GTA 5 story missions are the backbone of the game - helping you encounter new characters and explore the many weird and wonderful locations which make up Los Santos.
For completionists who want to fully complete GA 5, you need to collect every gold medal for each main mission.
Not only that, but you'll also want to track down additional gold medals for a number of the Stranger and Freaks missions to achieve this goal.
To help you in this journey, you'll find our GTA 5 story missions list and gold medal checklist.
On this page:
- How GTA 5 missions and gold medal checklists work
- GTA 5 gold medal mission checklist
- GTA 5 heist choices explained
How GTA 5 story missions and gold medals work
Like other games in the series, GTA 5 has a long list of main story missions. Each of the main characters has their own missions to complete, and those missions are marked on the map with an initial and color indicator: Michael (M and blue), Franklin (F and green), and Trevor (T and orange).
Priority heist missions will show for all characters involved regardless of who you are playing at the time.
For each mission you complete, you will earn a medal for your efforts. Just completing a mission gets you a bronze medal by default. You earn silver medals by meeting a percentage of the objectives, but you must complete 100% of the objective checklist to earn a gold medal.
If you fail to earn a gold medal, don't worry - you can always go back and replay it as many times as you need to.
GTA 5 story mission gold medal checklist
Here's how you can get gold medals for main story mission in Grand Theft Auto 5:
| Mission | Character | Gold Medal Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Michael, Trevor | Complete the Prologue |
| Franklin and Lamar | Franklin | Deliver the repo car with minimal damage Use Franklin's special ability for 7 seconds Win the race again Lamar Avoid hitting any aliens in the movie studio |
| Repossession | Franklin | Complete within 06:30 Shoot the gasoline trail Kill 6 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% |
| Chop | Franklin | Complete with minimal damage to Lamar's van Enter Chop's perspective for 10 seconds Use Franklin's special ability for 7 seconds |
| Complications | Franklin, Michael | Complete within 05:00 Take no damage during the fight with Simeon Knock out the gardener with a stealth attack |
| Father/Son | Franklin, Michael | Rescue Jimmy within 10 seconds Deliver Amanda's car with no damage |
| The Long Stretch | Franklin | Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 60% Kill 10 enemies with a headshot Complete with minimal damage to health and armor Complete within 10:30 |
| Marriage Counseling | Franklin, Michael | Complete with minimal damage to the Bison Complete within 05:30 Kill 3 enemies whilst in a vehicle |
| Daddy's Little Girl | Michael | Reach top speed on the Seashark Don't fall off the bicycle Swim to the boat within 01:00 |
| Friend Request | Michael | Complete within 08:30 Clear all pop-ups within 32 seconds |
| Casing the Jewel Store | Michael | Complete within 08:00 Capture all 3 security features in one picture |
| BZ Gas Grenades | Michael | Shoot open the back doors to release the cargo |
| Bugstars Equipment | Michael | Steal the Bugstars van without being detected |
| Heist: The Jewel Store Job - Smart Choice | Michael, Franklin | Steal the jewelry within 50 seconds Protect Franklin during the LS River chase Steal the jewelry from all 20 glass cabinets |
| Heist: The Jewel Store Job - Loud Choice | Michael, Franklin | Complete within 10:30 Steal the jewelry within 50 seconds Protect Franklin during the LS River chase Steal the jewelry from all 20 glass cabinets |
| Mr. Philips | Trevor | Kill the fleeing bikers Kill 12 with a headshot Complete within 12:00 Cause $5000 in damage to Ortega's trailer Kill Terry and Clay during the chase |
| Trevor Philips Industries | Trevor | Kill 32 enemies Complete with minimal damage to health and armor Destroy 6 vehicles Complete within 04:30 |
| Nervous Ron | Trevor | Kill 5 enemies with a headshot Complete within 12:30 Win the race against Ron Fly under any 6 bridges found along the flight path Kill all bikers whilst lying on the plane wing |
| Crystal Maze | Trevor | Kill 10 enemies with a headshot Complete with minimal damage to health and armor Kill 2 enemies with one shot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 80% |
| Friends United | Trevor | Kill 5 enemies with a headshot Destroy the trailers without being detected Complete with minimal damage to health and armor Destroy all trailers at once |
| Fame or Shame | Michael, Trevor | Reach top speed in the Phantom Star close to Lazlow throughout the chase Knock out the event coordinator Don't unhook the trailer |
| Dead Man Walking | Michael | Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Kill 14 enemies with a headshot Complete with 09:30 Kill 4 enemies using Michael's special ability Complete with minimal damage to health and armor |
| Three's Company | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Complete within 07:30 Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 60% Kill 10 enemies with a headshot |
