Fallout 76 Wanted - How to Get & Remove Bounty

Wanted system is a crucial part of Fallout 76. It puts a bounty on players who behave badly, incentivizing others to hunt them down. In theory, it should make griefing a bit harder, but the jury’s still out. A lot of people are uncertain about how it works, so we’ve written this Fallout 76 wanted guide to show you how to get & remove bounty.

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fallout 76 wanted how to get remove bounty
Fallout 76 Wanted – How to Get & Remove Bounty

How to get wanted status in FO76?

In order to get the wanted status, you need to be a bad hombre. If you attack another player, they’ll only receive a tiny bit of damage until they shoot back. If they shoot back, the game is on, but none of you will get a bounty for it. However, if they don’t shoot back and you still murder them, you’ll be marked as wanted.

The same goes for stealing stuff from other people’s camps (crops, water, etc), or destroying their buildings. If you already have a bounty, performing another bad deed will only increase it.

How to remove wanted status?

Removing bounty is a bit harder than getting it. There’s no central authority you could pay a fine to and stop being wanted, and switching servers also doesn’t seem to remove the status. At this point, it looks like the only way to remove the wanted status is by dying. When someone claims the bounty on your head, it will disappear. It’s far from ideal, so if you go around murdering people in cold blood, make sure you don’t bring any junk you’ll miss.

We’re hoping there’s a better way to remove the wanted status, and we’re going to keep investigating the issue as we progress through the game. If we find a way, we’ll update the article with the new information, so stay tuned.

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Author Ketchua profile picture
Ketchua has been writing about games for far too long. As Señor Editor, he produces words (and stuff) for Gosunoob. There are a lot of words (and stuff) there, so he's terribly busy. Especially if you need something.

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52 COMMENTS

  1. F
    Fallout 76 Bad

    This garbage system is STILL in the game. I got a 10 Cap bounty for lockpicking with no one around to see it. No players, no turrets, no anything. God himself struck me with a 10 Cap bounty. So much for immersion, this is the Anti-Rust in the worst way

  2. G
    Grumble

    I got wanted status last night without meaning to. Some dude set up his C.A.M.P. in the middle of Gorge Junkyard and laid a bunch of locked lockboxes and tool chests around the place in the shacks and wrecked vehicles. There was no way for me to tell which were in-game containers and which were player owned until I’d picked the locks and by then it was too late – I’d earned a Wanted status with a 10 cap bounty. The game really needs some way to highlight what’s owned by other players, because this guy seems to be trapping people so he can earn the Bounty Hunter, Kill or Be Killed and Good Grief trophies without any repercussions. Either that or they’re just a dick.

  3. D
    David Broom

    I found way remove the bounty over my head start new game I unlock tool chest no one clam red rocket gas station. I pick up stimpack on table said wanted so side to start over

  4. C
    Charles H Sullivan III

    I found a copper sink and was mining it some other player came up and claimed the camp I instantly got a bounty on me. The weird part is its not always around just when i find stuff then it stays for a while. I tried to find someone to kill me but since I can’t see anyone that is really almost impossible. The whole thing really sucks and I haven’t done anything else bad. The guy who claimed it just left afterwards and didn’t even defend it so it was taken back. The whole thing sucks..

  5. T
    Thor

    I just started, was making my way up to the fairground and saw this racetrack-looking thing so I decided to go give it a quick look see. While up in the “Narrator’s booth” thing someone else showed up and started claiming the workstation. At that same time I was in the middle of picking a lock on a safe up there. He claimed the spot, I managed to pick the lock, and boom. Wanted: 10.

    I was puzzled for a bit, thinking it might work the same way as other Bethesda games so I spun around looking for the damn NPC that saw me pick what seemed like an unowned safe since the HUD wasn’t all red and “ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?”-y. A few seconds passed, then that said player that claimed the workstation started shooting at me through the windows. I freaked out, crouhed and hid in the corner till it said “Hidden” then fast traveled back to my camp, and logged out. Next time I log back in I’m stashing all my junk before I go anywhere, lol.

    Seems like a pretty grief-y thing you can do, to be honest. I’m not saying the dude did this just to grief, but going to an unclaimed place when there’s someone else there and claiming it just before he starts to pick a lock seems to make him become wanted. Granted it’s only 10 caps, but since you lose all junk as well I wouldn’t be surprised if this became a thing if it isn’t already.

