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Penal Code

Every crime in the Province of San Andreas, what it costs, and what happens after an arrest.

Matches the charge list in the SAPS booking system, October 2026. Made under section 25 of the Provincial Constitution.

In character Traffic offences are explained in the Road Traffic Code
1

The three tiers

Every charge belongs to one of three tiers. The most serious tier on your arrest decides what happens to you.

Tier 1

Pay and walk

Minor offences. You're booked into a holding cell, then choose: pay the fine and be released after 5 minutes of processing, or keep your money and serve the time.

Held inHolding cell
Buy out?Yes, pay the fine
Longest stay120 min

Tier 2

Serve the time

Misdemeanours that money can't make go away. The fine is taken and you serve your time in a holding cell. No buyout.

Held inHolding cell
Buy out?No
Longest stay120 min

Tier 3

Felony: goes to court

Serious crimes. Booking opens a court case and puts you on remand. A judicial officer decides your sentence, not the arresting officer.

Held inRemand, then Prison
Buy out?Bail, if granted
Longest stay180 min prison

2

All charges

Search by name, code or what happened. Jail time is in real minutes. In the city it's spoken of as months.

3

Sentencing

Charges add up

An officer can attach several charges to one arrest. Their jail times and fines are added together.

The worst tier decides

If even one charge is Tier 3, the whole arrest becomes a court case. If the worst is Tier 2, there's no buyout.

Time is capped

No one spends more than 120 minutes in a holding cell, or more than 180 minutes in Prison, however many charges they face.

Fines are never capped

Every fine is taken from your cash first, then your bank. If that's not enough, your bank balance goes below zero. Fines are paid into the Provincial Treasury.

What would this arrest cost?

Add the charges an officer might book you on.

4

Felony cases

What happens after a Tier 3 booking. These rights are guaranteed by Chapter 6 of the Provincial Constitution.

Booked on a felonyA court case is opened and you're held on remand at the SAPS station. Use /plea and /bail.
↓
Remand: one hourIf no hearing is scheduled within 60 minutes, you're released and every charge is dropped.
↓ You enter a plea
GuiltyNo hearing. You go straight to Prison with 30% taken off your sentence. Your fine is charged in full.
Not guiltyYou wait for a hearing. If you're convicted, the court gives at least the full sentence and can go higher, up to 180 minutes.

Bail

Apply with /bail while on remand. A prosecutor or presiding officer decides. If bail is granted, you can pay it from your cash and bank together and leave until your hearing. A bail decision alone doesn't stop the one-hour remand clock. Only a scheduled hearing does.

Hearings

A contested hearing needs at least two judicial members present: someone presiding and someone prosecuting. Only a Magistrate, Judge or the Chief Justice can preside, give a verdict and pass sentence.

Failure to appear

Hearings have a 15-minute grace period. The first time you miss one, you're charged with Failure to Appear (O-09), a bench warrant is issued, and your hearing is set once more. If you miss it a second time, you're convicted without a hearing and go straight to Prison when caught.

Contempt of court

The presiding officer can warn you, fine you R5,000, or hold you for 5 minutes for disrupting the court.

Remand before a hearing must be scheduled60 min
Processing after paying a Tier 1 fine5 min
Grace period for a hearing15 min
Longest holding cell stay120 min
Longest prison sentence180 min