The Acid Lab is not something you buy from a website in GTA 5‘s online mode. You unlock it by finishing the six First Dose missions for Dax, and the lab itself then costs $750,000 from the workbench inside the Freakshop. That means the business is gated behind story work, not behind your bank balance, which is why so many players hunting for it on the Maze Bank Foreclosures site come up empty.
Where the Acid Lab Questline Starts
The chain begins with a mission called Welcome to the Troupe, and you trigger it by driving to Ron Jakowski at the Liquor Ace in Sandy Shores. This is the part many players miss: there is no phone call and no in-game prompt nudging you toward it. You have to physically go to that store in northern Blaine County and start it yourself.
Once you finish that first mission and drop Dax off at the Freakshop, the rest of the chain opens up. The Freakshop then becomes your base of operations for everything that follows.
The Six First Dose Missions
There are six First Dose missions in total, and they get harder as you go. The important detail is the pacing: you cannot run them back to back on demand. After each one you have to wait for Dax to call you before the next becomes available. If you are trying to clear the whole chain in one sitting, expect some downtime between missions.
They are short, story-driven jobs, and each one pays GTA$ and RP on completion, so the chain is not dead time even before the lab is yours.
Unlocking and Paying for the Lab
After the missions are done, speak to Mutt at the workbench inside the Freakshop. That conversation triggers the actual purchase. The $750,000 figure is the trade price on the Brickade that houses the lab, and GTA+ subscribers get the installation at no cost, which is the single biggest saving available on this business.
If you are short on funds when you reach this point, our guide on how to make money fast in GTA 5 covers the quickest routes to that number.
Why the Acid Lab Is Worth the Trouble
The appeal is that the whole business runs from a mobile vehicle rather than a fixed property, so resupply and sale missions do not force you across the map to a warehouse. It is widely treated as one of the better solo-friendly earners in the game for exactly that reason.
Before you start the chain, it is worth knowing how to save your game in GTA 5 so progress is not lost between sessions, and how to switch characters if you are moving between story mode and online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get the Acid Lab for free? GTA+ subscribers get the installation at no cost. Everyone else pays the $750,000 trade price after finishing the missions.
Do you need any other business first? No. The First Dose chain does not require an existing nightclub, bunker, or MC clubhouse to start.
How many missions do you have to complete? Six. You must wait for a call from Dax between each one.
Where do you buy the lab once the missions are done? At the workbench inside the Freakshop, by speaking to Mutt.