vehicles.meta Guide - Configure Vehicle Properties in GTA 5 2026

What is vehicles.meta?

The vehicles.meta file registers every vehicle in GTA 5 with the game engine. It defines the vehicle's display name, class, type, handling reference, and various behavioral flags. Every addon vehicle mod requires a proper vehicles.meta entry to function correctly in 2026.

File location: common.rpf/data/levels/gta5/vehicles.meta or addon dlc.rpf

Key Parameters

Vehicle Classes

• VC_SUPER — Supercars (Adder, Zentorno)
• VC_SPORT — Sports cars (Jester, Elegy)
• VC_MUSCLE — Muscle cars (Dominator, Gauntlet)
• VC_SUV — SUVs (Baller, Cavalcade)
• VC_EMERGENCY — Emergency vehicles (Police, Ambulance)
• VC_MILITARY — Military vehicles (Rhino, Barracks)

Adding an Addon Vehicle Entry

1. Copy an existing entry that matches your vehicle type
2. Change modelName and txdName to your model's name
3. Set handlingId to match your handling.meta entry
4. Choose the correct vehicleClass for categorization
5. Set appropriate flags (extras, liveries, sirens if emergency)
6. Add corresponding entries in handling.meta, carvariations.meta, carcols.meta

Important Flags

• FLAG_HAS_LIVERY — Vehicle supports livery textures
• FLAG_HAS_EXTRA — Vehicle has toggleable extra parts
• FLAG_IS_ELECTRIC — Electric engine sound and behavior
• FLAG_EMERGENCY_SERVICE — Enables siren functionality
• FLAG_LAW_ENFORCEMENT — Recognized as police vehicle by AI