Methods and apparatus for dynamic channel sensing for direct link in a High Efficiency WLAN (HEW) are provided. The methods include a method for dynamic channel sensing for a direct link by a first station (STA) in a wireless local area network. The method may include determining a first COLOR parameter of an access point to which the first STA is associated, exchanging with a second STA a COLOR parameter related to the direct link, the second STA being a peer STA of the first STA in the direct link, and determining a channel state based on a value of a COLOR field included in a received physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) having a valid SIGNAL (SIG) field, the first COLOR parameter, and the COLOR parameter related to the direct link.