  6. E
    Ed

    Opened a door at someones camp. I thought it was Level-linked, like if i dont have the skill, i cant enter. Here, i was able to unlock the door, immediately being wanted. But i took nothing and went out, only to be killed by another player!

    Lost all Junk, got killed, for only opening a door!!!

  7. I got a bounty were I unlock there safe was empty I did was I did not shoot back I let them kill me. The best way not get bounty is no steal there camp or shoot there camp I see there camp I leave them alone unless they want to sit an talk to them or visit there camp I want them to visit my camp any time they want.

  8. G
    Grizzly

    I’m glad I’m not the o ny one that has fallen victim to rhe accidental wanted status. Twice now I tried to protect someone else’s property and hit thier building and boom, good deed gives me wanted status. And who fires a mini nuke to kill someone with a 10 cap bounty?! Really?

  9. D
    Dummy

    I shot a feral scorched one with grenade launcher and hit a friendly turret in a base in The Whitespring Resort.
    Now I’m level 10 Wanted and even when I let the turrets kill me, the wanted badge has not disappeared… This is annoying!

  10. M
    Michael

    I accidentally shot a lower ranked player while trying to form a party. It got me a wanted 5 or wanted 10 status and both him and his buddy turned red. They didnt go and attack me back from memory and I tried to still accept the invite. I dropped like 10 stimpacks for them to pick up and one or both of them picked them up. They kept running around the same area I was in but after 5 or so minutes but we didnt engage each other. the wanted was suddenly gone. Not sure if it was a glitch…

  11. B
    Ben

    yeah, I was in someones base (they weren’t home) so i could use a tinkerers workbench for the quest involving rose the raider mrs handy (or whatever tf, idc), and while i was doing that a s##t ton of ghouls came along and i disposed of them easily, but guess what! you guess i hit something by accident? wow! you got it! it just came up with a message saying i was wanted and it goes on from there, if im getting chased by people, todd better not abandon me here and be like “no my son, it is too late” lol, anyway what im trying to say is that the devs need to fix this, and no, not in 10 thousand f#####g years, NOW!

  12. S
    Samhain2000

    Wow, I see a lot of crying about this. There is barely any consequence for being killed so let a stranger kill you. I didn’t realize I could become wanted by lock picking someone’s work shop and became wanted last night. I haven’t been able to get someone to mercy kill me. BTW, when you become wanted you can not see any one else on the map.

  13. R
    Roger

    I just picked a lock and then was told I have a bounty. my stash is full and I’m carrying about 6,000 lb of actual equipment so I move very slowly I do a lot of sniping and that’s how I’m moving up in levels that being said as soon as I showed a bounty a 73 level person showed up to kill me (i am level 29) luckily I think I cancelled out the game in time would someone be willing to come in and kill me and not take all of my stuff thanks in advance

  14. A
    Allan

    Most players seem to understand the wanted issue and will play along beside you until the event or building is clear. Then you get shot in the back or a volley of grenades. Being wanted sucks and delays your game until some kind player comes and fixes that for you.

    1. D
      David

      I don’t go around messing with people or their stuff, but now and then a stray bullet happens. I just stash my junk so I can’t really lose anything, then have fun with it. Trying to evade is a really nice side game actually. I had lots of issues with this game until I realized this; it’s not fallout 4. It’s not a regular, proper fallout at all. It’s something different that’s supposed to be different. There are still some issues with the game that i would like to see fixed, mainly the number of people with these ridiculously overpowered guns, but it’s gotten much better from what I’ve seen. It’s also become very enjoyable to me once I stopped comparing it to a single player Fallout game and simply embraced it for what it is.

  15. C
    Charisma

    Lol yeah. I had a level 60 Wanted on me..I came on here for help. Then I died while writing this ?

  16. A
    AdamantForge

    I claimed a location but my computer crashed before I could work on it to add anything. I log back in and someone else has claimed it, no biggie, I’m really just wandering. Thing is I now have a 10 bounty and there is NO way I could have attacked anyone. Not only am I a firm pacifist about PVP but I had no ability to command the game.
    WTF Bethesda?!

  17. B
    Brian Stakes

    I agree with this bounty issue. There is so much wrong with this game this as well. Many of the economy issues are rediculous. I have been dumping mini nukes and amo because most “valuable” resources are untraceable. Storage sucks too. I’m done with the FO franchise after this fiasco. Todd Howard and Bathesida will hopefully be taught a lesson as the Bethesda stock price begins to fall based on all the negative responses to to this buggy mess of a game. To all those thinking about buying this game……go to gamestop’s and get it second hand. The shelves will be packed with used FO76 returns.

