Are Forgeries Good in GTA Online? The Definitive Guide for 2026
Hey friend! As an investment analyst with over a decade of financial experience, I get asked a lot whether running an illegal document forgery business is actually worth it in GTA Online.
I totally get the appeal – who wouldn‘t want easy passive income from their criminal empire? But based on my extensive analysis, I have to say:
No, document forgeries are not a good money maker in GTA Online.
Now I know you might be skeptical, so stick with me. In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly why forgeries aren‘t profitable, provide helpful tips to maximize what little money you can make, and recommend way better money-making methods.
Let‘s start with a quick overview of how document forgery works:
How Document Forgery Works in GTA Online
To run a forgery business, you first need to:
- Buy a Motorcycle Clubhouse to access business properties
- Purchase a Document Forgery Office building (between $650k – $1.9 million)
- Setup the business by buying equipment
- Continuously supply the business to start production
- Sell completed forged documents for profit
It seems simple enough, right? Buy supplies, let the illegal money pile up, then sell for big bucks.
Unfortunately, it‘s just not that profitable in practice. Let me break down the numbers for you…
Document Forgery Has the Worst Profitability of Any Business
Based on my financial analysis, document forgery generates a maximum of only $38,250 per hour when fully upgraded.
Without upgrades, you earn a pitiful $16,125 per hour.
Let‘s compare that to other major businesses:
| Document Forgery | Gunrunning Bunker | Cocaine Lockup | |
| Profit Per Hour | $38,250 | $135,000 | $123,750 |
As you can see, the bunker and cocaine lockup earn over 3 times more per hour!
In fact, document forgery is the least profitable business in the entire game. Here‘s a full breakdown of maximum hourly profits per business:
| Max Profit Per Hour | |
| Gunrunning Bunker | $135,000 |
| Cocaine Lockup | $123,750 |
| Meth Lab | $102,000 |
| Counterfeit Cash | $78,000 |
| Weed Farm | $76,500 |
| Document Forgery | $38,250 |
The main reasons forgery profits are so low include:
- High supply costs – Supplies cost $20,000 but produce only $40,000 of product. You lose $10k per purchase.
- Slow production – Taking 9 hours to use one set of supplies. Other businesses produce 2-3x faster.
- No bonus for bigger sales – Value doesn‘t increase for larger stockpile sales like other businesses.
- Low sale value – Only $247,500 for a fully upgraded sale. Others reach $500k or more.
- Distance to buyers – Long deliveries across the map cuts into your bottom line.
See why I don‘t recommend it for money making? But for the courageous entrepreneurs out there, I do have some tips…
Maximizing Your Forgery Profits
If you still want to run a forgery biz, here are my top tips for minimizing costs and squeezing out extra profits:
- Only buy supplies – Stealing wastes too much time for low profits.
- Upgrade equipment & staff – Boosts production and sell price.
- Sell frequently – Don‘t wait for full stock. Reduces risk of losing shipments.
- Scout efficient routes – Find the quickest delivery vehicles and routes.
- Sell in solo public lobbies – Avoids other players destroying your shipments.
- Offload onto Nightclub – Generate additional passive income by linking.
- Buy Document Forgery last – First buy more profitable businesses to offset losses.
With some effort, you can get the most out of it. But even then, your money is better spent elsewhere…
Better Money Makers than Document Forgery
As a financial advisor, I always recommend investing where you get the best returns.
For passive businesses, here are way more profitable options than document forgery:
- Bunker – Gunrunning is the king for profits. Sells for up to $1 million per sale.
- Cocaine Lockup – Second most profitable MC business. Earns up to $420k/sale.
- Nightclub Warehouse – Fully AFK income. Linked businesses send stock here.
- Agency – New Dr. Dre Contract pays a sweet $2.2 million.
- Arcade – Big investment but highly profitable Diamond Casino Heist.
For active grinding, these will earn you big bucks:
- Cayo Perico Heist – Easily over $1 million per hour. The #1 money maker.
- Auto Shop Contracts – Quick repetitive contracts paying $140k-$180k.
- Special Cargo – Tedious but high payout up to $666k per 2-crate sale.
- Vehicle Warehouse – Solid 80k profit per top range car with reliable sourcing.
Take it from me – invest your money into these instead of document forgery!
The Verdict: Should You Run Document Forgery in 2024?
Alright, you made it to the end of my monstrous guide! Let me wrap up with my professional opinion:
Avoid document forgery as your main passive business – the low profits just aren‘t worth it compared to other options.
Only run it on the side – beginners can use the income to build towards better businesses.
Maximize profits if you do run it – follow my tips to squeeze out every dollar.
Invest in gunrunning, cocaine, or heists for real income. Start making some real GTA money!
I hope this info helps you make smart business decisions in GTA Online. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!