Skyrim: How to Remove a Bounty

Living a life of crime in Skyrim can often attract unwanted attention from regular citizens or guards, and in the unfortunate event the player is caught red-handed, they will be forced to pay a Hold bounty. Hold or Faction Bounties in The Elder Scrolls V start at 0 but will increase, depending on what offense the Dragonborn was seen doing. For instance, stealing and riding off with a Skyrim horse from Whiterun will result in the player owing 50 gold to the Whiterun Hold. On the other hand, murdering a citizen of Morthal will place a Hjaalmarch bounty of 1,000 gold on the player’s head.

It is certainly possible to roleplay as a wandering thief living out their life in the wilderness of Skyrim. However, the Dragonborn will eventually run into a Hold’s patrol unit or enter a city and encounter the local security. At such moments, it is helpful to know the potential options when such untimely circumstances occur.

The first and most straightforward way of removing a bounty in Skyrim is paying the fine of the crime when forced into dialogue with a guard. There is also the option of paying in jail time in Skyrim, but this choice is never recommended unless players wish to attain the “Jail Break” achievement. So naturally, the final dialogue choice of “I’d rather die” results in complete hostility from all Hold’s guards. However, in regards to the first option, there are several ways where players can sway the dialogue in their favor, resulting in the bounty being temporarily or even completely removed.

How To Remove a Bounty in Skyrim

If the Dragonborn becomes the Thane of a Hold, they have the privilege of removing the bounty of a Hold. However, this opportunity can only be used once per Hold and does not apply to crimes exceeding 1,000 gold. Moreover, becoming the Thane isn’t easy and often requires the player to complete multiple Skyrim questlines before achieving the title.

Another possibility of temporarily dismissing a bounty is by becoming a member of the Thieves Guild. The option to bribe guards will become available once players have unlocked Special Jobs for a particular city/Hold. To unlock Special Jobs from the Thieves Guild, the Dragonborn must complete five Radiant Quests for that specific region. Keep in mind that while one guard can be bribed to ignore a bounty, others may still confront the player with a fine. Fans with a high enough Speech level can also unlock the perks “Bribery” and “Persuasion,” which essentially grant a similar dialogue option as a Thieves Guild member in Skyrim.

Killing any witnesses of a particular offense will also instantly remove a bounty for that crime. However, this method is rather challenging to pull off, especially when multiple observers are around.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

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