  18. S
    Steve

    I got wanted status for picking a lock in an airport that I didn’t know was owned by another player. There was nothing before I picked the lock to indicate that I’d end up wanted. Just a notification afterward when it was too late to do anything about it. I’m not fond of pvp so I was hoping it would wear off. It didn’t. Before too long, I saw some level 80 something guy wearing insane power armour come along. He took a moment looking at poor level 25 me standing there before killing me in one shot with a plasma rifle or something.
    There really should be some other way to remove it. Or at least better ways of avoiding accidentally getting it.

  19. R
    Randy Whalen

    I like some people on here walked into a junkyard opened up a metal box and wam! Wanted!!! I have to admit this does suck because I took one thing out I actually put literally 20/30 things including weapons and stuff into the box. I saw that I was wanted allowed myself to be killed, respawned down the road and was still wanted! I think I have to get rid of what I stole then get killed…. hopefully that will work.

  20. C
    Carson

    This game is such festering hot garbage. I feel like an idiot for paying $99 for it, (yes, I was goddamned stupid enough to buy the tricentennial edition). I got wanted status by apparently using someone else’s claimed workbench or opening someone else’s lockbox, because the only other player I have even thought about shooting since I began started attacking me for no fucking reason, just to be an asshole. I feel cheated by Bethesda, If I wanted to play Fallout 4 again I would have just restarted it and saved a hundred bucks. This is just Fallout 4 with no story.

    Fuck you Bethesda, fuck you Todd Howard.

  21. G
    Gruzim

    I accidentally shoot someones camp once, it got attacked by super mutants while i was using his workshop to break down guns and i accidentally hit a wall. it happens. I think i found a work around to the death issue. I myself am an avid bounty hunter, i do not care what the caps if your wanted i am coming for you (part of the fun of the game) anyways i was hiking out to a 10 cap bounty and all the sudden it dropped from 10 to 5, i didn’t understand why. once i found my target i realized he was in his camp sleeping. unfortunately for him he left the door open and I one shot head shot with my rifle from a distance. anyways i would like to know if anyone can confirm that sleeping removes bounty?

  22. X
    XiroSenpai

    I was passing through a workbench that was claimed and didn’t want to take it from the player so I just started looking around at the junk and got a freaking bounty ? It’s not like it’s stuff the person had built. I don’t want to be hunted by everyone in the game. This is stupid.

  23. F
    Flarebro

    When I get back online I continue my quest but someone placed their camp near the place attacking the npc with a turret and making it hostile. They really should rework this cause wth it’s way too simplistic to be helpful.

  24. J
    James

    I was out hunting another player and he was hiding inside of his house but I shot him through the window and the last bullet (automatic) hit the wall behind him and I became wanted. The guy next to me tried to collect but as long as they shoot first you can engage without upping your wanted level. I’m now hiding in the last room of the BOS base so people can’t get to me. Yeah there should be a time limit to the wanted…

  25. M
    Michelle

    TBH I imagine this will become a mini-game in and of itself. People will be running around being evil to become wanted, then be like “come at me bro!” ?

  26. P
    Pixie

    I respawnd inside a building lock picked a yellow suitcase now have level 10 wanted nothing to say was a base or different color text or anything . in the middle of nowere no caps to FT and every time I die end up in the same base WTH?

  27. C
    Chuck

    Found I got a wanted 10 when I lock picked and empty box at a workstation, that I didn’t know was owned by somebody already.
    I wish it had said that I was stealing before I picked the lock and not after I opened the box.

    1. M
      Mark

      I just had the same thing happen. Beth still has a ways to go to make this game worth playing for more than just a short while. Heck I’m spending more time trying to figure out how to store things in my little stash box, then doing the quests, hahahahaha.

  28. D
    Drannuab

    Got a ten cap bounty for allegedly stealing from someone’s camp. What I “stole” were a couple items from a building within the camp. The item names weren’t red and I didn’t even know the camp had been claimed by a player. Three level 30s in power armor and police hats appeared about three hours later. They were nice about it. I put away my weapon, crouched and turned away. It was over in seconds.

    1. E
      Eve

      This exact thing happened to me! No mention that anything in this Junkyard was off limits until AFTER I picked the lock.
      No one in power armor tho… yet.
      Once I go back, I’ll have to get to my camp and put my things away and just wait for them to get me lol

    2. A
      AdamantForge

      Got a bounty for “stealing” before I even knew what was going on. Computer crashed after I capped a spot from scorched but before I could set up anything, so I went back to it as soon as I relogged. Now I can only get it stripped by getting capped when I thought the place was still mine. There are some serious flaws that need addressing. I’m a pacifist and if I knew about this I would have just moved on.

