To recruit gang members in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, aim at a Grove Street member (anyone in green) and press G on PC or Up on the D-pad on PlayStation and Xbox. He joins your group and follows CJ, and you can keep adding homies until you hit the limit your Respect allows, which tops out at seven.
The same inputs work in the original release and in the Definitive Edition. Below we cover the exact steps on each platform, the Respect thresholds that decide your squad size, how to raise Respect, and how to give orders to (or get rid of) your crew.
How to Recruit, Step by Step
- Find Grove Street Families members. They wear green: bandanas, jerseys, caps. You will find them hanging around Grove Street and in any territory the gang holds.
- Target one. Walk up close and aim at him without firing: right mouse button on PC, LT on Xbox or L2 on PlayStation in the Definitive Edition (the original PS2 release targets with R1). Aim unarmed if you are worried about hitting someone by accident.
- Press recruit. While targeting, press G on PC or Up on the D-pad on controller. CJ gestures and the homie falls in behind him.
- Repeat for each member you want, up to your Respect limit. When you are at the cap, the next one will simply ignore you.
The step people miss is the targeting. Pressing G or Up while standing next to a homie without aiming at him does not recruit him, per the game’s own control listings, which is why the button often seems to do nothing.
The Respect Thresholds
How many homies can follow CJ is set entirely by your Respect stat. The tiers are:
| Respect | Homies you can recruit |
|---|---|
| Above 1% | 2 |
| Above 10% | 3 |
| Above 20% | 4 |
| Above 40% | 5 |
| Above 60% | 6 |
| Above 80% | 7 |
Seven is the maximum. If a fourth member will not join, you are under 20% Respect, and asking again will not change it. Check your current number in the pause menu under Stats.
How to Raise Respect
Respect comes from being a credible gang leader, and several sources stack:
- Story missions. The biggest single source and the one you are doing anyway.
- Taking territory. Winning gang wars against the Ballas and Vagos and holding the turf. It also puts more green on the streets, which makes recruiting easier. Spraying over rival tags feeds into this early on; see our guide to spraying over gang tags.
- Killing rival gang members (and police officers).
- CJ’s look and build. Muscle and clothing bring smaller Respect gains, so a gym visit or a new outfit can nudge you past a threshold. Our guide to increasing sex appeal covers the appearance stats, and if you overdid the gym, see how to lose muscle.
Respect also drops. Losing territory and getting your own homies killed both cost you, so a failed defense can push you back under a tier.
Commanding and Dismissing Your Crew
Once you have a group, the same two directions give orders:
- Up on the D-pad or G (not targeting anyone): tells the group to follow CJ (the control listings call this active gang mode).
- Down on the D-pad or H (not targeting anyone): tells them to hold back (passive gang mode).
- Target a homie and press Down or H: sends that one away, which frees a slot.
Homies climb into your car with you (as many as it has seats) and shoot out of the windows during drive-bys, which makes a four-door car the best way to move a squad. They return fire when attacked and will shoot at rival gangs, police, SWAT, the FBI and the military.
Tips Most Players Miss
- Recruit before a turf war, not during. Hunting for homies under fire goes badly.
- Recruit on your own turf. Grove members are easy to find where you already hold ground.
- Expect a gap mid-story. While the plot keeps CJ away from Los Santos, there are few Grove members around to recruit, per player reports.
- Keep them alive. Every dead homie costs Respect.
Respect underpins a lot of San Andreas, alongside money for weapons; our guide to making money in GTA San Andreas covers that side. Every other guide we have for the series is on our GTA guides hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you recruit gang members in GTA San Andreas? Aim at a Grove Street member and press G on PC or Up on the D-pad on controller. He joins your group and follows CJ.
Why can’t I recruit gang members? Either you are not targeting the homie when you press the button, or your Respect is below the next tier. Each tier from 1% to 80% adds one more slot.
How many gang members can you recruit? Seven at most, and only once your Respect is above 80%.
How do you get rid of a recruited gang member? Target him and press Down on the D-pad or H on PC to send him away.
Is recruiting the same in the Definitive Edition? Yes, it uses the same G key and D-pad Up; the Definitive Edition just targets with LT or L2 like a modern shooter.