How to Ban Players on a DayZ Server: UID, BattlEye RCon, and Unban Steps

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The reliable way to ban someone on a DayZ server depends on the identifier you have and whether the player is connected. A DayZ local ban uses the player’s 44-character UID in the server-root ban.txt. BattlEye administration uses a BattlEye GUID (or, with addBan, a supported IP address) and stores entries in BattlEye/bans.txt. For a live player, BattlEye RCon is the fastest route: identify the player with players, then run ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason]. An omitted duration or 0 creates a permanent BattlEye ban.

Choose the right ban method first

Before entering a command or editing a file, decide what you are trying to enforce. A local DayZ UID ban applies to your server. A BattlEye GUID ban is enforced by BattlEye on that server through its BattlEye files and administration tools. Neither method is a way to cancel a BattlEye global ban imposed outside your server.

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The player may be online or offline, which changes the practical workflow. RCon maps a currently connected player number to the player’s BattlEye GUID and lets you apply a timed or permanent action immediately. An offline player can be added by identifier with addBan. A known DayZ UID can be placed in the root ban.txt for a server-local rule.

• Use RCon when the player is connected and you need an immediate, auditable action.
• Use addBan when the player is offline but you have a BattlEye GUID or supported IP address.
• Use ban.txt when you are enforcing a DayZ UID ban locally and have access to the server files.

Record the rule violation and supporting evidence before acting. Bohemia Interactive’s public-hive hosting rules list “Kick/Ban players without just cause” as prohibited conduct, so a ban should be tied to a documented server-rule violation rather than a disagreement or an unverified report.

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UID, GUID, and player number are different identifiers

Most failed bans come from putting the right value in the wrong system. DayZ’s player UID, a BattlEye GUID, a SteamID64, and the temporary player number shown by RCon are not interchangeable.

What the DayZ UID does

The DayZ server-files documentation describes the root ban.txt as a plain list containing one player UID per line. The UID is the value the DayZ server expects for this local access-control mechanism. Keep each entry on its own line and preserve the complete 44-character value.

What the BattlEye GUID does

BattlEye maintains its own ban list in its working directory. A BattlEye GUID ban is separate from a DayZ UID entry, even when both values refer to the same person. RCon’s ban command bans the player’s BattlEye GUID, not a SteamID64.

Why the RCon player number is temporary

The number displayed by players identifies a current connection. It is a lookup key for that session, not a permanent identity. Always run players immediately before the ban and verify the name or other displayed details so you do not act on a number that changed after a disconnect or reconnect.

Prepare and verify BattlEye RCon

RCon requires a configured password and a server configuration that permits the relevant restriction functions. The DayZ server-configuration reference identifies BEServer_x64.cfg; BattlEye’s configuration uses an RCon password, while RestrictRCon controls whether RCon kick, ban, and connection restrictions are enabled.

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1. Locate the BattlEye configuration for the instance you administer and confirm that the RCon password is set.
2. Check the RestrictRCon setting. If restriction functions are disabled, commands such as kick or ban may not work even though an RCon connection appears available.
3. Use an RCon console compatible with your host and connect with the configured password. Do not publish that password in a public Discord channel, ticket, or server configuration screenshot.
4. If you cannot locate BEServer_x64.cfg or the host does not expose the BattlEye directory, ask the host for the supported file path and RCon procedure rather than guessing a path.

RCon access is an administrative capability. Give it only to moderators who are expected to follow the same evidence and proportionality rules as the server owner.

Ban a connected player with BattlEye RCon

Use this workflow when the player is currently online and you want the action recorded through BattlEye’s command interface.

1. Connect to RCon. Enter the RCon endpoint and the password configured for the server. If authentication fails, stop and correct the configuration before trying ban commands.
2. List connected players. Run players. Read the returned player list and note the number assigned to the intended player. Confirm the name and any other identifying information shown by the console.
3. Select a duration. BattlEye measures the duration in minutes. Use a positive number for a timed ban. Leave the duration out or enter 0 for a permanent ban.
4. Enter the ban command. The documented form is ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason]. Replace <player #> with the number from players, then add the duration and a concise reason.
5. Verify the entry. Run bans after the command. Confirm that the new entry, duration, and reason correspond to the intended player.
6. Preserve the record. Keep the RCon output or server log with the player identifier, date, rule violated, duration, and moderator who acted.

Command examples

A 60-minute ban for repeated combat logging would use the same structure as:

ban 12 60 repeated combat logging

Here, 12 is only an example of the player number returned by players; use the number shown on your server. For a permanent ban with an explicit zero duration:

ban 12 0 repeated cheating after review

An omitted time is also documented as permanent, but specifying 0 makes the intended permanence visible in your moderation record. Use a reason that identifies the rule and event, not an insult or a vague label.

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Ban an offline player with addBan

When the player is no longer connected, the RCon player number is unavailable. BattlEye documents addBan [GUID or IP address] [time in minutes] [reason] for adding an offline entry.

1. Obtain the correct BattlEye GUID, or a supported IP address if that is the identifier you deliberately intend to restrict.
2. Confirm that the value is not a SteamID64 or a DayZ UID. Those identifiers belong to different mechanisms.
3. Choose a duration in minutes. Use a positive value for a timed ban, or omit the duration or use 0 for a permanent ban.
4. Run the command in RCon, replacing the bracketed fields with the identifier, duration, and reason.
5. Run bans and check that the resulting entry contains the expected identifier and policy.

addBan ABCDEF1234567890ABCDEF1234567890 1440 evasion of moderator warning

The identifier in this example is illustrative; never copy an example value into production. IP-based entries require extra care because an address can be shared, reassigned, or changed. Use a GUID when the evidence and your moderation policy support an account-level BattlEye action.