      1. C
        Christopher D Constance

        At the very least, they shouldn’t have some omnipresent force that sees you picking a lock. There should have to be an actual witness to it. As it is, you can be the only living thing for 5 miles and pick a lock and still get a bounty.

  29. V
    VectorZarak

    I just got a 20 cap bounty because I was ambushed by three radscorpions as I was passing the edge of someone else’s camp. One of the scorpions was standing on top of the player’s razorgrain patch, and it must have caught a few bullets. Seems like there should be a way to prevent being marked as a griefer when you were doing nothing of the sort.

    1. M
      midnite860

      I keep pacifist mode on for this reason…. and so far I’ve avoided being flagged

      1. J
        james danvers

        I got a bounty by picking the lock on a container on a toolbox that was in a site claimed by someone else. not his chest or toolbox, but a normal container. That is absolutely ridiculous.

  30. P
    Pennyj

    I accidentally blew someone’s turret up while raiding super mutants. (Why their base was in mutant territory idk?)
    And it’s been two days and like a hundred deaths… I’ve still got 20 wanted rank…..?

    1. R
      Ren

      Got to die to a player

  31. M
    Matthew

    I have a wanted lvl of 10 because i attacked one of my brothers walls for good humor. Ever since then i have not seen another player on the map or in the game, every now and then i hear gunshots from all around but not a soul in sight

  32. A
    Astrid

    I didn’t know you could get a bounty from freaking stealing, I didn’t realize that it was even an issue to just take something from a farm when the player wasn’t even around. Like??? This seems like a very small issue to get PKed over.

    1. N
      Noell Reed Jr

      I got a wanted Kevel if 10 for unlocking a Govt Requisition stash that got dropped and no one has come to claim it. Oh well!

      1. Y
        yarimnota

        Me too! Then some guy came and killed me. I didn’t lose anything, I was transferring junk to a chest when he got me.

  33. J
    James

    I was helping clear out enemies during an attack at a Workshop area. Threw a grenade, and well, it blew something up. Needless to say, i’ve had level 60 bounty and players on my heels. Can’t find a good way to remove it besides death.

    1. R
      Richard

      It was my fault. I did attack someone, to see what would happen. The same thing happened to me today. So I stripped everything off and emptied everything into a stash box and went and sat down and waited to die. It worked. I didn’t lose anything and the wanted poster was gone.

    2. R
      Reaper

      I had the same problem, the difference was that the area got captured as I was fighting and the doors in the area became the other persons property. lobbing grenades at 5 super mutants in a room only to blow up the door that now belonged to the other player….. the cherry on top for me was that after someone killed me for the bounty my game crashed, so now I lost all the junk I dropped too :'(

  34. R
    RoxieParadox

    I have had wanted status lvl 20 since last night. I believe I got it by accidentally shooting my gun inside my friends base. We weren’t grouped at the time, and I don’t go around hurting players so that’s all I can think of that would get my the status in the first place. I have died several times since I got the bounty but the status has yet to go away. My friend even killed me last night, and that did not remove it…. I’m about to make a new character because, it seems my wanted status is here to stay… Bugged maybe? Who knows..

    1. D
      Davey

      Yeah got a wanted level for shooting a wall of a claimed camp while knocking off scorched in the area. Not going to play this game anymore until its gone cos I refuse to remove it by dying. Isint this a survival game? Why not have low wanted levels wear off like ESO? Freakin suicide is the only option lol this is so stupid…

      1. A
        A Better Gamer

        “Boohoo the game hurt my feelers!”

        1. E
          Everyone’s Dad

          This is an idiotic reply. How long had you been looking for an opportunity to use it and how often have you bored everyone with it?

        2. Y
          You're dumb

          This person didn’t know how the game works.

    2. O
      OniStorm

      One of the biggest problems you run into, even for those of us that build for others and try to protect others camps and holdings, is the game doesn’t recognize splash damages. So for instance if you lob a grenade or have anti-melee mutant genes going and it hits a crop, it’s over. You’re wanted for defending the homestead from moles or muties or whatever is targeting someone’s turrets and generators. Please folks if you can, put generators in some cover at least. And beg/bug the designers to fix the Bounty system so repairing the damage makes the crime go away