Last updated: 10 August 2026
How to Escape the Police in Schedule I
The police are the main source of friction in Schedule I, and getting caught carrying product means losing it. Learning the wanted system and the evasion basics keeps your business running and even turns a chase into an XP opportunity. This guide covers the wanted levels, surviving a search, and how to lose the cops.
Schedule I has a three-stage wanted system (Under Arrest, Wanted, Wanted: Dead or Alive). If an officer searches you, hold the hide input to stash carried product before they reach you. To escape, break line of sight in alleys and buildings, hide in dumpsters, and avoid patrol routes until the wanted timer clears. Police are more active during curfew (midnight–6 AM), but surviving and escaping a Dead or Alive encounter grants bonus XP.
01The Wanted Level System
Police attention escalates through three stages, each more dangerous:
- Under Arrest — an officer is attempting to detain you; comply or flee before it escalates.
- Wanted — police are actively pursuing you and will search or arrest you on contact.
- Wanted: Dead or Alive — the highest level, where police are most aggressive — but escaping it grants a bonus XP reward.
- The level clears on a timer once you break pursuit, so the goal is to get out of sight long enough for it to count down.
02Surviving a Search
If an officer stops to search you, what you do in the next moment matters:
- Hide your carried product — hold the hide input to stash product before the officer reaches you. If you are caught holding it, it is confiscated.
- Stay calm and create distance if you can break away before the search begins.
- Do not carry more than you need on risky deliveries — losing a small batch hurts less than losing your whole stock.
- Know that a clean search (no product found) lets you walk away without losing anything.
03How to Lose the Cops
Once you are being pursued, evasion is about breaking their line of sight:
- Break line of sight — duck into alleyways, around buildings, and through gaps so officers lose visual on you.
- Hide — dumpsters and similar hiding spots let you wait out a search.
- Avoid patrol routes — running into more police resets or raises your heat, so move away from busy areas.
- Wait out the timer — once they have lost you, a countdown clears the wanted level; stay hidden until it does.
- Use vehicles and distance where possible to put space between you and pursuers.
04Curfew Risk & the XP Bonus
Police pressure is not constant, and risk can be turned into reward:
- Curfew hours (midnight–6 AM) increase police activity and patrol frequency, so deliveries then are riskier.
- Curfew deliveries pay a cash and XP bonus, so the risk can be worth it if you can handle the heat.
- Escaping a Wanted: Dead or Alive encounter grants bonus XP — useful for rank grinders who can reliably evade.
- Plan routes that avoid patrols during curfew to get the bonus without getting caught.
- Police behaviour is tuned in Early Access updates, so tactics may shift between versions.
FAQ
How do you escape the police in Schedule I?
Break their line of sight by ducking into alleys, around buildings, and through gaps so officers lose visual on you, then hide in spots like dumpsters and avoid patrol routes. Once you have broken pursuit, a timer counts down and clears your wanted level, so stay hidden until it does. If you are searched, hold the hide input to stash carried product before the officer reaches you.
What happens if you get caught with product in Schedule I?
If an officer searches you and finds product you are carrying, it is confiscated. To avoid this, hold the hide input to stash your product before the officer reaches you during a search. A clean search where no product is found lets you walk away without losing anything, so do not carry more product than you need on risky deliveries.
How does the wanted system work in Schedule I?
There are three stages: Under Arrest (an officer is trying to detain you), Wanted (police actively pursue you), and Wanted: Dead or Alive (the most aggressive level). The level clears on a timer once you break pursuit by getting out of sight. Notably, surviving and escaping a Wanted: Dead or Alive encounter grants a bonus XP reward.
Is it riskier to sell during curfew in Schedule I?
Yes. During curfew hours of midnight to 6 AM, police are more active and patrol frequency increases, making deliveries riskier. The upside is that curfew deliveries pay a cash and XP bonus. If you can plan routes that avoid patrols and break line of sight when spotted, the bonus can be worth the added heat, especially for players grinding rank.
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