and is often a plain scam. The only legal way to mix things up on console is cheat codes in Story Mode.

FiveM is a platform for custom multiplayer servers built on the PC version of GTA 5, best known for its roleplay (RP) servers. It is developed by the Cfx.re team, which officially joined Rockstar Games on August 11, 2023; the press called it an acquisition, and the terms were not disclosed. FiveM requires a legal PC copy of GTA 5. Servers have their own rules, and support for FiveM and RedM is now provided by Rockstar Support in a separate section.