There are many restricted areas throughout the Grand Theft Auto series, which are generally off-limits to the public, and the protagonists will gain an instant Wanted Level if they trespass within these areas, regardless of whether they do it purposely or not. Some restricted areas do not attract an instant wanted level, but instead the player gets attacked by people in the area. Some areas are unlockable, and thus the player will not earn a wanted level or get attacked for entering these areas after a certain point in the game, but others have permanent restrictions.
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto: III[]
- Turtle Head Fishing Company Factory – a factory; if accessed, Triad members will become hostile to Claude. The building becomes vacant after its destruction in Blow Fish.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Washington Beach Police Department – a police station. Triggered when straying beyond the lobby or pulling out a firearm, but only if Tommy is not wearing a police uniform – two stars.
- El Banco Corrupto Grande – a bank. Triggered if the player accesses the staff bureau after completion of The Job, even if Tommy is wearing a police uniform – four stars.
- Fort Baxter Air Base – a military base. Will cause military personnel to shoot Tommy Vercetti on sight, even if the player has not trespassed inside the base. Soldiers will not attack Tommy if wearing a police uniform.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Permanent:
- Area 69, a secret military research facility – five stars. Flying over the military base for a brief period will not earn the player a wanted level.
- Easter Basin Naval Station – a military base – five stars.
- Police Impound Garage – including external parking lots – if seen without a law enforcement vehicle by a police officer, irrespective of whether Carl is wearing a police uniform – three stars. Triggered after a while, when the police officer who spotted CJ stops pointing his gun at him and calls for backup. The stars are gained after this call is finished, and there is no way to stop the call once it has started. The wanted level can be avoided by sneaking past the officers, killing officers who detect CJ before they pull out their phone, or staying inside a police vehicle.
- Los Santos Police Headquarters, Dillimore Police Station and Las Venturas Police Headquarters – interiors of police stations – if CJ is carrying a firearm or explosive, and other items such as cameras are forbidden too, but melee weapons are permitted – two stars.
Unlockable:
- San Fierro, Whetstone and Flint County – before completing the mission "The Green Sabre" – four stars.
- Tierra Robada, Bone County and Las Venturas – before completing the mission "Yay Ka-Boom-Boom" – four stars.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Portland Harbor – a harbor. The dock workers will attack Toni if he crosses the area. However, if he leaves the area, they will stop being hostile as long as he doesn't attack any of them. After the completion of Driving Mr Leone, the area opens to the public.
- Harwood Ferry Terminal – a ferry terminal. The ferry workers will attack Toni if he crosses the area. However, if he leaves the area, they will stop being hostile as long as he doesn't attack any of them. After the completion of Driving Mr Leone, the area opens to the public.
- Shoreside Lift Bridge – a bridge. The ferry workers will attack Toni if he crosses the Staunton end of the bridge. However, if he leaves the area, they will stop being hostile as long as he doesn't attack any of them. After the completion of Love on the Rocks, the area opens to the public.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Fort Baxter – a military base. Will cause military personnel to shoot Vic on sight if he tries to trespass into the base after the completion of Conduct Unbecoming. The soldiers will not attack Vic if he is wearing the Army Fatigues during the beginning of the game or after completing Over the Top, as long as he doesn't kill at least three soldiers in the base.
HD Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
Permanent:
- Francis International Airport runway – four stars (two stars if a helicopter is flown in the area).
- Civilization Committee Complex – four stars (two stars if a helicopter is flown in the area).
- Alderney State Correctional Facility – a prison (restricted in TLAD and TBoGT only) – three stars.
Unlockable:
- Algonquin – before completing the mission Blow Your Cover – six stars.
- Alderney – before completing the mission Three Leaf Clover – six stars.
Note: All restricted areas in Grand Theft Auto IV are made freely accessible in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Permanent:
- Bolingbroke Penitentiary – a prison – four stars (two stars if the player flies over the area).
- Fort Zancudo – a military base – four stars (two stars if the player briefly flies over the area).
- Humane Labs and Research – a chemical research company – four stars.
- Kortz Center – a museum – one star (if caught by a guard after the museum is closed for the night).
- Los Santos Golf Club – low-flying over the course, driving a vehicle onto the course or trespassing on the course after hours – two stars.
- Los Santos Naval Port – a Merryweather naval industrial storage yard – four stars.
- Los Santos International Airport – three stars (Trevor only if patch 1.11 is installed; otherwise, the player as Michael or Franklin will earn a wanted level if either character has yet to own a hangar).
- Backlot City – a movie studio neighborhood – two stars (always restricted for Franklin and Trevor, only restricted for Michael before Mr. Richards).
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Bolingbroke Penitentiary – a prison – four stars (even if the player flies low over it).
- Fort Zancudo – a military base – four stars (two stars if the player briefly flies over the area).
- As of the Smuggler's Run update, players who have purchased one of the Hangars at Fort Zancudo in GTA Online will have free access to the base unless they commit any act of aggression, which includes stealing an aircraft or any other military vehicle, or trespassing inside the control tower.
- Kortz Center – a museum – one star (if caught by a guard after the museum is closed for the night).
- El Rubio's Compound – fortified compound – During Heist Prep: Gather Intel protected by an invisible wall, players will be teleported back to the Cayo Perico Beach Party or Cayo Perico Airstrip if they manage to get close enough (e.g. by parachute from the Communications Tower). During The Cayo Perico Heist finale, it is protected by an automated air defense system that will shoot down any aerial infiltration. Can only be entered via one of 6 scripted methods.
Trivia[]
- In GTA V, if the player flies over Fort Zancudo, Bolingbroke Penitentiary or Los Santos International Airport, a radio message will warn the player to leave the area immediately or else their aircraft will be shot down. However, only Fort Zancudo has the capacity to shoot an aircraft down.
- In GTA Online, only Fort Zancudo will issue these warnings.
- In GTA Online, Lester's service, "Cops Turn Blind Eye", will make all areas unrestricted (except for El Rubio's compound), allowing the player to fully explore these locations without resistance, within the time limit.