| By the Book | Trevor, Michael | Complete without Mr K's heart stopping Electrocute Mr K Pull out Mr K's tooth Hit Mr K with the wrench Use waterboarding on Mr K |
| Hood Safari | Trevor, Franklin | Complete within 07:00 Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Kill 12 enemies with a headshot |
| Hotel Assassination | Franklin | Time taken to complete the mission Kill the target using a sniper rifle Money earned from the hit |
| Scouting the Port | Trevor | Complete within 20:00 Complete without damaging the containers Snap all 3 photographs of the boat as instructed Complete without causing a disturbance at the docks |
| Did Someone Say Yoga? | Michael | Complete within 15:00 Complete the first yoga pose without fault Complete the second yoga pose without fault Complete the third yoga pose without fault |
| Cargobob | Trevor | Complete within 05:30 |
| Minisub | Trevor | Complete within 05:30 Steal the Submersible without boarding the boat |
| Masks | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Purchase all masks within 20 seconds Purchase a white hockey mask for each character |
| Boiler Suits | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Purchase all outfits within 30 seconds Purchase a different colour for each character |
| Tow Truck | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Complete within 03:00 Deliver the Tow Truck with no damage Reach top speed in the Tow Truck |
| Trash Truck | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Complete within 05:00 Deliver the Trashmaster with no damage Reach top speed in the Trashmaster |
| Heist: The Merryweather Heist - Offshore | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Find the container with 02:00 Complete within 14:30 Eliminate all pursuing Merryweather enemies Escape the pursuing Merryweather enemies in less than 4 minutes |
| Heist: The Merryweather Heist - Freighter | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Find the container within 01:00 Kill 12 enemies using stealth attacks Kill 12 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 80% Get to the ship interior without being detected |
| Blitz Play | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Shoot down the helicopter as Trevor Kill 12 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 60% Switch character 10 times |
| Mr. Richards | Michael | Complete within 10:00 Kill 3 enemies using stealth attacks Take no damage during the fight with Rocco Land the Frogger without damaging it |
| I Fought the Law | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Race between the two trucks Race between the two buses Follow Trevor through the tunnel Complete within 12:00 Use Franklin's special ability during the race |
| The Multi-Target Assassination | Franklin | Time taken to complete mission Kill all targets as quickly as possible Money earned from the hit |
| The Vice Assassination | Franklin | Time taken to complete mission Complete without altering the cops Moeny earned from the hit |
| The Bus Assassination | Franklin | Time taken to complete mission Kill the target using the bus Money earned from the hit |
| Eye in the Sky | Franklin, Trevor | Deliver the Z-Type with no damage Listen to 3 conversations Find Chad's hiding place on the first attempt |
| Caida Libre | Michael, Trevor | Reach top speed on the Sanchez Don't fall off the Sanchez during the chase Shoot down the plane with 3 shots only Complete within 09:45 |
| Minor Turbulence | Trevor | Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 80% Exit the cargo plane in the Mesa |
| Paleto Score Setup | Michael, Trevor | Drive to the bank within 03:30 Win the race back to the meth lab |
| Military Hardware | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Kill 5 enemies with a headshot Stop the convoy using a sticky bomb trap |
| Predator | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Complete within 09:00 Kill 3 enemies with a headshot Don't kill any animals |
| Heist: The Paleto Score | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Fire over 4000 bullets Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 50% Complete within 16:00 Cause $1,000,000 damage in Paleto Bay |
| Derailed | Michael, Trevor | Complete within 11:30 Reach top speed on the Sanchez Land on the train using the first jump |
| Monkey Business | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Stun 8 enemies with the Stun Gun Kill 15 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Complete within 13:30 |
| Hang Ten | Michael, Trevor | Complete within 04:00 |
| Surveying the Score | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Follow the vans without being warned on distance Find the construction hole within 20 seconds Fly under the bridge whilst following the security vans Fly trough the tunnel whilst following the security vans Complete within 11:00 |
| The Construction Assassination | Franklin | Time taken to complete mission Shoot down the target's helicopter Money earned from the hit |
| Deep Inside | Franklin | Deliver the JB 700 with minimal damage Reach top speed in the JB 700 Knock out the actor with a stealth attack Use the ejector seat within 10 seconds Run over the actor as you escape in the JB 700 |
