What Notoriety is
By breaking the law a criminal raises Notoriety in the criminal underworld. The higher it is, the more bonuses the criminal gets. The in-game codex names three of them: a bonus to the sale price of items at the fence, a bonus to the sale price of cargo at the smuggler, and a higher chance of additional loot.
Notoriety belongs to the criminal role. A civilian and a police officer do not use it: a civilian cannot sell stolen goods at all, and an officer is paid through the salary account.
Five levels and what they pay
Every sellable item in the game data has five prices — one per Notoriety level. Two ladders are used. Stolen items, and part of the cargo, grow by 10%, 20%, 35% and 50%. The rest of the cargo grows more slowly: by 5%, 10%, 15% and 25%.
| Level | Items | Example: Gold Bar | Cargo (lower ladder) | Example: Jewelry Box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ×1.00 | 52,000 $ | ×1.00 | 40,000 $ |
| 2 | ×1.10 | 57,200 $ | ×1.05 | 42,000 $ |
| 3 | ×1.20 | 62,400 $ | ×1.10 | 44,000 $ |
| 4 | ×1.35 | 70,200 $ | ×1.15 | 46,000 $ |
| 5 | ×1.50 | 78,000 $ | ×1.25 | 50,000 $ |
The ladder of any item is on its page in the item catalogue: the five “sale” rows there are exactly these five levels.
How many points each level needs is not in the data we have, so we do not list thresholds. The fence dialog shows your level after the deal — that is the reliable way to see where you are.
Duo Mode and Solo Mode
| Mode | Starting Notoriety | What else it gives | The price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Level 1 | — | — |
| Duo Mode | Level 2 at once | Higher income from selling cargo and items | Only two players |
| Solo Mode (Hard) | Level 4 at once | A chance of extra rare loot | You play alone; it is harder to survive |
In numbers: a solo player sells every stolen item 35% above the base price from the first robbery. A Gold Bar is 70,200 $ instead of 52,000 $. That is the game’s payment for the risk — see the solo guide for how to keep what you earn.
Notoriety, wanted level and prison term: three scales
| Scale | Grows from | What it gives | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notoriety | Breaking the law as a criminal | Higher sale prices, extra loot chance | Fence and smuggler deals |
| Wanted level | Killing civilians: +1 per kill, 3 at most | At 3 — “Most wanted”: everyone in the city sees you | Looty Bay only |
| Prison term (authority) | Confiscated property: 1 year per 500 000 $, up to 40 per state | Tattoos and goods in Larry’s tree | Carries over between states |
Notoriety and authority are easy to mix up: the first is about prices, the second is the prison term. The term is explained in the weekly wipe guide, the wanted level in How to escape the police.
What raises Notoriety
Notoriety grows from almost everything a criminal does in the city. The game data lists these actions:
| Group | Actions |
|---|---|
| Theft | Stealing an item, searching a loot point, opening a container, opening a car trunk |
| Breaching | Hacking an object, getting access, placing a Drill, hacking a security panel, breaking a camera |
| Violence | A shot, a grenade explosion, damage, a knockout, a kill, destroying breakable objects |
| Crew play | Breaking up an arrest |
| Trade | Selling loot, exchanging cargo, completing an event, charging a cumulative item |
Selling loot is on the list too: that is why the fence dialog shows the level you will have after the deal — a large sale can move you to the next level by itself.
What else depends on Notoriety
- Cumulative tools — the Action Camera, the USB hacking tool, the Code Tablet — are filled by criminal actions, and the item description ties the filling to your Notoriety level.
- Breaking up an arrest of another criminal brings Notoriety.
- A higher level raises the chance of additional loot when you search.
- The bonus also depends on the location: a district Sales Center adds its own bonus on top.
Where to sell and who buys what is in Where to sell loot.