When server owners say “HWID ban”, they mean a ban that reaches past the account. FiveM gives your server two things to work with: identifiers, such as the Rockstar license and Discord ID, and player tokens that FiveM creates for your server. A solid ban stores both and checks both on every join. That way a cheater who returns on a fresh account still gets stopped.
In short: the three kinds of FiveM ban
Players and staff often mix these up. That leads to confused appeals and angry tickets.
- Cfx.re platform ban. FiveM’s own anticheat detects programs that inject into the game client. The linked account is banned from FiveM and RedM, and the player sees a message saying the account is globally banned. Only Cfx.re reviews these, through its ban appeal form.
- Server ban. You ban a player from your server. It applies only there, and you decide on appeals.
- Network ban. You run several servers and share one ban list between them. A player banned on your roleplay server is also blocked on your PvP server.
What a server can see about a player
When a player connects, FiveM hands your server a list of identifiers. Server scripts read the whole list with GetPlayerIdentifiers, or pick one type with GetPlayerIdentifierByType. The FiveM docs list these types:
- license: a hash from Rockstar Online Services. Most frameworks use it to link characters to a player.
- license2: the Rockstar license for players who use Steam. The docs note it can be the same value as license.
- steam: the player’s Steam ID.
- discord: the player’s Discord user ID.
- fivem: the player’s Cfx.re account ID.
- ip: the player’s IPv4 address.
Don’t assume every player has every type. Your ban check should work with whatever is present and treat a missing value as normal.
Each identifier is only as strong as the account behind it. A new Discord or Steam account takes minutes to make. An IP changes with a new connection or a VPN. That is why identifiers alone rarely keep out a determined cheater.
Player tokens and why they belong to your server
FiveM also gives your server a set of player tokens. GetNumPlayerTokens tells you how many a player has, and GetPlayerToken reads each one by index. Both are server-only natives. Tokens are what most owners mean when they talk about HWID bans.
The FiveM native reference says tokens can be used to enhance banning logic, and that they are specific to a server. Treat them as local to the server that recorded them. A token list copied from someone else’s server won’t help you.
Can FiveM servers HWID ban?
Yes, within limits. Store the banned player’s tokens next to their identifiers, and check both when anyone connects. That catches many returning cheaters, and it is the strongest tool a server has.
It is still no guarantee. A token match is a strong signal, but it falls short of proof. Some cheaters will get back in anyway. Plan for that, and make sure your staff can spot them fast.
How banned cheaters come back
You don’t need to know their methods to defend against them. From your side, a returning cheater shows up in one of three ways.
- A new account with new identifiers but the same tokens. A token check on join catches this.
- New identifiers and new tokens, with the same behaviour. Same menu, same aim, same friends online. Detections and alert staff catch this.
- Someone else’s account, borrowed or bought. The identifiers belong to a clean player, so only behaviour gives it away.
Catching alt accounts without banning siblings or roommates
Shared signals cause most wrong alt bans. Two brothers who play on the same PC can look like one person. A student house can share one IP. Set your rules so a match leads to a check, and a human makes the final call.
- Never ban on IP alone. Use it as a hint that two accounts might be linked.
- A match on license or Discord ID can be enforced automatically.
- A match on tokens or IP only should block the join with a clear appeal message. Staff then review it quickly.
- Put it in your server rules: a ban covers every account the banned player uses.
- Keep the original evidence on the ban, so a review takes a minute instead of an argument.
Write rules that make alt bans easy to defend
Why every ban should come with screenshot evidence
One ban list across the servers you own
If you run more than one server, a cheater banned on one should not be welcome on the next. Sharing your ban list between your own servers is normal moderation.
Pooling bans with other communities is a different matter. The Cfx.re resource FAQ lists global ban lists among disallowed resources. Its reason: nobody can verify the quality of every anticheat, so a shared list could ban players without good reason and lock them out of many servers. Keep your list to servers you own and moderate.
Daddy Shield works this way. A ban covers every server in your account, each ban carries a screenshot taken at the moment of detection, and bans keep working even if our panel goes offline.
GTA V Enhanced reuses player IDs
On GTA V Enhanced, FiveM releases a player’s server ID when they disconnect. The next player who joins can get the same ID. The docs say this behaviour may change. On Legacy, IDs keep counting up.
If a script stores bans, warnings or logs by server ID, a new player can inherit someone else’s record. Key every ban on identifiers and tokens. Use the server ID only to find who is online right now.
Checklist
- Store license, license2, discord, fivem and steam on every ban, when present.
- Store the player tokens on every ban.
- Check identifiers and tokens on every connection, before the player loads in.
- Use IP as a hint only.
- Treat token-only matches as review cases with a clear appeal path.
- Keep evidence with each ban.
- Share the list only between servers you own.
- Never key a ban on the server ID.
Set up anticheat rules without false bans
FAQ
Can I remove an HWID ban from a player?
On your own server, yes. Delete or expire the ban, and its stored tokens go with it. A Cfx.re platform ban works differently. Only Cfx.re can review it, through the appeal form in its support FAQ.
Is a global ban the same as my server ban?
A global ban comes from Cfx.re and blocks the account from FiveM and RedM. Your server ban only affects your own servers. You can’t lift a global ban yourself.
Should I ban by IP?
Only together with other signals. IPs change, and many players can share one. Use IP to spot links between accounts, then decide on stronger evidence.
If you’d rather not build all this yourself, Daddy Shield lets you choose watch only, block, kick or ban for each of the 40+ protections. Plans cost €24.99 a month, or €19.99 a month on 6 months, with a 7-day refund. GTA V Enhanced support is coming soon.