Abstract <p>A study was conducted with the anodic electrolytic-plasma nitrocarburizing of corrosion-resistant AISI304 steel, which is significantly faster than a similar process without gas discharges. A specific feature of this treatment for samples with a rough surface was identified, significantly dependent on the thickness of the nitrogen- and carbon-saturated layer and the relief area. The surface relief was created by applying M8 threads. It was determined that in valleys and on slopes, the hardening layer grows rapidly at the initial stage of processing, and then its growth slows significantly. On protrusions in areas with maximum surface curvature (8000 m^–1), the cracks and “tearing out” of both the saturated layer and the treated metal are possible at the nitrocarburizing process initial stage. After this, the nitrocarburized layer thickness increases to a rate of ∼1.5 μm/min.</p>