Starfield: How to Get Rid of a Bounty

Starfield is full of endless opportunities. You can be a noble hero, a ruthless felon, or somewhere in between, the choice is yours. No matter how you play, there’s a high chance you’ll cause a ruckus at some point and a pesky bounty will be placed out for your arrest. Here’s how to get rid of a bounty in Starfield.

How to Get Rid of a Bounty in Starfield

In true Bethesda fashion, there are endless ways to receive a bounty and a few ways to get rid of one. I even came across a unique questline in my Bounty Hunter background playthrough following an arrest — I may have pick-pocketed some innocent bystanders and then killed the guards after my arrest, so I thought I was in serious trouble when I was ultimately caught. 

To my surprise, the arresting captain took notice of my Bounty Hunter background, and I was enlisted as a double agent. Needless to say, there are potentially many ways to sweet talk your way out of a bounty, but these are the methods we can confirm right now.

• Pay the Bounty Fee.
• Serve the Jail Time.
• Offer a Bribe.

Pay the Bounty Fee

Once a bounty is out on you, there will be a variable price to pay to eliminate it. The amount depends on the extent of your crime, and you’ll also lose all illegal or stolen goods. If you’ve got the coin to spare, I recommend this as the quickest way to get rid of your bounty. To pay the bounty fee, you can either:

• Select the option when a guard or guard starship approaches you.
• Head to a Trackers Alliance Self-Service Bounty Clearance Kiosk.

Trackers Alliance Self-Service Bounty Clearance Kiosks can be found at every major settlement in Starfield near the ship landing dock, or at the local bar. I recommend this option if you have contraband on you. Simply approach to kiosk and select “clear bounty” to pay it. Notably, you can only pay using Kiosks that are outside of the region that has the bounty out on you.

Serve the Jail Time

If you’re broke or pinching pennies, you have the option to serve your jail time. To do so, select the option when a guard approaches you. Serving jail time will cost XP depending on the extent of your crimes, and you’ll lose all of your illegal or stolen goods. The amount of time you spend in jail varies on the size of your bounty.

Offer a Bribe

Sometimes you can bribe a guard to eliminate your bounty, but it’ll cost you plenty of coin and may not be worth the risk. If you’re unsuccessful, your bribe fee will increase even higher and you’ll be immediately arrested and taken to jail. If you’re interested in bribery, you can increase your chances of a successful bribe by leveling your Negotiation, and Charisma skill in the social skill tree.

And that sums up how to target engines and disable them in Starfield. We’ve got plenty more how-to’s in our growing guides hub here, like how to lock pick, how to sell contraband, and more.