How to Install GTA 5 Mods (Story Mode on PC)

GTA V mods are strictly single-player. Once you accept that, modding the PC version comes down to a one-time setup (Script Hook V, an ASI loader and a mods folder), after which most car mods install the same way: copy a folder, add one line to a list, spawn the car. This guide covers that setup, add-on and replace cars, scripts, and what to do when a game update breaks everything, which sooner or later it will.

Never take a modded game into GTA Online. Online runs BattlEye anti-cheat, and modified files can get your account banned. Use mods in story mode only, and switch everything off before you go online.

The short version

1. Install Script Hook V and its ASI loader into the game folder.
2. Set up the mods folder with OpenIV (Legacy) or OpenRPF (Enhanced).
3. Copy an add-on car’s folder into mods\update\x64\dlcpacks.
4. Add one line for it to dlclist.xml.
5. Switch off BattlEye for story mode, start the game and spawn the car with a trainer.

Legacy or Enhanced?

Since March 2025 there have been two PC versions of the game: GTA V Enhanced, the newer one with ray tracing, and GTA V Legacy, the original PC release. On Steam they show up as two separate entries, and the difference matters for modding:

• Legacy is where most existing mods and tools were made. OpenIV, the classic modding tool, supports it fully.
• Enhanced is newer ground. Script Hook V has supported it since its mid-2026 releases, and OpenRPF takes over the job of OpenIV’s mods-folder plugin. Plenty of older car packs work, but check each mod’s notes for Enhanced support.

If you’re starting a modded playthrough from scratch and want as few surprises as possible, Legacy is still the easier choice.

Switch off BattlEye for story mode

BattlEye only matters online, but it also stops Script Hook V from loading. For story mode you can turn it off: in the Rockstar Games Launcher, open Settings and untick the BattlEye option for Grand Theft Auto V, or add -nobattleye to the game’s launch options. Switch it back on before you play GTA Online. The game won’t let you go online without it anyway.

The one-time setup

1. Find the game folder, the one that holds the game’s .exe (GTA5.exe on Legacy). On Steam: right-click the game and choose Manage → Browse local files.
2. Install Script Hook V. Download it from its official page, dev-c.com, and copy ScriptHookV.dll and dinput8.dll from its bin folder into the game folder. dinput8.dll is the ASI loader that lets the game load .asi plugins. The NativeTrainer.asi that comes with it is optional.
3. Add Script Hook V .NET if a mod asks for it, which many script mods do. It also goes into the game folder, and its scripts live in a scripts folder there.
4. Set up the mods folder. On Legacy, install OpenIV, point it at your GTA V folder and use Tools → ASI Manager to install the ASI Loader and OpenIV.asi. On Enhanced, install OpenRPF following its own instructions.
5. Work only in the mods folder. Whenever OpenIV offers to copy an archive into “mods” before you edit it, say yes. That way the original game files are never touched.

Where everything goes

After the setup, the important part of the game folder looks like this. The mods folder mirrors the game’s own structure, and the game loads files from it instead of the originals:

Installing an add-on car

Add-on cars arrive as brand-new vehicles with their own names, so nothing in the game gets replaced. The 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 and the NOOSE Frogger helicopter are typical examples. They come as a folder with a dlc.rpf file inside.

1. Extract the download and find the folder that contains dlc.rpf. Its name, for example defender110, is the name the game will use.
2. Copy that folder into mods\update\x64\dlcpacks.
3. In OpenIV, switch on Edit mode and open mods\update\update.rpf\common\data\dlclist.xml.
4. Add a line for the car just above </Paths>: <Item>dlcpacks:/defender110/</Item>, using the exact folder name. Save.
5. Start the game and spawn the car with a trainer such as Menyoo or Simple Trainer, using the spawn name from the readme. The Frogger, for instance, spawns as noosehel.

Wheel packs such as the Seat Leon Cupra R wheels work a little differently: they replace existing wheel slots, and the notes tell you which ones.

Replace mods and .oiv packages

A replace mod swaps a car that’s already in the game for a new model. Some mods offer both versions; the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T comes as an add-on with a replace option. To install a replace version, open the vehicle archive inside your mods folder in OpenIV (cars from the base game live in x64e.rpf\levels\gta5\vehicles.rpf), switch on Edit mode and drag the new .yft and .ytd files over the old ones.

Many mods also come as an .oiv package. Double-click it, or use Tools → Package Installer in OpenIV, and when it asks, always install into the mods folder, never into the game folder.

Whenever you have the choice, take the add-on version. Nothing original is lost, and removing the car later means deleting one folder and one line.

Scripts and plugins

• .asi plugins go straight into the game folder, next to dinput8.dll.
• Script Hook V .NET scripts (.dll, .cs or .vb files) go into the scripts folder in the game directory. Create it if it isn’t there yet.
• Trainers such as Menyoo are .asi plugins with a folder of their own. Copy both.

Lots of add-on cars? Raise the limits

The game has built-in limits on how much extra content it can load. Somewhere past a few dozen add-on vehicles, or with a big bundle like the 48 Car Add-On Pack, you may see cars that won’t spawn, textures that never load, or crashes on the loading screen. On Legacy, the usual fix is a gameconfig.xml made for your exact game build, placed in mods\update\update.rpf\common\data, plus a heap limit adjuster plugin. Always use versions that match your game: a gameconfig for an older build will crash a newer game.

After a game update

Most Rockstar updates break Script Hook V. The game then shows a message about an unknown game version, or simply ignores your scripts. Nothing is lost. Wait for a new Script Hook V release, usually within a few days, copy the new ScriptHookV.dll over the old one, and update OpenIV’s plugin if it asks. Your mods folder can stay where it is. Add-on cars generally keep working; gameconfig files need the version made for the new build.

Common mistakes

• Going online with mods installed. Remove dinput8.dll and switch BattlEye back on first.
• Editing the original files. Always work on the copy in mods. A broken original means re-downloading gigabytes.
• A typo in dlclist.xml. The folder name and the line have to match exactly, slashes included.
• Mixing Legacy and Enhanced files. Tools and some mods are built for one version only.
• Updating the game the day a patch drops. On Steam you can set the game to update only when you launch it, which gives Script Hook V time to catch up.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use mods in GTA Online?

No. Modding GTA Online breaks Rockstar’s rules and can get your account banned. Everything in this guide is for story mode only.

Will story-mode mods get me banned?

Rockstar has tolerated single-player mods on PC for years. The real risk is taking a modified game online, which is exactly what BattlEye is there to catch. Keep the two strictly apart.

Do I need OpenIV for every mod?

No. Script mods only need Script Hook V, and sometimes Script Hook V .NET. OpenIV or OpenRPF is needed for anything that changes the game’s archives, which includes add-on and replace cars.

How do I remove all mods?

Delete the mods and scripts folders, and remove dinput8.dll, ScriptHookV.dll and any .asi files from the game folder. Then verify the game files in Steam, the Epic Games Launcher or the Rockstar Games Launcher to make sure everything original is intact.

Do mods work on PlayStation or Xbox?

No. Mods are a PC-only thing for GTA V.

Pick your first car from the GTA 5 mods collection, or go straight to the GTA 5 car mods.