Parking Meter Robbery
Written from the live server data for this feature — locations, recipes and prices are read straight from the robbery setup, not estimated.
Parking Meter Robbery is the smallest crime on the server and the safest place to start. No level, no menu, no mission — walk up to any parking meter in the city, pop it open, and pocket the change. The payout is tiny, but it is the only street robbery where the police are not guaranteed to hear about it.
Overview
- Type: Street robbery (world prop, no mission)
- Level required: none — a brand-new character can do this today
- Where: Any parking meter in Los Santos — no GPS, you find them by walking
- Payout: A small amount of black money (dirty), and often nothing at all
- Risk: Moderate — the police are alerted about half the time
Requirements
You need one of these two tools. Either works — you do not need both.
| Item | Spawn code | Where to get | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockpick | lockpick |
General/hardware shop | Used from your inventory |
| Crowbar | weapon_crowbar |
Weapon/tool shop | Must be equipped in your hand |
- Lockpick: slower (about 8 seconds) but the quieter option.
- Crowbar: faster (about 6 seconds) but noticeably more likely to bring the cops.
💡 For parking meters the lockpick is the smart play — the crowbar only saves ~2 seconds and raises your police risk a lot.
How to Start
There is no menu and no job to accept. Carry a lockpick (or hold a crowbar), find a parking meter on any street, and use the target / third-eye button on it.
📍 Locations
- Start: any parking-meter prop in the world. They line the streets of Downtown Los Santos, Vespucci, Rockford Hills and Mirror Park — anywhere with paid parking. There is no GPS marker; you rob them as you find them.
- Sell: none. The reward is handed straight to you. To spend it, launder it at Money Wash.
Step-by-Step
- Get a tool. Buy a
lockpick, or equip aweapon_crowbar. - Find a parking meter on any street and aim the target button at it.
- Pick your method — Lockpick (needs the item) or Break Open (needs the crowbar in hand).
- Beat the minigame. Fail it and the meter locks up with nothing gained.
- Wait out the progress bar — about 6–8 seconds. The reward is rolled and handed to you.
- Move to the next meter. The one you just hit is on a 15-minute cooldown.
What You Get & Where to Sell It
Nothing to sell — the reward goes straight into your pockets.
| Item | Spawn code | What it's for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Money | black_money |
Dirty cash — must be laundered before you can spend it | About $25 per successful pop |
| (nothing) | — | — | Slightly more than half the meters are empty |
How much money total? Roughly $11 per meter on average once you count the empty ones. This is pocket-change money — you do it while walking between bigger jobs, not as a career. Take the dirty cash to Money Wash to turn it into spendable cash.
💰 Cost vs Reward
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Investment (one-time) | A lockpick or a weapon_crowbar — cheap shop tools |
| Cost per run | ~$0 — the tool is not consumed |
| Reward per meter | $25 black money when it pays, ~$11 averaged |
| Break-even | A handful of meters |
| After that | Pure profit, but very slow money |
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Use the lockpick, not the crowbar. Two seconds saved is not worth the extra police call.
- Walk a busy street. Meters cluster in Downtown and Vespucci — you can chain a dozen on foot.
- Don't re-hit the same meter. Each prop is locked for 15 minutes, success or fail.
- Don't stand in the open on a main road. Half of these calls reach dispatch.
- Don't treat this as an income. It is filler money and a way to learn how street robbery works before you touch Mailboxes or the illegal menu jobs.
FAQ
Do I need a level to rob parking meters?
No. There is no level, no EXP and no menu. Any character can rob a parking meter the minute
they have a lockpick or a weapon_crowbar.
How much does a parking meter pay?
About $25 in black money when it pays out, and slightly more than half of them are empty — so expect around $11 per meter on average. It is the lowest payout of the three street robberies, but also the lowest risk.
Lockpick or crowbar — which is better for parking meters?
Lockpick. The crowbar is only about 2 seconds faster and it raises the chance the police are called from roughly half to most of the time.
Why can't I rob the same parking meter twice?
Each individual meter goes on a 15-minute cooldown after any attempt, successful or failed. Move to a different meter instead of waiting.
Can I spend the money straight away?
No. Parking meters pay black money, which is dirty. Take it to Money Wash to convert it into clean, spendable cash.
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