Use the DayZ root ban.txt for a local UID ban

Use the file method when you have a DayZ player UID and want a persistent rule that belongs to your server rather than a BattlEye-wide decision.

1. Back up the current file. Copy the existing root ban.txt before editing it so you can restore an earlier list if an entry is accidentally removed or malformed.
2. Open the server-root file. Do not confuse it with BattlEye’s bans.txt in the BattlEye working directory. They are separate files for separate identifiers.
3. Add the UID exactly. Put one complete 44-character DayZ player UID on each line. Do not add a SteamID64, a player name, or a GUID to this file.
4. Save without changing existing entries. Preserve the other lines unless you have a separate, documented reason to remove them.
5. Apply the file according to your server’s reload procedure. The file documentation identifies its format and location; the hosting environment determines whether a restart or another reload action is required. If the server does not recognize a new entry, consult the host’s DayZ server-files instructions rather than repeatedly editing the file.

Removing a UID line is the corresponding local-file unban action. Make the change deliberately, retain the backup, and record who approved the reversal. A UID removed from ban.txt does not remove a separate BattlEye entry in bans.txt.

Check, expire, or reverse a BattlEye ban

BattlEye provides a direct RCon workflow for inspecting and removing entries.

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1. Run bans to list the current BattlEye entries and their ban numbers.
2. Match the relevant ban number to the identifier, reason, and duration. Do not guess from a player name alone.
3. Run removeBan [ban #], replacing the bracketed value with the entry’s number.
4. Run writeBans to rewrite the ban list. BattlEye documents that this can also remove expired bans.
5. Run bans again and confirm that the intended entry is gone or marked according to the console output.

For a timed ban, wait until the documented duration has elapsed or remove it early through this process. A permanent entry remains until an administrator deliberately removes it. If the same player is still blocked after removing the BattlEye entry, check whether a separate UID line remains in ban.txt or whether the player is subject to a global BattlEye ban.

What a local administrator cannot do about a global BattlEye ban

A global BattlEye ban is outside an individual DayZ server owner’s control. Bohemia Interactive states that the banning system is administered by BattlEye and that Bohemia is not involved in detecting cheats or administering those bans. Editing your local ban.txt, deleting an entry from BattlEye/bans.txt, or using removeBan cannot reverse a global BattlEye decision.

Direct the affected player to BattlEye for a global-ban appeal or support request. You can still remove your own local entry if one exists, but that will not override the global restriction. Bohemia also notes that players can filter for servers where BattlEye is not required; that is a server-selection option, not an unban performed by you.

Troubleshoot the most common failures

RCon connects, but ban is rejected

• Recheck the RCon password in the BattlEye configuration and the password entered by the administrator.
• Inspect RestrictRCon; restriction functions may be disabled even when the connection itself succeeds.
• Confirm the command syntax, including the numeric player number and duration in minutes.
• Run players again. A disconnect and reconnect can change the number you intended to use.

The wrong person was banned

Use bans immediately, compare the identifier and reason with your moderation record, and remove the mistaken entry with removeBan [ban #]. If the action was also written into a local file, restore the backup or remove only the erroneous UID line. Document the correction instead of silently changing the record.

The player can still join after a UID edit

Verify that the value is a complete 44-character DayZ UID, appears on its own line in the server-root ban.txt, and is not a SteamID64 or BattlEye GUID. Then follow the reload or restart procedure required by your hosting environment. A BattlEye ban in bans.txt is a separate check and will not prove that the UID file was loaded.

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A removed BattlEye entry does not restore access

Check both local mechanisms: the BattlEye list may contain another entry, and ban.txt may still contain the player’s UID. If both local lists are clear, the restriction may be a BattlEye global ban, which only BattlEye can administer.

You cannot find the files

The documented names are the server-root ban.txt and BattlEye’s BattlEye/bans.txt, with RCon settings in BEServer_x64.cfg. Managed hosts can expose these through different control panels or permissions. Ask the host for the exact instance path and supported reload process; do not edit an unrelated server instance.

Build a defensible moderation record

A technically correct command can still be poor moderation if nobody can explain why it was used. For every action, record the player identifier, the rule or policy involved, the date and time, the evidence reviewed, the moderator, the mechanism used, and the duration. Store the RCon reason alongside the fuller internal note; the short reason is for the server record, while the longer note supports an appeal or staff review.

Match duration to the policy

• Use a timed ban when your rules call for a temporary suspension and state the number of minutes explicitly.
• Use a permanent ban only where the rule and evidence justify it, and note who approved that decision.
• When evidence is incomplete, pause for a second moderator’s review rather than converting uncertainty into a permanent action.

Keep identifiers separated

Store the DayZ UID, BattlEye GUID, and any RCon player number in separate fields in your moderation notes. The player number is session-specific; the UID and GUID belong to different enforcement systems. This simple separation prevents an administrator from pasting a SteamID64 into ban.txt or treating a removed BattlEye entry as proof that every local restriction is gone.

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Quick decision guide

Final pre-flight checklist

• Have you identified whether the value is a DayZ UID, BattlEye GUID, supported IP address, or temporary RCon player number?
• Are you using ban.txt for a DayZ UID and BattlEye/bans.txt for BattlEye entries?
• For a live ban, did you run players immediately beforehand and confirm the target?
• Did you choose a duration in minutes and understand that omitted time or 0 is permanent?
• Is RCon configured with a password, and does RestrictRCon permit restriction functions?
• Did you record the rule violation and evidence so the action has just cause?
• For an unban, did you check both BattlEye’s list and the DayZ UID file?
• Are you treating a global BattlEye ban as a BattlEye matter rather than trying to edit local files?

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