Do bounties ever get cleared without paying?

I went on a small hunting trip to West Elizabeth in search of a legendary animal, even though I have a $300 bounty on my head there from a previous story mission. The bounty hunters I previously encountered weren't that bad, so I thought I'd take the risk.

Turns out the bounty hunters get a bit meaner and more plentiful at these bounty levels, and the encounter didn't turn out well for me.

I'm wondering if I should just pay the bounty now, as the bounty hunter activity is quite annoying at that level and interferes with any activities I want to do in that area. But if there are other ways to reduce or eliminate bounties, or if they get cleared in the story or something like that, it would be quite a waste to pay it now. And right now $300 is a significant chunk of my total possessions.


According to manual, found in the RDR2 Companion app. It's only possible to clear a bounty by paying your debt at a post office, these post offices are marked on the world map with Envelope icons:

Manual text:

When law officers approach you, you have the opportunity to surrender to them. You must be on foot, and have your weapon holstered, to surrender.

If you injure an officer of the law, or shake out of an arrest attempt, then the law will no longer attempt to capture you alive – they will shoot to kill.

The next time you commit a crime, your state bounty will include all crimes you have previously committed in that state- Lawmen and bounty hunters will attempt to track you down unless you find a telegraph operator at a post office and pay your debt to society.

As you commit more crimes in a region, lawmen and civilians become more vigilant, eventually place the region of Lockdown. This turns the region map red and prevents use of local shops and events until enough time passes or your bounty is paid.

RDR2 Companion app manual