| Bury the Hatchet | Michael, Trevor | Complete within 11:00 Kill 20 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 80% |
| Pack Man | Franklin, Trevor | Complete within 12:00 Complete with minimal damage to the JB 700 Take out 3 cop cars using the spikes |
| Fresh Meat | Michael, Franklin | Don't switch more than 3 times Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Kill 10 enemies with a headshot Rescue Michael within 03:30 Don't use a map waypoint |
| The Ballad of Rocco | Michael | Complete within 03:00 |
| Cleaning out the Bureau | Michael | Check all license plates Follow the janitor without being spotted Complete within 09:00 |
| Reuniting the Family | Michael | Complete within 10:30 |
| Architect's Plans | Franklin | Leave the construction site within 45 seconds |
| Legal Trouble | Michael | Complete within 05:30 Reach top speed in any car Lose the wanted level within 02:00 View the Weazel News camera for 15 seconds |
| Fire Truck | Franklin | Call 911 to contact the fire department Deliver the Fire Truck with no damage |
| Heist: The Bureau Raid - Firetruck | Michael, Franklin | Complete within 18:00 Escape with 40% oxygen remaining Complete the mopping section within 03:00 Abseil down the elevator shaft within 30 seconds |
| Heist: The Bureau Raid - Rooftop | Michael, Franklin | Complete within 19:00 Land perfectly on the main section of the roof Hack the system within 45 seconds Kill 20 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Don't kill any innocent civilians |
| The Wrap Up | Michael, Trevor | Complete within 07:00 Kill 18 enemies with a headshot Shoot down the pursuing helicopter |
| Lamar Down | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Kill 18 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Kill an enemy with all 3 characters Complete within 13:30 |
| Meltdown | Michael | Complete within 06:30 Reach top speed in any vehicle Kill 12 enemies with a headshot Rescue Amanda and Tracey with a headshot |
| Stingers | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Steal the Police Transporters and escape within 02:00 Deliver the Police Transporter with no damage |
| Gauntlet - Pillbox Hill | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Deliver the Gauntlet pictured in the email Deliver the Gauntlet with no damage Spend $17,000 modifying the Gauntlet |
| Gauntlet - Mission Row | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Deliver the Gauntlet pictured in the email Deliver the Gauntlet with no damage Spend $17,000 modifying the Gauntlet |
| Gauntlet - Rockford Hills | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Deliver the Gauntlet pictured in the email Deliver the Gauntlet with no damage Spend $17,000 modifying the Gauntlet |
| Heist: The Big Score - Obvious | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Complete within 16:00 Kill 20 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 60% Drop the gold onto the train within 30 seconds |
| Heist: The Big Score - Subtle | Michael, Franklin, Trevor | Kill 20 enemies with a headshot Perform less than 10 traffic light changes Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 60% |
| Ending Mission: The Time's Come | Franklin | Kill Michael |
| Ending Mission: Something Sensible | Franklin | Kill Trevor |
| Ending Mission: Deathwish | Franklin | Complete within 21:30 Kill 20 enemies with a headshot Finish with a shooting accuracy of at least 70% Kill Cheng with a Sticky Bomb Kill Stretch using a melee weapon |
If you're looking for help with GTA 5 story missions, learn the different outcomes in The Jewel Store Job, The Merryweather Heist, The Big Score and final mission Deathwish. For hijinks out in the open world, there are Strangers and Freaks missions, the military base and spaceship parts to find. Want to explore more beyond the main game? Then play around with GTA 5 cheats, money and stock market and GTA 5 mods.
GTA 5 story decisions explained
The only impactful story story decision is as part of a set of last mission choices, which also affects the end game experience.
Beyond that, there are heists - including The Jewel Store, The Big Score and The Merryweather Heist.
Though these have multiple approaches, which affect how the heist plays out, they have no impact on the overall game. There are also slight differences in the Gold Medal objectives.
Depending on the approach you choose, you will have to do some extra prep work before starting the heist. When recruiting crew members, it's important to consider the approach you choose as certain crew members work well with specific approaches while being detrimental to others.
Remember, it's okay to choose an inexperienced crew member for some of the jobs. If the heist is successful, they will level up their skills, but their cut will remain the same. This means a crew member who only takes a 4% cut at the start will continue to take that same cut regardless of their skill level.
Good luck collecting all the gold medals in GTA 5!
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