After more than three decades’ development, the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) method is widely used to measure the atmospheric trace gases in forms of ground based, air borne and satellite platform. Recently, the DOAS technique made great progresses in atmospheric aerosol measurement, including aerosol optical depth (AOD), extinction coefficient, size distribution and pollution type, which provides a new method for atmospheric environment monitoring and atmospheric chemistry research. Studies about the active DOAS technique to measure ground surface aerosol optical parameters and passive technique to retrieve vertical aerosol optical properties were reviewed, respectively. Afterwards, new ideas for the research on the aerosol monitoring by the DOAS technique were put forward.