Abstract: To develop a rapid and accurate method for determining metalaxyl residues in tobacco, a molecular imprinted sensor was prepared by electropolymerizing phenol on the surface of pyrogallol modified glassy carbon electrode with metalaxyl as the template under weak alkali conditions. The sensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and tested by differential pulse method. The results showed that:1) The optimized preparation condition for this sensor was template/functional ratio 1/16, electropolymerization basement solution in a borax buffer with pH 9.0, and the elution time 20 min. 2) Under the optimized experimental condition, the limit of detection, recoveries, relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the developed method were 0.003 mg/kg, 98.5%-113.7%, 2.98%-4.26%, respectively. 3) The sensor was simple in application and rapid in responses and featured a high selectivity, it was suitable to the determination of metalaxyl residue in tobacco.