<p>Laser cladding boasts advantages such as low dilution rate, excellent bonding between the cladding layer and the matrix, and the tissue is compact. It is extensively utilized in the fields of surface modification of components and remanufacturing. During the laser cladding process, due to uneven distribution of temperature gradient and cooling rate, the cladding layer usually generates high residual stress, which leads to unfavorable phenomena such as cladding layer detachment and cracking. Accurate measurement of residual stresses in laser cladding layer is of significant importance for evaluating the cladding quality, enhancing the service performance of the cladding layer, and optimizing the cladding process parameters.Although various measurement techniques have been utilized by researchers to investigate residual stresses in laser cladding layers, several challenges remain unresolved. The current review of systematic studies in the field of residual stress measurement in laser melted cladding layers is still relatively scarce. In this paper, the principle and application of five residual stress measurement methods, such as blind hole method, X-ray diffraction method, neutron diffraction method, ultrasonic method and nanoindentation method, in the residual stress measurement of laser cladding layer were reviewed. On this basis, the challenges faced by residual stress measurement of laser cladding layer were summarized, and the development directions of future research were pointed out. It is helpful to improve the measurement accuracy of the residual stress and cladding quality of the cladding layer, thus further promoting the development and application of laser cladding technology.</p>