To install mods in BeamNG.drive you have two options: subscribe to the mod from the game’s Repository (it downloads and enables itself) or copy the .zip without extracting it into the mods folder inside your user folder, which on Windows is %LOCALAPPDATA%\BeamNG\BeamNG.drive\current\mods (you can open it from the launcher under Manage User Folder). Heads-up about 0.40 (October 19, 2026): since it’s a major update, the game disables all your mods and the «show possibly broken mods» button no longer exists, so you’ll have to re-enable them yourself from the Mod Manager. You can’t install mods on PS5.
Option 1: the in-game Repository
- Open the Repository from the main menu or the side menu.
- Search for or filter the mod you want.
- Click Subscribe. The game downloads it and enables it automatically.
You can also do it from the repository website (beamng.com/resources): the Subscribe button opens the game and downloads the mod, View ingame shows it in the in-game repository and Download Now downloads it through your browser so you can install it manually. BeamNG warns that old mods may be outdated or broken: check the date of the last update before you subscribe.
Option 2: manual installation
- Download the mod from its official source. It should be a
.zipfile. - Don’t extract it. The game loads the
.zipas is. - Open your user folder from the launcher: Manage User Folder > Open user folder.
- Go into the
modsfolder (create it if it doesn’t exist) and copy the.zipthere. - Start the game: the mod will show up in the Mod Manager.
The default location of the user folder on Windows is %LOCALAPPDATA%\BeamNG\BeamNG.drive\current, so mods go in %LOCALAPPDATA%\BeamNG\BeamNG.drive\current\mods. BeamNG used to create one folder per version (0.36, 0.37…); now it uses a single current folder that doesn’t change with each update. If you moved your user folder somewhere else, always open the path from the launcher so you don’t get it wrong.
BeamNG explicitly warns: be wary of mods in .exe format or anything other than .zip. They don’t work that way and may hide malware. And don’t keep your user folder inside the game’s install folder: Steam may delete unknown files when it updates or verifies the game.
The Mod Manager
From the in-game Mods Manager you can enable and disable each mod without deleting it. Active mods appear in the matching selector: vehicles in the vehicle selector, maps in the level selector, paint jobs in their own tab. If you want to try a map like River Highway or a camera mod like Enhanced Interior Camera, enable it, test it and disable it if it doesn’t win you over.
BeamNG doesn’t recommend running more than 20 or 30 mods at a time. The more you enable, the longer it takes to load and the more likely two mods are to conflict.
Watch out for the unpacked folder and loose files
The Mod Manager lets you unpack a mod to edit it. That creates an extracted version of the mod inside the mods folder (usually in a subfolder called unpacked). An unpacked mod loads with priority and can stay active even if you delete the .zip, or overwrite another mod’s files. The same goes for loose files copied straight into the user folder: according to the official documentation, if a file exists at the same relative path in both the user folder and the game folder, the one in the user folder is loaded. If you’re not making mods, don’t unpack anything and don’t extract files inside the user folder.
What happens when the game updates
With major updates, BeamNG disables mods on purpose and cleans up the user folder: it deletes temporary cache files and moves unknown files to a backup folder. After updating:
- Go to the Repository and update the mods that have a new version.
- Re-enable mods one at a time or in small groups.
- If a mod hasn’t been updated in a long time, it may not work with the current version. Check that before assuming the game is at fault.
With 0.40 (October 19, 2026), enabling and disabling lots of mods is much faster (BeamNG mentions going from about 3 minutes to 4 seconds in its test). On the flip side, the update removed a UI feature that some third-party apps relied on (the v-bng-panel directive), so certain older UI apps may stop showing up until their author updates them. On our mod pages we list the latest version each author declares and flag when they haven’t confirmed 0.40 yet.
Troubleshooting: Safe Mode and Clear Cache
The launcher includes a Support Tools menu with two key tools:
- Safe Mode: starts the game with a temporary, empty user folder, with no mods or settings. Changes you make in this mode aren’t saved. If the problem goes away in Safe Mode, the cause is in your mods or settings.
- Clear Cache: deletes the cache, which can get corrupted and cause crashes or missing textures.
The recommended procedure for missing textures or strange behavior is: disable all mods, use Clear Cache, check that the problem goes away and re-enable mods gradually until you find the culprit. If a mod replaces base game files and leaves you stuck on the loading screen, delete it and clear the cache again.
More mods in the BeamNG.drive section and more guides in the guide index.
After updating to 0.40: how to re-enable your mods
Since BeamNG changed its folder system (versions 0.37 and 0.38), every major update (when the second number changes, like going from 0.39 to 0.40) disables mods on purpose, deletes part of the cache and moves files the game doesn’t recognize to a backup folder next to current. You haven’t lost anything: the mods are still in the mods folder. To use them again:
- 1. Open the Mod Manager and first update the ones you’re subscribed to in the Repository.
- 2. Check the date of each mod’s last update: if it’s older than 0.40, it may fail.
- 3. Enable mods a few at a time and test the game between batches. In 0.40, enabling and disabling lots of mods is quite a bit faster.
- 4. If something fails, disable it and let its author know. The «show possibly broken mods» button was removed in 0.40 because it gave too many false positives, so checking is now manual.
- 5. If the game doesn’t start properly, use Clear Cache or Safe Mode from the launcher’s Support Tools.
If a mod doesn’t show up or doesn’t work
| Problem | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The mod doesn’t show up in the manager | It’s extracted, in another folder or packed incorrectly | Leave the .zip as is inside current\mods; if it still doesn’t show up, ask the author |
| All mods show up as disabled | Major update (0.40) | Re-enable them in batches as explained above |
| A UI app no longer shows up | 0.40 removed the v-bng-panel directive |
Wait for the author to update it |
| The game runs slowly or crashes | Too many active mods or old mods | Keep it to 20–30 active mods and clear the cache |
| You’re asked to install an .exe | It isn’t a BeamNG mod | Don’t run it: BeamNG mods are .zip files, and an .exe doesn’t work as a mod and may contain malware |
What about PS5?
The PS5 version (October 19, 2026, early access) doesn’t support mods at launch; BeamNG says its long-term goal is to match features across platforms, with no dates. We cover it in detail in BeamNG.drive on PS5. If you’re looking for what to install on PC, start with our picks of the best BeamNG.drive mods and the best maps, and check the requirements if you’re going to load a lot of them.
A mod won’t load or the game crashes? Follow the guide with fixes when mods don’t work.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the BeamNG.drive mods folder?
On Windows, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\BeamNG\BeamNG.drive\current\mods; on Linux, inside ~/.local/share/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive/current. The easiest way is to open it from the launcher: Manage User Folder and open it in File Explorer. If the mods folder doesn’t exist, create it.
Why were my mods disabled when I updated to 0.40?
Because BeamNG disables mods with every major update to avoid problems with old mods. They’re still in your folder: update them from the Repository and re-enable them gradually in the Mod Manager.
Where is the «show possibly broken mods» button?
It was removed in 0.40 (October 19, 2026) because it flagged many working mods as broken. Now you have to check each mod’s update date and test them in batches.
Do you need to extract BeamNG mods?
No. Copy the .zip as is into the mods folder. Extracting it, or using the unpack option, creates loose files that load with priority and can cause conflicts.