The origin of leech is complex, and its market is mixed and difficult for identification.The safety of clinical medication cannot be guaranteed.The molecular identification method is based on the difference of molecular characteristics between organisms, which is not affected by external factors such as natural environment, growth and development stage etc.And it has the characteristics of rapidity, accuracy and objectivity.At present, the molecular identification methods used in leeches are as follows:RAPD technique based on nucleic acid, SSR technique, DNA barcode technique, protein based SDS-PAGE technique, and isozyme analysis technique.Based on the research progress of different molecular identification methods of leeches, this paper compared the characteristics of their technology and application features.Finally, the method of combining DNA metabarcoding technique, target sequencing technique and electrochemical sensing detecting technique were predicted to be a potential method to identify leech components in the leech mixture or in the Chinese patent medicine, providing reference for the further study of the molecular identification methods of leeches.